How To Watch The New York City Marathon

Sharon Lokedi of Kenya competes in the Women's Professional Division of the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon
Sharon Lokedi on her way to winning the Women's Professional Division of the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon. She will defend her title in 2023 against a strong field featuring Brigid Kosgei, Hellen Obiri and Letesensbet Gidey, among others (Image credit: Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

The New York City Marathon is the last World Marathon Major to take place each year, and is the largest mass-participation marathon in the world (although the London Marathon is getting closer). It’s also one of the best supported, with throngs of people lining the course to cheer people on.

If you can’t be there in person, you’re going to want to tune in somehow, because it has assembled a truly outstanding field of elites, especially on the women’s side. 

Former marathon world record holder Brigid Kosgei, Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir, Boston Marathon winner Hellen Obiri, and half marathon world record holder and marathon world champion Letesensbet Gidey are all running (although Jepchirchir has injury concerns).

Defending women’s champion Sharon Lokedi will also be looking to get into the mix for the win, while on the men’s side 2023 Boston Marathon champ and last year’s winner Evans Chebet and two-time winner Geoffrey Kamworor are likely to be the runners to watch.

While it’s not as fast a course as the Chicago or Berlin Marathons, so it’s unlikely more world records will fall, it should still be a thrilling race. 

New York City Marathon Live Streams

How To Watch The New York City Marathon For Free Worldwide

The elite races at the NYC Marathon will be streamed in the TCS New York City Marathon app (App Store and Google Play). The Women’s Professional Division sets off first at 8.40am EST, followed by the men at 9.05am EST.

We’ve confirmed with TCS that this stream is available worldwide. It’s the easiest way to watch the elite race—and it’s free.

How To Watch The New York City Marathon In The USA

If you’re a local you can watch the NYC Marathon on WABC-TV, Channel 7, with coverage starting at 8am EST. You can also stream the race in the ABC 7 New York App and at ABC7NY.com.

Elsewhere in the US you can watch the race on ESPN2, with coverage starting at 8am EST. You can also watch through the ESPN app and at ESPN.com. The live broadcast will also be available with Spanish commentary on ESPN3.

How To Watch The New York City Marathon In Europe, Australia and New Zealand

The race will be shown on Eurosport throughout Europe. In France you can also watch it on L’Équipe, in Italy you can see it on RAI, and in Spain it’s on TVE/TV3.

In Australia the NYC Marathon is being broadcast on Fox Sports More (channel 507) and streamed on Kayo and in New Zealand it’s on Sky.

How To Watch The New York City Marathon If You Are Outside Your Country Of Residence

If you’re unable to access your usual services because you are traveling and don’t want to use the app, you can use a VPN to tune into the NYC Marathon via your home nation’s broadcaster. The fine people on our sister site TechRadar have tested all of the top VPN services and recommend ExpressVPN. It’s quick and easy to set up, and you also get a 30-day money-back guarantee when you sign up, so you can try the service without having to commit to a long-term plan.

New York City Marathon Details

When is the New York City Marathon?

The New York City Marathon takes place on Sunday November 5th in 2023.

What time does the New York City Marathon start?

The elite women’s race starts at 8.40am EST, with the elite men starting at 9.05am EST just ahead of the first wave of amateur runners at 9.10am EST. Before the runners set off, the elite wheelchair race begins at 8am EST, and the handcycle race starts at 8.22am EST.

What is the New York City Marathon route like?

The NYC Marathon route famously runs through all five boroughs. Runners start on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in Staten Island, cross into Brooklyn and run north through Queens and Manhattan, then turn back in the Bronx before coming south to finish in Central Park. It’s not the flattest and fastest marathon, and the uphill sections on the bridges you cross along the way are particularly demanding.

How can I track runners in the New York City Marathon?

The best way to follow your runners is to use the live tracking in the TCS New York City Marathon app, which is available for free in the App Store and Google Play.

Nick Harris-Fry
Senior writer

Nick Harris-Fry is a journalist who has been covering health and fitness since 2015. Nick is an avid runner, covering 70-110km a week, which gives him ample opportunity to test a wide range of running shoes and running gear. He is also the chief tester for fitness trackers and running watches, treadmills and exercise bikes, and workout headphones.