NEW YORK (WABC) — It’s Marathon Sunday in New York City as 50,000 runners wind their way across a 26.2-mile course through the five boroughs.
Weather is ideal for running with temperatures in the low 50s to start and reaching a high of around 60 by midday, according to AccuWeather.
Watch the 2023 TCS NYC Marathon NOW on Channel 7!
AND THEY’RE OFF
The men’s pro wheelchair division race got things going just after 8:00 a.m. The women’s pro wheelchair division race is underway as well.
GETTING THERE
The thousands of athletes who are participating in the marathon began their trek to the starting line well before sunrise. Many go by bus or ferry.
If you want to see the 2023 TCS NYC Marathon in person, there are plenty of places to catch the race all over New York City. The best places to watch are here.
START TIMES
The 52nd annual TCS NYC Marathon begins with the Professional Wheelchair Division at 8:00 a.m. followed by the Handcycle Category and Select Athletes with Disabilities.
The Professional Women start at 8:40 a.m. followed by the Men’s Division at 9:05 a.m.
After that, general runners will start in waves beginning at 9:10 a.m. and continue until 11:35 a.m.
MARATHON ROUTE
The journey kicks off with a cannon blast on Staten Island but racers won’t be here long. The first mile takes runners across the majestic Verrazzano-Narrows bridge, where they confront the marathon’s steepest incline. The runners head north through Brooklyn and Queens before turning west across the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan, north to the Bronx, and then back into Manhattan for the finish in Central Park.
New York City Marathon course mapBrittany Bell lays out the route that runners will follow during the NYC Marathon
THE PROFESSIONALS
Last year’s men’s champion, Kenya’s Evans Chebet, is not running.
On the women’s side, Sharon Lokedi will be defending her title against a strong group of runners including Boston Marathon champion Hellen Obiri, Olympic gold medalist and 2021 New York champion Peres Jepchirchir and former marathon world-record holder Brigid Kosgei.
Lokedi won in her marathon debut last year, taking the New York laurel wreath crown in 2:23.23. She pulled away in the final two miles of the race, winning in unseasonably warm temperatures in the 70s. It was one of the hottest days in race history since the marathon was moved to November in 1986.
The New York City Marathon also serves as the U.S. Paralympic Trials, with up to four wheelchair racers set to become the first athletes across all sports to make the team for the 2024 Paris Games. The top two Americans in the men’s and women’s NYC Marathon will qualify for the Paralympics, provided they also record a minimum qualifying time since last October and are ranked high enough.
SECURITY
The New York Police Department will implement heightened security measures for the marathon.
“As tensions rise around the globe, there is a growing concern over the impact it will have here at home,” said NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban. “There are currently no credible or specific threats to the marathon or to our city. But having said that, we will still implement a comprehensive security plan.”
There have been numerous protests in New York City since the start of the Israel-Hamas war last month.
Discover more coverage of the 2023 TCS NYC Marathon here and tune in Sunday starting at 7:00 a.m. on Channel 7 for coverage of the race.
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