NYC Marathon 2023 Guide: How To Watch, Map, Road Closures + More

NEW YORK CITY — A running favorite New York City tradition is almost here.

The 2023 TCS New York City Marathon is expected to send 50,000 runners over the five boroughs Sunday.

The 26.2-mile race starts roughly at 9 a.m., with staggered times, from a start in Staten Island to victory in Central Park.

For more local news updates, subscribe to your neighborhood Patch here.

Expect crowds, jubilation and some trouble traveling across New York City on Race Day. Here's a quick guide to all the goings on.

Race Map

As usual, the course touches all five boroughs.

It starts on the Staten Island side of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and runs through Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx before re-entering Manhattan to finish the race in Central Park near 67th Street.

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

Where to Watch

Tickets for the Grandstand in Central Park, where people can watch runners cross the finish line, were nearly out as of Friday. General admission tickets are $59.53, and more information can be found here.

Most New Yorkers likely won't pay to cheer on the runners. They can cheer along the route, which has several recommended several viewing spots along the course.

Those are, as detailed by the New York Road Runners:

• Fourth Avenue, Brooklyn (Miles 2-4): Catch runners as they exit the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and move along Fourth Avenue. Subway: R 
• Fourth Avenue and Flatbush Avenue (Mile 8): Subway: B, D, N, Q, R, 2, 3, 4, 5
• Williamsburg and Greenpoint, Brooklyn (Miles 10-13): See runners as they head toward the Pulaski Bridge to cross into Queens. Subway: G, L, M, J
• Pulaski Bridge (Mile 13.1): The Pulaski Bridge, which connects Brooklyn to Queens, is closed to spectators. Many fans cheer on the Queens side, just past the race’s halfway mark. Subway: 7, G, E
• First Avenue, Manhattan (Miles 16-18): "Spectators line the sidewalks and shout encouragement at this exciting part of the course," states the New York Road Runners site. Subway: N, Q, R, 4, 5, 6, F
• East Harlem (Miles 18-20): Subway: 6
• Charity Cheer Zone, First Avenue and 120th Street (Miles 19-20): "Help celebrate thousands of runners who have chosen to add meaning to their run by raising funds for one of NYRR’s 500+ official charity partners," the Road Runners' site states. Subway: 6
• Fifth Avenue, East 90th Street-East 105th Street (Miles 23-24): A crucial spot to catch your runners before they enter Central Park. Subway: Q, 4, 5, 6
• United Airlines Zone: Columbus Circle. Subway: A, C, D, 1

Watching from Home

Marathon watchers don't need to be at the race to see it.

In the New York City area, ABC7 will broadcast the race from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., with pre-race coverage beginning at 7 a.m.

Continued coverage will be live until 1 p.m. Viewers can also watch a livestream on the ABC App and at ABC7NY.com.

Those outside the city can watch the race from 8:00 to 11:30 a.m. via ESPN2, the ESPN app and ESPN.com. Spanish coverage is available on

Continuing coverage will be available on ESPN3.

Tracking runners

People who want 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.

Street Closures

Expect traffic to be the worst near the race's start in Staten Island and the finish near Central Park.

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

Central Park's Tranverse roads will be closed for the following times:

• 96th Street Transverse Road: 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• 86th Street Transverse Road: Open
• 79th Street Transverse Road: 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• 65th Street Transverse Road: Buses only until 7:30 p.m.

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

The following streets will be closed:

Staten Island

• Richmond Terrace between Jersey Street and Bay Street
• Wall Street (aka Richmond County Ballpark Driveway) between Richmond Terrace and Bank Street
• Jersey Street between Richmond Terrace and Victory Boulevard
• Victory Boulevard between Jersey Street and Bay Street
• Bay Street between Richmond Terrace and School Road
• Fingerboard Road between Bay Street and Tompkins Avenue
• Tompkins Avenue between Fingerboard Road and School Road
• School Road between Bay Street and Staten Island Expressway
• Lily Pond Avenue between Staten Island Expressway and Father Capodanno Boulevard
• McClean Avenue/Battery Road between Lily Pond Avenue and New York Avenue
• Hylan Boulevard between Bay Street and Olga Place
• Steuben Street between Olga Place and West Fingerboard Road
• West Fingerboard Road between Steuben Street and Hylan Boulevard
• Sand Lane between Hylan Boulevard and Father Capodanno Boulevard
• Father Capodanno Boulevard between Sand Lane and Lily Pond Avenue
• Verrazano Bridge

