Last updated: October 14, 2026
Somebody you love is running 26.2 miles through all five boroughs, and you want to be there for it. The NYC Marathon 2026 is on Sunday, November 1, and for Long Island families the hard part isn’t the cheering. It’s everything around it: closed streets, no parking anywhere near the course, packed subways, and getting a tired runner from Central Park back to Nassau or Suffolk once it’s over.
This guide covers the confirmed 2026 schedule, the best places to watch from Long Island, where to meet your runner after the finish, and how a private car service fits into the day.
Quick Answer: The 2026 TCS New York City Marathon is Sunday, November 1. Runners start on Staten Island in five waves from 9:10 to 11:30 AM and finish in Central Park at West 67th Street. Long Island spectators usually cheer in Queens or on First Avenue, then meet their runner near Family Reunion (West 69th–71st Streets).
In This Guide:
- When Is the NYC Marathon 2026?
- Where Should Long Island Families Watch the Marathon?
- What Time Should You Leave Long Island on Marathon Sunday?
- Where Do You Meet Your Runner After the Finish?
- Can a Car Service Take a Runner to the Staten Island Start?
- Which Vehicle Fits Your Marathon Crew?
- Marathon Weekend: Expo, Airports and Celebration Dinners
- Frequently Asked Questions
When Is the NYC Marathon 2026?
The 2026 TCS New York City Marathon runs on Sunday, November 1, 2026, as always on the first Sunday in November. This year is a milestone: New York Road Runners is marking the 50th anniversary of the five-borough course, which was first run through the city’s streets on October 24, 1976, for the nation’s Bicentennial.
Here’s the confirmed race-day schedule from the official NYRR start page (start times are subject to change):
- 8:00 AM: Men’s Professional Wheelchair Division (women’s follows at 8:02 AM)
- 8:22 AM: Handcycles and Select Athletes With Disabilities
- 8:35 AM: Professional Women’s Open Division
- 9:05 AM: Professional Men’s Open Division
- Waves 1 to 5: 9:10, 9:45, 10:20, 10:55 and 11:30 AM
Two more things to know for 2026:
- The course changed slightly for the first time in 15 years. In the Bronx, after the Willis Avenue Bridge, runners now take East 135th Street, Alexander Avenue, East 141st Street and Third Avenue before turning onto East 138th Street to the Madison Avenue Bridge. If you’ve cheered in the Bronx before, check the 2026 course map before you pick your spot.
- Clocks fall back that morning. Daylight saving time ends at 2:00 AM on November 1, so everyone gets an extra hour. Phones update on their own, but double-check any watch or car clock before you set a departure time.
Where Should Long Island Families Watch the Marathon?
Spectators can watch from mile 3 to mile 26, but not at the start or on any of the course bridges. These are NYRR’s recommended viewing areas, with notes for Long Island families:
| Viewing Spot | Miles | Why It Works From Long Island |
| Fourth Avenue, Brooklyn | 2–4 | An early look; easy for South Shore families via the Belt Parkway |
| Fourth Avenue and Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn | 8 | Lively crowds and many subway lines |
| Williamsburg and Greenpoint, Brooklyn | 10–13 | Shops and cafes to wait in on a cold morning |
| Queens side of the Pulaski Bridge (Long Island City) | 13.1+ | The closest stretch of the course to Long Island, just past the halfway mark |
| First Avenue, Manhattan | 16–18 | The loudest, most festive stretch, with bars and restaurants along the way |
| East Harlem and the Charity Cheer Zone (First Ave and 120th St) | 18–20 | Where runners need the boost most |
| Fifth Avenue, East 90th–105th Streets | 23–24 | Your last chance to see them before Central Park |
| Columbus Circle and the Finish | 26 | The final approach; the East Side Grandstand needs tickets |
The Two-Stop Plan. A popular plan for Long Island families is to see your runner twice: once in Long Island City around mile 14, then again on First Avenue or Fifth Avenue later in the race. The course itself is fully closed to cars, so between stops you’ll walk or ride the subway (NYRR says the subway is the best way to get around as a spectator). We handle the hardest parts: getting into the city with no parking, and getting everyone home.
Follow your runner live with the free New York Road Runners app, so you know when to be at the curb.
Stay behind the barricades, leave speakers and drones at home, and see the rest of the rules on the official NYRR spectator page.
What Time Should You Leave Long Island on Marathon Sunday?
Your departure time depends on where you live and your runner’s wave. In 2025, the average finish time was 4 hours, 32 minutes, so most runners are on the course from mid-morning to mid-afternoon.
