NYC Marathon 2022 Guide: Course Map, How To Watch, Road Closures

NEW YORK CITY — Tens of thousands of runners will once again take to the streets for the 51st annual New York City Marathon.

The 2022 TCS New York City Marathon will send 50,000 people running 26.2 miles across the five boroughs, from a start in Staten Island to victory in Central Park.

Sunday's race comes after a historic 50th anniversary delayed by a COVID-19 pandemic that forced organizers to run it as a virtual event. The race was also canceled 10 years ago because of Hurricane Sandy.

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This year's race begins at 9 a.m., though start times are spaced out.

For the first time since the pandemic hit New York City, the race will be run at full capacity.

Race Map

The course touches all five boroughs — it starts on the Staten Island side of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and participants will run through Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx before re-entering Manhattan to finish the race in Central Park (at 67th Street on West Drive).

Nearly half of the course's 26.2 miles are in Brooklyn, and the final few miles stretch down Manhattan's Fifth Avenue before passing along Central Park South and into the park. Only a couple of miles are located in Queens and the Bronx.

Here's the official course map as provided by New York Road Runners:

Where to Watch

Anyone hoping to watch runners cross the finish line will have to purchase seating at the Grandstand in Central Park, where general admission tickets are $54.25.

But you won't have to pay to cheer on the runners. Officials have recommended several viewing spots along the course, including along Fourth Avenue, Brooklyn (Miles 2-4); Williamsburg and Greenpoint, Brooklyn (Miles 10-13); First Avenue, Manhattan (Miles 16-18); and East Harlem (Miles 18-20).

Though the Pulaski Bridge connecting Brooklyn to Queens is closed to spectators, fans can cheer on the runners on the Queens side, located just past the race's halfway mark.

Watching from Home

Whether you live in the city, elsewhere in the U.S. or even in another country, plenty of options are available for viewing the race.

In the New York City area, ABC7 will broadcast the race from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with pre-race coverage from Fort Wadsworth beginning at 7 a.m. Viewers can also watch a livestream on the ABC App and at ABC7NY.com.

Those outside the city can watch the race from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. via ESPN. ESPN2 will broadcast coverage, and viewers can also watch via their app on smartphones and tablets, and on ESPN.com with a subscription.

Continuing coverage will be available on ESPN3 from 7 to 8:30 a.m. and from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and that channel will run a live view of the finish line throughout the day.

International viewers in Europe, China, South Africa and more can watch the race via global broadcast partners, a list of which can be found here.

Tracking runners

Anyone who wants to cheer on a family member or friend running the marathon can download the TCS New York City Marathon app, which is available for free on the Apple and Google Play stores.

Each runner will have their own page on the app, which will display a dashboard of live tracking stats and give users the option to view and order race-day photos.

Street Closures

MTA officials will close the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to all vehicular traffic between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Sunday, and the bridge's upper level will be closed to traffic in both directions beginning at 11 p.m. Saturday.

Additionally, the Central Park Transverse Roads at 65th, 79th and 96th Streets will be closed for most of the day, and buses will not be allowed to cross Fifth Avenue during the race.

More bus diversion information will become available at new.mta.info as the race progresses.

Find the detailed list of street closures here:

Subway Changes

The MTA announced Friday its weekend service changes with specific tips for those attending and running the marathon. (And here's the MTA map of all important service changes for the weekend.)

• To runners planning on taking the Staten Island ferry, remember the R isn’t stopping at Whitehall Street this weekend.
• For those looking to take the subway to a viewing location, here's a list of prime spots with nearby train lines (scroll up to see it).
• A trains aren't running at all between 207th and 168th streets, and C trains aren't running between 168th and 145th streets.
• During the day on Saturday, D trains are only running in Brooklyn (between Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center and Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue). In The Bronx, C trains are running on the line between 145 St and Norwood-205 St.
• N and R trains aren't running in lower Manhattan.
• Q trains aren't running between Prospect Park and Coney Island-Stillwell Ave.