The short version: The TCS New York City Marathon is Sunday, Nov. 1, 50 years after the race first ran through all five boroughs. Defending champions Benson Kipruto and Hellen Obiri are back. The American men's race is a rematch between record holders Conner Mantz and Zouhair Talbi. Talbi is a two-time Houston Marathon champion and holds the Houston course record. Four Texas-based athletes are in the pro field. If you want to run New York in 2027, a Texas marathon run by Dec. 31 can still count toward a time-qualifier entry.
Fifty years of the five boroughs
The New York City Marathon started in 1970 as four-plus laps of Central Park, with 55 finishers. On Oct. 24, 1976, for the U.S. Bicentennial, it ran through all five boroughs for the first time. NYRR says that was also the first NYC Marathon with a professional field. This year's race celebrates that anniversary. 1976 men's champion Bill Rodgers will be at race-week events, along with Danielle Mika Nagel, daughter of 1976 women's champion Miki Gorman.
It's also huge. Last year's race had 59,219 finishers, which NYRR says was the largest marathon in history at the time. This year it expects nearly 60,000 runners and more than 2 million spectators.
The Texas connection: Zouhair Talbi vs. Conner Mantz
The American men's race is the one to watch. Zouhair Talbi won the Houston Marathon twice and holds its course record. This April he ran 2:03:45 at Boston, an American course record and, per NYRR, the fastest marathon ever by an American on any course. Conner Mantz holds the American half marathon and marathon records. He set the marathon record with his fourth place at Chicago last year and returns to New York for the first time since 2024. The two met at the Falmouth Road Race this summer, where Talbi won their duel by two seconds.
Talbi's Houston course record is the time to beat when the 2027 Houston Marathon runs on Jan. 17. It's already sold out (here's where to run instead); see our Texas marathon registration check for what's still open.
Texas-based athletes in the pro field
From NYRR's official field lists, by listed residence:
| Athlete | Division | Residence | Personal best |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monica Hebner | Women's open | Austin | 2:32:40 |
| Michelle Wheeler | Women's wheelchair | Argyle | 1:45:59 |
| Chelsea Stein | Women's wheelchair | Spring | 2:15:03 |
| Jacob Allen | Men's wheelchair | Kingwood | 1:30:08 |
Who else to watch
- Men: Benson Kipruto (Kenya) defends the title he won last year by three hundredths of a second, the closest men's finish in race history. Former champions Geoffrey Kamworor and Abdi Nageeye are back. European record holder Andreas Almgren makes his marathon debut, soon after winning the half marathon at the World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen.
- Women: Hellen Obiri (Kenya) broke the course record last year in 2:19:51. Sifan Hassan, three-time Olympic champion and the fastest woman in the field (2:13:44), returns after finishing sixth last year. Americans to watch: Weini Kelati in her marathon debut, Jess McClain, Annie Frisbie and Fiona O'Keeffe.
- Wheelchair: Marcel Hug goes for an eighth New York title. Tatyana McFadden, the most decorated U.S. track and field athlete in history, is chasing a record sixth.
How to watch from Texas
NYRR hasn't posted its 2026 broadcast details yet; its watch page still says start coverage is "coming soon." Last year the race aired nationally on ESPN2 from 8 to 11:30 a.m. Eastern, which is 7 to 10:30 a.m. Central (6 to 9:30 a.m. in El Paso). A Spanish-language stream ran on the ESPN App. You can track runners in the free NYRR app. We'll update this post when the 2026 broadcast is announced.
Three weeks earlier, on Oct. 11, is the Chicago Marathon. It has its own Texas tie, Texas A&M alum Natosha Rogers. Here's how to watch Chicago from Texas.
Want to run New York in 2027? A Texas marathon can help
Most people get into New York through the non-guaranteed drawing, a charity, or NYRR's 9+1 program for NYRR members. NYRR hasn't announced the 2027 drawing dates yet. For Texans, the more realistic route may be the non-NYRR time qualifier. NYRR sets aside a limited number of 2027 entries for runners who meet its time standards at a certified full marathon anywhere, run between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2026. Chip time counts, and the results have to be verifiable online.
| Age on Nov. 7, 2027 | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 18–34 | 2:53:00 | 3:13:00 |
| 35–39 | 2:55:00 | 3:15:00 |
| 40–44 | 2:58:00 | 3:26:00 |
| 45–49 | 3:05:00 | 3:38:00 |
| 50–54 | 3:14:00 | 3:51:00 |
| 55–59 | 3:23:00 | 4:10:00 |
| 60–64 | 3:34:00 | 4:27:00 |
| 65–69 | 3:45:00 | 4:50:00 |
| 70–74 | 4:10:00 | 5:30:00 |
| 75–79 | 4:30:00 | 6:00:00 |
| 80+ | 4:55:00 | 6:35:00 |
NYRR also publishes nonbinary standards. Meeting a standard at an outside race doesn't guarantee entry. If too many runners apply, only the fastest in each age and gender group get in, and the rest go into the drawing. NYRR hasn't announced the application window yet.
Texas still has fall and December marathons before the Dec. 31 cutoff. Among them are the Lubbock Marathon (Oct. 25), the Fort Worth Marathon (Nov. 7), the BMW Dallas Marathon (Dec. 13) and the Irving Frost Marathon (Dec. 19). Ask the race whether its course is certified before you count on it, and see every option on the Texas marathon calendar. The same race can double as a Boston qualifier; see the Boston 2027 cutoff.