Here’s an example. A Wave 3 runner starting at 10:20 AM and aiming for about 4½ hours would reach Long Island City (around mile 14) at about 12:45 PM, First Avenue (miles 16 to 18) between about 1:05 and 1:25 PM, and the finish around 2:50 PM. A Wave 1 runner at about 4 hours would pass Long Island City closer to 11:15 AM. Plug in your runner’s own wave and goal pace, then confirm it live in the NYRR app on the day.
Here’s how long the drive usually takes on a Sunday morning, and when to leave if you want to be in Long Island City by 11:00 AM for an early-wave runner. For a Wave 3, 4 or 5 runner, shift these times later to match:
| Starting Point | Typical Sunday Drive to Long Island City | Leave By (11 AM Arrival) |
| Western Nassau (Great Neck, Valley Stream, Garden City) | 30 – 45 min | 9:45 – 10:00 AM |
| Eastern Nassau (Hicksville, Massapequa, Syosset) | 45 min – 1 hr | 9:30 – 9:45 AM |
| Western Suffolk (Huntington, Melville, Babylon) | 1 – 1¼ hrs | 9:00 – 9:30 AM |
| Central Suffolk (Smithtown, Ronkonkoma, Patchogue) | 1¼ – 1½ hrs | 8:45 – 9:00 AM |
| East End (Riverhead, North Fork, the Hamptons) | 2 – 2½ hrs | 7:45 – 8:15 AM |
Those times include buffer for marathon-day closures. The NYPD closes streets along the whole course from early morning, and the 2026 closure list is usually published in the days before the race. Your chauffeur checks it and routes around it.
Where Do You Meet Your Runner After the Finish?
The race ends at West 67th Street on West Drive in Central Park. After the finish line, runners walk through a runners-only area, exit the park at West 77th Street onto Central Park West, and then either leave at West 74th, 75th or 76th Street or keep walking south to Family Reunion. That walk takes a while, so don’t expect them right away.
Here are the official details from the NYRR finish page:
- Family Reunion is on West 69th through West 71st Streets, open from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
- Signs are posted alphabetically, so meet at the letter of your runner’s last name.
- Everyone entering Family Reunion goes through bag inspection and screening on Columbus Avenue.
- NYRR suggests friends and family arrive 20 to 30 minutes after the expected finish time.
- Leave large bags, strollers, carts and coolers at home. They’re not allowed in the Central Park and Central Park West spectator areas.
- Cell service often gets overloaded near the finish, so NYRR recommends agreeing on a meeting place in advance.
How our pickup works. Before race day, we agree on a pickup corner with you, a few blocks away from the crowds and outside the closed streets. Your runner walks out of Family Reunion with you, and the vehicle is waiting there with the heat on. After 26.2 miles, no one wants subway stairs or a surge-priced rideshare line.
Pro tip: Leave dry clothes, a towel and snacks in the vehicle. You won’t want a big bag at screening anyway.
Book Your Marathon Sunday Ride Early
Call (631) 887-5544 or (516) 855-9305, or Get Your Free Quote Online. Your rate is agreed up front with no surge pricing.
Can a Car Service Take a Runner to the Staten Island Start?
Yes, but read this before you book it. NYRR strongly encourages every runner to use official transportation to the start. In 2026 that means the Staten Island Ferry from Whitehall Terminal, the buses from the New York Public Library at Fifth Avenue and 40th Street, or the buses from MetLife Stadium Parking Lot K. Runners chose a mode by September 8 and were given a departure time, and NYRR asks everyone to take the transportation they selected. Details are on the NYRR transportation page.
If you do go by private car, here’s what the official rules say:
- The only private car, taxi or rideshare drop-off is outside Fort Wadsworth at McClean Avenue and Ocean Avenue on Staten Island. Private buses use McClean Avenue and Lily Pond Avenue. These locations are subject to change.
- You must arrive before the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge closes to all traffic at 7:00 AM.
- There’s no parking at the start, and the walk from drop-off to the start villages is about half a mile.
- Only registered runners and guides are allowed into Fort Wadsworth.
For a Wave 4 or 5 runner, a pre-7:00 AM drop-off means a very long, cold wait. The simpler option: we drive you to your official departure point (the library buses or Whitehall Terminal) for your assigned slot, then pick you up at the finish.
Which Vehicle Fits Your Marathon Crew?
