The NYC Marathon is the largest and most prestigious marathon in the world starts off this Sunday. Although it’s the same length as every other marathon in the world (26.2 miles) the fact that the New York Marathon goes through all five boroughs is just one of the things that makes the race so special for people. [lead image via Maggie Meyer / Getty Sports]
That being said, the whole of New York City kind of shuts down and becomes nearly impossible to navigate, so we suggest you familiarize yourself with exactly when the NY Marathon begins:
NYC Marathon Date: Sunday, November 1st, 2015
NYC Marathon Start Time: The first runners take off at 8:30 AM.
NYC Marathon Finish Time: The official close of the race is at 7:30 PM.
NYC Marathon TV Channel: ABC, ESPN 3 or WatchABC
A record 80,000 people applied to run in the New York City Marathon this year, so don’t be surprised if you hear that another record number of finishers crossed the line in 2015.
But back to the start times for a second. Since it’d be impossible to let all 50,000 marathon runners start at the same time, the race releases runners in waves.
8:30 AM. – Wheelchair Division
8:55 AM. – Achilles Handcycle Category and Select Athletes with Disabilities
8:58 AM – Foot Locker Five Borough Challenge
9:20 AM – Professional Women
9:50 AM – Wave 1 (including Professional Men)
10:15 AM – Wave 2
10:40 AM – Wave 3
11:00 AM – Wave 4
