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Runners, and throngs of spectators, kick off the five-borough New York City Marathon
By
Walter Wuthmann
Published Nov 1, 2026 at 9:41 a.m. ET
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Kena Betancur / AFP via Getty Images
By
Walter Wuthmann
Published Nov 1, 2026 at 9:41 a.m. ET
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The New York City marathon kicked off on Sunday morning with partly cloudy skies and brisk temperatures in the high 40s.
As the first waves of runners got started on Staten Island, a crowd of cheering supporters gathered in Bay Ridge near the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge – the first of five bridges along the 26.2 mile route to the Central Park finish line.
Sarah Agrusa, a New Yorker who’s a performer with the touring production of "Mamma Mia!", is supporting her boyfriend, Ryan Wong, who’s running the race for the first time.
“I'm planning to hit mile 9, 15, 17, 19 and then the finish line,” she told Gothamist. “It's beautiful weather out here, so I'm excited to see everyone run.”
Sarah Agrusa with her dog, Ollie, will be heading to multiple spots along the marathon route to cheer on her boyfriend, who is running the race for the first time.
The couple’s dachshund, Ollie, will join her along the route. “He'll hang out in the backpack once it gets a little busier. But he's excited, I think, to support his dad,” she said.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the marathon’s five borough course.
Some 60,000 runners are expected to participate in the big race, which snakes through Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx before ending near 67th Street in Central Park. Another 2 million spectators are expected to be cheering them on along.
There are a number of major bridge and road closures for the big race. You can find them all here.
Participants enter a hall to pick up their bibs at New York's marathon expo.
Michael Yanow/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Margie and Jose Pantoja Jr. of Corpus Christi, Texas, also started the day early in Bay Ridge to cheer on their son, Matthew Pantoja.
They’ve stood on the sidelines of all five marathons he’s run – including three in New York.
“It's a long day,” said Margie, as Jose chimed in: “It ain't the first time or the last time we'll be doing it.”
The couple will stay in the city for a week to make the most of the trip, and they plan to visit the Sept. 11 memorial in lower Manhattan, and pack in as many Broadway shows as they can. They’ve seen “& Juliet” and “The Lost Boys” since getting to town last Thursday, and they plan to see “Hadestown,” “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)” and the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes” before they go.
“We just plan on doing as much as we can here in New York,” said Margie.
As for their son, he’s hoping to beat his last time, which was slower than he’d hoped due to a cramp.
His parents plan to catch him at two points along the route, and then reunite with him at the finish line.
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New York City News
sports
Walter Wuthmann
Walter Wuthmann is a reporter covering public safety and the legal system.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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