A marathon cheer squad can be two parents or twenty coworkers with signs. Here’s how our fleet lines up for race day:
| Group Size | Vehicle | Best For |
| 1 – 3 | Cadillac XTS Sedan or Corporate Town Car | A runner and a partner; the quiet ride home |
| Up to 6 | Corporate SUV | A family with room for warm clothes and gear |
| Up to 7 | 7-Passenger Black Limo | Celebrating the finish in style |
| Up to 12 | 12-Passenger Sprinter Limo | Extended family and friends with stand-up headroom |
| 18 – 27 | Executive Shuttle Buses (18, 22 and 27 passengers) | Charity teams, company cheer squads |
| Up to 29 | 29-Passenger Party Bus | The after-race celebration ride home |
Tired legs don’t love tall steps or low seats, so tell us if your runner will want extra legroom. Browse the full Long Island Limo Rental fleet.
Marathon Weekend: Expo, Airports and Celebration Dinners
Marathon weekend starts days before the race:
- The Expo (Thursday to Saturday, October 29–31). Runners pick up bibs in person, with photo ID, at the Javits Center during their chosen time slot. We run Javits Center car service from anywhere on Long Island, so there’s no Midtown parking garage to deal with.
- Airport arrivals and departures. We cover JFK, LaGuardia, Newark and Long Island MacArthur. See all our airport transfers.
- The post-race dinner. Planning a celebration meal near the park? The Mandarin Oriental is right on Columbus Circle, and we provide Mandarin Oriental car service. Or see our night on the town limo service.
- Marathon Monday (November 2). Runners can return to the TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion at Central Park and West 67th Street from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM to get their medal engraved and shop finisher gear.
More big days in the city ahead? See our sports event transportation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Day Is the NYC Marathon 2026?
The 2026 TCS New York City Marathon is on Sunday, November 1, 2026. The professional wheelchair races start at 8:00 AM, and the five general waves start at 9:10, 9:45, 10:20, 10:55 and 11:30 AM. Daylight saving time ends that same morning.
Is 2026 the 50th NYC Marathon?
Not quite. The 50th running was in 2021. In 2026, New York Road Runners is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the five-borough course, which was first run on October 24, 1976. The 2026 course also has a small change in the Bronx, the first in 15 years.
Where Is the Best Place to Watch the NYC Marathon From Long Island?
Long Island City in Queens, just past the Pulaski Bridge at the halfway mark, is the closest stretch of the course to Long Island. Many families watch there first, then take the subway to First Avenue in Manhattan (miles 16 to 18). Track your runner in the free NYRR app.
Where Is the Best Place to Meet After the NYC Marathon?
Meet at Family Reunion, on West 69th through West 71st Streets, off Central Park West, and it’s open from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Meet at the sign with your runner’s last-name initial. Everyone entering goes through screening on Columbus Avenue, so bring as little as you can.
How Do You Get Into the NYC Marathon?
Most runners get a bib through NYRR’s entry drawing, a guaranteed-entry program or a charity partner. For 2026, the drawing was open February 4 to 25, and results came out on March 4, 2026. Spots are hard to get, which is why so many Long Island families make a full day of cheering a runner who got in.
Can Private Cars Drop Runners at the Staten Island Start?
Yes, but only outside Fort Wadsworth at McClean Avenue and Ocean Avenue, and only before the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge closes to traffic at 7:00 AM. There’s no parking. NYRR strongly recommends official transportation, so most runners are better off getting a ride to the ferry or the library buses.
Are There Road Closures for the NYC Marathon?
Yes. The NYPD closes streets along the entire course on race day, starting early in the morning, and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge closes to all traffic at 7:00 AM. The full 2026 closure list is usually released the week of the race. A chauffeur plans around it so you don’t have to.
When Should Family Arrive at the Finish?
NYRR suggests friends and family arrive at Family Reunion 20 to 30 minutes after the runner’s expected finish time, because the walk from the finish line through the runners-only area and out of the park takes a while. Use the NYRR app to watch their final splits.
Can You Drive Our Family From Long Island to the NYC Marathon?
Yes. Long Island Limo Rental provides door-to-door service from anywhere in Nassau and Suffolk Counties into the city on marathon morning, and a pre-arranged pickup near Family Reunion afterward. We run sedans and SUVs up to Sprinter limos and shuttle buses. Your rate is agreed up front with no surge pricing.
Cheer Them On, Then Let Us Drive Them Home
Your runner trained for months. You get to cheer on First Avenue and be there for the medal. Leave the closures, parking and ride home to us. Call (631) 887-5544 or (516) 855-9305, or Book Your Ride Online today.
Long Island Limo Rental is a chauffeured transportation company serving Nassau County, Suffolk County and New York City, with sedans, SUVs, Sprinter limos, shuttle buses and coach buses for race days, games, concerts, weddings and airport transfers.