Brooklyn

• Dahlgren Place between Verrazano Bridge and 92nd Street (Northbound)
• 92nd Street between Dahlgren Place and 4th Avenue
• Brooklyn Queens Expressway (Southbound) between Verrazano Bridge and 79th Street
• Gatling Place/79th Street BQE Entrance Ramp between 83rd Street and 79th Street
• 7th Avenue (Southbound) between 79th Street and 74th Street
• 74th Street between 6th Avenue and 7th Avenue
• 6th Avenue between 74th Street and 75th Street/Bay Ridge Parkway
• 75th Street/Bay Ridge Parkway between 7th Avenue and 4th Avenue
• Fort Hamilton Parkway between 92nd Street and 94th Street
• 94th Street between Fort Hamilton Parkway and 4th Avenue
• 4th Avenue between 94thStreet and Flatbush Avenue
• Flatbush Avenue between 4th Avenue and Lafayette Avenue
• Lafayette Avenue between Flatbush Avenue and Bedford Avenue
• Bedford Avenue between Lafayette Avenue and Nassau Avenue
• Nassau Avenue between Bedford Avenue/Lorimer Street and Manhattan Avenue
• Manhattan Avenue between Nassau Avenue and Greenpoint Avenue
• Greenpoint Avenue between Manhattan Avenue and McGuinness Boulevard
• McGuinness Boulevard (Southbound) between Greenpoint Avenue and Pulaski Bridge
• Pulaski Bridge (Southbound)

Queens

• 11th Street between Pulaski Bridge/Jackson Avenue and 48th Avenue
• 48th Avenue between 11th Street and Vernon Boulevard
• Vernon Boulevard between 48th Avenue and 10th Street
• 10th Street between Vernon Boulevard and 44th Drive
• 44th Drive between 10th Street and Hunter Street
• Hunter Street between 44th Drive and Crescent Street
• Crescent Street between Hunter Street and Queens Plaza South
• Queens Plaza South between Crescent Street and 23rd Street
• Queens Plaza North between Crescent Street and 23rd Street
• 23rd Street between Queens Plaza South and Queens Plaza North
• Queensboro Bridge (Eastbound)
• Queensboro Bridge Bicycle and Pedestrian Path

Manhattan

• Queensboro Bridge (Vehicle Entrance Ramp Eastbound)
• East 59th Street between 2nd Avenue and 1st Avenue
• East 60th Street between 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue
• 1st Avenue between East 59th Street and Willis Avenue Bridge
• Madison Avenue Bridge (Westbound)
• 142nd Street between Lenox Avenue/Malcom X Boulevard and 5th Avenue
• 5th Avenue between 142nd Street and 124th Street
• Madison Avenue (FDR Service Road) between East 135th Street and East 142nd Street
• East 138th Street between Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue
• West 124th Street between 5th Avenue and Mount Morris Park West
• Mount Morris Park West between West 124th Street and West 120th Street
• West 120th Street between Mount Morris Park West and 5th Avenue
• 5th Avenue between 120th Street and 90th Street
• 90th Street between 5th Avenue and East Drive
• East Drive between 90th Street and Grand Army Plaza
• Grand Army Plaza between East Drive and West 59th Street
• West 59th Street between 5th Avenue and Columbus Circle/8th Avenue/Central Park West
• Columbus Circle between West 59th Street and Central Park Driveway
• Central Park Driveway/8th Avenue Approach to West Drive
• West Drive between 8th Avenue Approach and 85th Street Approach to West Drive
• Terrace Drive between West Drive and East Drive
• Center Drive between West Drive and East Drive
• West 85th Street Approach to West Drive
• West 81st Street Approach to West Drive
• West 77th Street Approach to West Drive
• West 67th Street Approach to West Drive

Bronx

• Willis Avenue Bridge
• East 135th Street between Willis Avenue and Alexander Avenue
• Alexander Avenue between East 135th Street and East 138th Street
• East 138th Street between Alexander Avenue and 3rd Avenue
• 3rd Avenue between East 138th Street and East 139th Street
• Morris Avenue between East 139th Street and East 140th Street
• East 140th Street between Morris Avenue and Rider Avenue
• Rider Avenue between East 140th Street and East 138th Street
• East 138th Street between Rider Avenue and Madison Avenue Bridge

Marathon Family Reunion

• Central Park West between Columbus Circle and West 76th Street
• West 61st Street between Central Park West and Broadway
• West 62nd Street between Central Park West and Broadway
• West 63rd Street between Central Park West and Broadway
• West 64th Street between Central Park West and Broadway
• West 65th Street between Central Park West and Broadway
• West 66th Street between Central Park West and Broadway
• West 67th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• West 68th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• West 69th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• West 70th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• West 71st Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• West 72nd Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• West 73rd Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• West 74th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• Columbus Avenue between West 74th Street and Broadway
• Broadway between West 66th Street and Columbus Circle

Subway Changes

The MTA's weekend service changes can be seen here, and in this map.

The biggest change is that the uptown R isn't stopping at Whitehall Street this weekend.

"So if you’re going to the Ferry from Brooklyn, transfer to the 4 at Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr," an MTA release states.