Got plans on Sunday that involve a car? Might want to rethink that!
The TCS New York City Marathon takes over all five boroughs on Sunday, November 1, sending tens of thousands of runners 26.2 miles from Staten Island to Central Park.
Last year, a record 59,226 runners crossed the finish line, and this year is expecting well over 60,000 runners.
That’s a lot of people, and a lot of closed streets!
This year is extra special, too. It’s the 50th anniversary of the five-borough course, and for the first time in 15 years, the route is changing.
Here’s every closure you need to know about, borough by borough.
The big picture
- When it starts: closures begin Saturday night, when the upper level of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge closes at 11 pm on October 31. Most other streets close early Sunday morning.
- Race time: the first division (the professional wheelchair racers) starts at 8 am, and waves of runners head out through the late morning.
- When things reopen: streets start reopening around 1:15 pm as the course clears, with most things expected back open by early evening. Some stretches of First Avenue stay closed until 10:30 pm.
- The golden rule: reopening times are up to the NYPD, and roads only reopen once the last runners and cleanup crews pass. Give yourself extra time.
Staten Island
Everything starts at Fort Wadsworth, so the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is the big one.
Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, upper level in both directions, closed from 11 p.m. Saturday through 4 p.m. Sunday
- Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, lower level in both directions, closed from 6:30 am to 3 pm
- School Road between Bay Street and the Staten Island Expressway, 1:30 am to 2 pm
- Bay Street between Richmond Terrace and Victory Boulevard, 5 am to 2 pm
- Staten Island Expressway Bay Street exit, 5 am to 2 pm
- Richmond Terrace between Slosson Terrace and the Ferry Terminal, 5 am to 2 pm
- Narrows Road South between Fingerboard Road and Lily Pond Avenue, 5 am to 2 pm
- Lily Pond Avenue between School Road and Father Capodanno Boulevard, 5 am to 2 pm
- McClean Avenue between Florida Avenue and Fort Wadsworth, 5 am to 2 pm
- Duer Lane between Major Avenue and McClean Avenue, 5 am to 2 pm
- Tompkins Avenue between Major Avenue and McClean Avenue, 5 am to 2 pm
- Major Avenue between Lily Pond Avenue and Tompkins Avenue, 5 am to 2 pm
- Wadsworth Avenue between Bay Street and Tompkins Avenue, 5 am to 2 pm
- Tompkins Avenue between Fingerboard Avenue and School Road, 5 am to 2 pm
- Lincoln Place between School Road and Narrows Road, 5 am to 2 pm
- Dennis Toricelli Street between School Road and Lyman Avenue, 5 am to 2 pm
- Lyman Avenue between Dennis Toricelli Street and Tompkins Avenue, 5 am to 2 pm
Heads up: there’s no spectator access at the start or on the bridge.
Brooklyn
Runners spend more miles in Brooklyn than any other borough. Expect closures on:
- Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, upper level in both directions, closed from 11 pm Saturday through 4 pm Sunday
- Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, lower level in both directions, 7 am to 4 pm
- Belt Parkway exits, traffic delays from 5 am to 6:30 pm
- Brooklyn-Queens Expressway between the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and 79th Street, 7 am to 6:30 pm
- Dahlgren Place between the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and 92nd Street, northbound, 7 am to 6:30 pm
- 92nd Street between Dahlgren Place and Fourth Avenue, 7 am to 6:30 pm
- 92nd Street between Gatling Place and Fort Hamilton Parkway, 7 am to 6:30 pm
- Fort Hamilton Parkway between 92nd and 94th streets, 7 am to 6:30 pm
- 94th Street between Fort Hamilton Parkway and Fourth Avenue, northbound, 7 am to 6:30 pm
- Seventh Avenue between 79th Street and 75th Street/Bay Ridge Parkway, 7 am to 6:30 pm
- Seventh Avenue between 74th Street and 75th Street/Bay Ridge Parkway, 7 am to 6:30 pm
- 74th Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues, 7 am to 6:30 pm
- Sixth Avenue between 74th Street and 75th Street/Bay Ridge Parkway, 7 am to 6:30 pm
- Bay Ridge Parkway between Seventh and Fourth avenues, 7 am to 6:30 pm
- Fourth Avenue between 94th Street and Flatbush Avenue, 6:30 am to 6:30 pm
- Flatbush Avenue between Fourth and Lafayette avenues, 7 am to 6:30 pm
- Lafayette Avenue between Flatbush and Bedford avenues, 7 am to 6:30 pm
- Bedford Avenue between Lafayette and Nassau avenues, 7 am to 6:30 pm
- Nassau Avenue between Bedford Avenue/Lorimer Street and Manhattan Avenue, 7 am to 6:30 pm
- Manhattan Avenue between Nassau and Greenpoint avenues, 7 am to 6:30 pm
- Greenpoint Avenue between Manhattan Avenue and McGuinness Boulevard, 7 am to 6:30 pm
- McGuinness Boulevard between Greenpoint and 48th avenues, 7 am to 6:30 pm
