TCS New York City Marathon

Marathon in New York City, normally held in November. A mixed marathon course — All five boroughs, five bridges and a hard final stretch through Central Park.

The TCS New York City Marathon at a glance

Distances	Marathon
Main distance	42.2 km (marathon)
Usually held	November
Course	Mixed
City	New York City, United States
Typical conditions	12.2°C high / 4°C low, rain on ~29% of days

All five boroughs, five bridges and a hard final stretch through Central Park.

Entering the TCS New York City Marathon

Entry fees, closing dates and start times are set by the organiser and change every year, so they are not reproduced here — a stale deadline is worse than none. The organiser’s own site and its social channels are the authoritative source for the current year, and are where entry opens.

What is stable, and what this page covers: the month the race is held, what the course is like, the conditions you should expect, and how long a build-up the distance needs.

Weather at previous TCS New York City Marathon races

Across the last ten years, New York City in November has averaged a daily high of 12.2°C and a low of 4°C, with at least a millimetre of rain on about 29% of days.

These are recorded observations for the race month averaged over ten years, not a forecast and not a single past race day — race dates move, so one day’s figures would mislead. Source: Open-Meteo historical archive.

How to prepare for the TCS New York City Marathon

How long to train

Build for 16 to 20 weeks from a base you already hold rather than from nothing. For marathon the block should peak at a longest run of 30–32 km, reached at least two weeks before race day so there is time to taper. Three weeks of taper is standard: cut volume by roughly a third each week while keeping some race-pace work so the legs stay sharp.

Training for this course

The course mixes surfaces and gradients, so build a training block that does the same rather than repeating one flat loop. Vary where you run week to week so nothing on race day is unfamiliar.

Conditions in November

Conditions are usually good for racing: highs average 12.2°C and lows 4°C in November, which is close to ideal for marathon running. Dress for the temperature about ten degrees warmer than it actually is, since you will warm up within two kilometres.

Fuelling

Over 42 km you will need 30–60 g of carbohydrate an hour from early on, not once you feel empty. Rehearse the exact products in training — the gut trains like anything else — and check in advance which brand is handed out on course, because switching to an unfamiliar one mid-race is a common and avoidable mistake.

Race week

Sleep matters most two nights before, not the night before, so protect that one. Keep eating normally with a modest tilt toward carbohydrate, lay out kit the night before, and do nothing new: no new shoes, no new breakfast, no new socks. Plan to arrive at the start with time to spare — marathon fields move slowly through bag drop and security.

Distances and where the race is run

Marathon — 42.2 km

The pin marks New York City city centre, the area the TCS New York City Marathon starts and finishes in. This is not the course line: the route is set by the organiser and changes between editions, so the official course map for the current year is theirs to publish. The routes below are for training on the same roads.

Train on these roads: 10K routes in New York City · long runs in New York City · GPS art routes

Other races in New York City

United Airlines NYC Half — Half marathon, March
RBC Brooklyn Half — Half marathon, May
Fifth Avenue Mile — 1 mile, September

Full New York City race calendar