The New York City Marathon takes place each year on the first Sunday in November, when runners from around the world come together to run 26.2 miles across all five boroughs. This year’s race takes place on November 3.
With more than 50,000 runners expected to compete in the 2024 race, there’ll be no shortage of loved ones showing up to support their friends and family members in the marathon. For New York City residents, there are various locations throughout the Big Apple in direct view of the marathon route. The New York Road Runners, which organizes the annual marathon, has provided a list of viewing locations for spectators to get the best views of the runners.
The course begins in Staten Island, where runners will race across the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn starting at 8am ET. While there is no area for spectators near or on the bridge, they are encouraged to watch online footage.
The marathon will be livestreamed on ESPN2, WABC-TV, or Watch ESPN from 8am to 11:30 am ET. Fans can also catch a glimpse at the finish line from 9am to 4:30 pm ET on ABC7NY.com.
After crossing the bridge, participants will run across Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn, stretching all the way from Bay Ridge to Downtown Brooklyn. They will then run through both the Williamsburg and Greenpoint neighborhoods of Brooklyn, heading toward the Pulaski Bridge to cross into Queens.
Although Pulaski Bridge will be closed to spectators, many fans have previously gathered on the Queens side of the bridge to cheer on runners.
The race continues into Manhattan, as runners travel down First Avenue for miles 16 through 18, before making their way into East Harlem. Participants will then run along another area of Fifth Avenue from East 90th Street to East 105th Street. There will also be a Charity Cheer Zone, designated for runners who raised funds for one of the New York Road Runners’s charity partners, located at First Avenue and 120th Street.
After running through Columbus Circle, contestants will cross the finish line at 67th Street on West Drive. There are two ways that spectators can access the finish line: by purchasing a seat for $59.53 on EventBrite, or by standing in the spectator area located inside Central Park, approximately 500 feet before the finish line.
There will be some new additions to this year’s New York City Marathon too.
A live two-hour show will air on ABC from 3pm to 5pm ET, as co-hosts speak to celebrities and runners at the finish line. A race-day radio broadcast will also begin on iHeartRadio’s 710 WOR-AM and 104.3HD2 in New York at 7am ET. People can tune in via the iHeartRadio app, starting at 8am ET.
