New York
New York Marathon 2027: how to get a place and where to stay
The cannon fires on Staten Island and moments later more than 50,000 runners surge onto the Verrazzano Bridge. Here is how to get a place in the New York Marathon 2027, and where runners and supporters should stay.
Nobody has won the New York Marathon more often than Norway's Grete Waitz, who took nine titles between 1978 and 1988. Her run of wins came soon after the race left Central Park for all five boroughs, and helped make it famous far beyond the city.
The New York Marathon 2027 is on Sunday 7 November. The course runs through all five boroughs: Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan. Spectators line almost every mile of it.
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In short
You can get a New York Marathon place through the public drawing, a qualifying time, a charity team or an official international travel partner. The race is always on the first Sunday in November. Book a hotel near Central Park early, because the city fills up that weekend.
Our first choice: 1 Hotel Central Park, a few blocks from the finish.
Book your stay: See rooms at 1 Hotel Central Park (Paid link)
How to get a place
The drawing
Organisers New York Road Runners allocate places by drawing among applicants. The application window has usually opened early in the year, with results in spring. Far more people apply than there are places, so have a back-up plan.
Qualifying time
Run fast enough in an approved marathon or half marathon and you can secure guaranteed entry. Standards depend on age and sex and are listed on the organiser's website.
Charity or travel partner
Many places go to charities, which give you entry in return for fundraising. Official international travel partners sell packages that combine a place with flights and a hotel. Buy only from operators listed by New York Road Runners.
The five-borough course
The start is on Staten Island beside the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. Mile one climbs onto the bridge, and many runners go out too fast with that view ahead.
Brooklyn brings bands and crowds on almost every block. After the hush of the Queensboro Bridge you drop onto First Avenue in Manhattan, where the noise hits you like a wall. The last stretch climbs Fifth Avenue, long and grinding, before you turn into Central Park for the finish by Tavern on the Green.
Thompson Central Park New York
From the rooms you see the trees of Central Park, where the final miles are run.
Where runners should stay
1 Hotel Central Park
The hotel is on West 58th Street at Sixth Avenue, a few blocks from Central Park South. After the finish you can walk, or hobble, back in a quarter of an hour. It suits runners who want a calm room full of natural materials after a long day.
Book your stay: See rooms at 1 Hotel Central Park (Paid link)
JW Marriott Essex House
Essex House faces the park on Central Park South. Many rooms look down over the trees where the final miles are run. It suits supporters who want to watch from the window before heading down to meet their runner.
Book your stay: See rooms at JW Marriott Essex House New York (Paid link)
Thompson Central Park New York
Thompson Central Park is on West 56th Street, close to both the park and Columbus Circle. Rooms are modern and quiet. It suits anyone who wants to be near the finish without sleeping beside the busiest barriers.
Book your stay: See rooms at Thompson Central Park New York (Paid link)
The Bryant Park Hotel
The hotel is on West 40th Street, looking straight onto Bryant Park. Organisers' buses to the start have in past years left from near the Public Library, so race morning is simple. It suits runners who want a short walk to the bus before sunrise.
Book your stay: See rooms at The Bryant Park Hotel (Paid link)
Good to know
The clocks change: US daylight saving time ends on the first Sunday in November, the same night as the race. Clocks go back an hour, so check your phone has updated.
Bib collection: Bibs are collected at the expo at the Javits Center in the days before the race. You must attend in person with ID.
Race morning: You travel to Staten Island early by ferry or official bus and wait a long time in the start villages. Wear old layers you can discard; they are collected for charity.
Supporters: First Avenue and Fifth Avenue are the best places to cheer. Agree a fixed corner in advance, because mobile data slows to a crawl in the crowds.
When should you book?
Hotel: Book as soon as you know you have a place. Hotels near Central Park fill first that weekend.
Flights: Many runners arrive on Thursday or Friday to collect their bib and adjust to the time difference. Fly home on Tuesday rather than sitting stiff on a plane the day after.
Dinner: The Saturday pasta night is a tradition and Midtown restaurants fill up. Book your table the day you book the hotel.
New York Marathon: frequently asked questions
When is the New York Marathon 2027?
The New York Marathon 2027 is on Sunday 7 November. The race is always held on the first Sunday in November, the same night US daylight saving time ends. Bib collection at the expo opens in the days before.
How do you get a place in the New York Marathon?
You can get a place in the New York Marathon through the public drawing, a qualifying time, a charity team or an official travel partner. The drawing is the cheapest route but the odds are long. Travel packages that include a place are more certain and cost more.
Who has won the New York Marathon the most times?
Grete Waitz of Norway has won the New York Marathon more times than anyone, with nine victories between 1978 and 1988. Her success helped make the race one of the best-known marathons in the world.
Where should I stay for the New York Marathon?
For the New York Marathon, stay near Central Park, where the race finishes, so you can walk back afterwards. Central Park South and the streets just below it are the most practical addresses. Midtown around Bryant Park puts you close to the buses to the start.