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NYC Marathon changes route for first time in 15 years
By
Ryan Kost
Published Sep 22, 2026
Modified Sep 23, 2026
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By
Ryan Kost
Published Sep 22, 2026
Modified Sep 23, 2026
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The New York City Marathon will take a slightly different path through the Bronx this year — the first change to the course in 15 years, according to New York Road Runners.
The shift is meant to “minimize the race’s impacts on the Bronx, as the neighborhood has evolved over the past 50 years,” according to the group’s website.
Liv Ren, a New York Road Runners spokesperson, said in an email that the new route would help improve access to local businesses in the area. The changes, she said, came after a lengthy assessment of the Bronx section of the course in 2024, including an examination of the race’s impact on local resources and consulting “various stakeholders.” Eventually the group landed on two concepts and presented them to the city for consideration, resulting in the update announced Tuesday.
Large-scale events — and the New York City Marathon is among the city’s largest — frequently mean road closures and other inconveniences for neighbors and local businesses.
Much of the South Bronx route will be familiar for those who have done it before. Runners will still enter the borough by crossing over the Willis Avenue Bridge. They’ll then make a left onto East 135th Street and then a right on Alexander Avenue, as they always have. However, rather than heading left on East 138th Street, they’ll continue up Alexander Avenue and take a left on East 141st Street. From there they’ll take a left on Third Avenue and a right onto East 138th Street, where they’ll continue into Manhattan via the Madison Avenue Bridge.
Large-scale events — and the New York City Marathon is among the city’s largest — frequently mean road closures and other inconveniences for neighbors and local businesses.
Justin Mashia, the co-founder of Bronx Sole, a running and walking group in the Bronx, called the new route “a notable change for our community,” but a welcome one. The Western Beef Supermarket on East 140th Street and Morris Avenue is the only one in that area, which Mashia described as a “food desert.”
“I'm glad they're listening to the Bronxites in that community because our voices often times go unheard,” Mashia said in an email. “Those blocks on 138th are filled with energy and there's no energy like big Bronx energy so I believe the new path is just going to shift, not stop the crowd support.”
New York Road Runners is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the five-borough course this year. It debuted on Oct. 24, 1976.
This year’s race is set for Sunday, Nov. 1. It will kick off on Staten Island at 8 a.m.
Tagged
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new york city
Ryan Kost
Ryan Kost is a reporter on the day-of news desk, where he covers breaking news and writes enterprise stories about jails, courts, prosecutors and government accountability. His work focuses on the public institutions that shape life in New York. Before joining the newsroom, he lead a multi-part investigation with Columbia Journalism Investigations and New York Focus into how New York prosecutors handle wrongful conviction claims. He's also been a staff writer at The San Francisco Chronicle, The Associated Press and The Oregonian. Got a tip? Signal: ryankost.20
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