- Pulaski Bridge, 7 am to 6:30 pm
Queens
Queens gets a quick cameo, but it’s an important one:
- Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge upper level, closed to trucks from 6:30 am to 5:30 pm
- Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge lower level in both directions, closed from 6:30 am to 5:30 pm
- Pulaski Bridge, 6:30 am to 6:30 pm
- 48th Avenue between 11th Street and Vernon Boulevard, 6:30 am to 6 pm
- Vernon Boulevard between 48th Avenue and 10th Street, 6:30 am to 6 pm
- 10th Street between Vernon Boulevard and 44th Drive, 6:30 am to 6 pm
- 44th Drive between 10th and Hunter streets, 6:30 am to 6 pm
- Hunter Street between 44th Drive and Crescent Street, 6:30 am to 6 pm
- Crescent Street between Hunter Street and Queens Plaza South, 6:30 am to 6 pm
- Queens Plaza South between Crescent and 23rd streets, 6:30 am to 6 pm
- 23rd Street between Queens Plaza South and Queens Plaza North, 6:30 am to 6 pm
Manhattan
This is where it gets real for East Siders:
- Central Park East Drive, closed Saturday through Sunday
- Central Park West Drive, closed Saturday through Sunday
- Central Park Center Drive, closed Saturday through Sunday
- Central Park West between Columbus Circle and 81st Street, midnight to 10:30 pm
- 65th Street Transverse, midnight to 9:30 pm
- 79th Street Transverse, midnight to 9:30 pm
- 96th Street Transverse, 9 am to 9:30 pm
- Central Park West between 77th and 86th streets, 5 am to 9:30 pm
- Broadway between 59th and 65th streets, 9:30 am to 9:30 pm
- 47th Street between First and Second avenues, 8:45 am to 9:30 pm
- First Avenue between 47th and 42nd streets, 8:45 am to 10:30 pm
- Central Park West between 59th and 77th streets, 5 am to 9:30 pm
- Columbus Avenue between 59th and 77th streets, 6 am to 9:30 pm
- Broadway between 59th and 77th streets, 6 am to 9:30 pm
- Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge upper level, closed to trucks from 6:30 am to 5:30 pm
- Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge lower level in both directions, closed from 6:30 am to 5:30 pm
- 59th Street between the 59th Street Bridge and First Avenue, 6 am to 9:30 pm
- 59th Street between Columbus Circle and Fifth Avenue, 6 am to 9 pm
- First Avenue between 59th Street and the Willis Avenue Bridge, 7 am to 10:30 pm
- Willis Avenue Bridge, 7:30 am to 6:30 pm
- Madison Avenue Bridge, 7:30 am to 6:30 pm
- Fifth Avenue between 138th and 124th streets, 9 am to 7:30 pm
- Fifth Avenue between 120th and 90th streets, 9 am to 7:30 pm
- 124th Street between Madison Avenue and Mount Morris Park West, 8:30 am to 6:30 pm
- Mount Morris Park West between 124th and 120th streets, 8:30 am to 6:30 pm
- 120th Street between Fifth Avenue and Mount Morris Park West, 8:30 am to 6:30 pm
- 90th Street between Fifth Avenue and East Drive, southbound toward Central Park, 8:30 am to 6:30 pm
- Grand Army Plaza between East Drive and Central Park South, 8:30 am to 6:30 pm
- Central Park South between Fifth Avenue and Columbus Circle, 8:30 am to 6:30 pm
The Bronx (with a brand-new route)
- For the first time in 15 years, the course is changing. The tweak happens in Mott Haven, between miles 20 and 21, and cuts the number of turns from seven to five. Check them out:
- Major Deegan Expressway exit to the Willis Avenue Bridge, 7:30 am to 6:30 pm
- Madison Avenue Bridge, 7:30 am to 6:30 pm
- Willis Avenue Bridge, 7:30 am to 6:30 pm
- East 135th Street between Willis and Alexander avenues, 7 am to 8:30 pm
- Alexander Avenue between East 135th and East 141st streets, 7 am to 8:30 pm
- East 141st Street between Alexander and Third avenues, 7 am to 8:30 pm
- Third Avenue between East 141st and East 138th streets, 7 am to 8:30 pm
- East 138th Street between Alexander Avenue and the Madison Avenue Bridge, 7 am to 8:30 pm
How to get around on Sunday
- Take the subway. Seriously. It’s the easiest way to get anywhere on marathon day.
- Skip the avenues. Cross-town traffic near First Avenue is controlled by the NYPD, and Second, Third and Lexington avenues get backed up with diverted cars.
- Crossing to Staten Island? With the Verrazzano closed, the Staten Island Ferry is your friend.
- Watching? No viewing is allowed at the start, on the Verrazzano or on the Pulaski Bridge. Head to Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn, First Avenue in Manhattan or Fifth Avenue near the park instead.
One very busy weekend
Fair warning: this weekend is a lot.
The Village Halloween Parade takes over Sixth Avenue on Saturday night, right as the Verrazzano starts closing.
Then, at 2 am Sunday, the clocks fall back an hour for the end of daylight saving time. So you get an extra hour of sleep before the marathon. You’re welcome, runners.
Look out for some legends on the course, too, like Dave Obelkevich, who’s running his 50th NYC Marathon at 83.
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