NYC Marathon Reroutes the Bronx for First Time in 15 Years as 50th Five-Borough Race Arrives
On Nov. 1, nearly 60,000 runners will trace a slightly redrawn path through the South Bronx — the first course change since 2011 — as the TCS New York City Marathon marks half a century of crossing all five boroughs.
The TCS New York City Marathon turns 50 as a five-borough race on Sunday, Nov. 1 — and for the first time in 15 years, the course itself has changed. New York Road Runners has redrawn a short stretch in the South Bronx, trimming a tangle of turns between miles 20 and 21 that organizers say burdened local residents and businesses. Nearly 60,000 runners from around the world will be the first to run the new path.
The five-borough format — connecting Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan in a single 26.2-mile loop — debuted on Oct. 24, 1976. Sunday's race is the 55th running of the marathon overall and marks the 50th anniversary of that signature route.
The reroute is modest in distance but meaningful in impact. Previously, after crossing the Willis Avenue Bridge from Manhattan into the Bronx, runners turned left on East 138th Street and wound through seven turns in the area — a loop that cut through streets serving NYCHA's Patterson building and nearby businesses. Under the new course, runners turn left onto East 135th Street, right onto Alexander Avenue, continue straight to East 141st Street, turn left onto Third Avenue, then right onto East 138th Street before crossing the Madison Avenue Bridge back into Manhattan. The result: five turns instead of seven, and streets including Morris Avenue, East 140th Street, and Rider Avenue are removed from the course entirely, according to Fox5NY.
New York Road Runners said the change will make it less difficult for residents of NYCHA's Patterson building and local businesses to access the space.
Beyond the Bronx, the rest of the iconic route remains intact. Runners start at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island, cross the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn — where the course covers its longest stretch along Fourth Avenue and surrounding streets — then enter Queens via the Pulaski Bridge. The Queensboro Bridge carries the field into Manhattan and onto First Avenue before the brief Bronx detour. The race finishes in Central Park near Tavern on the Green, according to multiple outlets.
The professional women's field starts at 8:35 a.m., with the men's professional division following at 9:05 a.m. Five general waves then depart at 9:10, 9:45, 10:20, 10:55, and 11:30 a.m., according to NBC New York. Results will be recorded until 10 p.m.
For anyone not running, city transit officials strongly recommend the subway. Key bridges will close on rolling schedules throughout the day, and streets along the 26.2-mile course will shut in phases beginning early Sunday morning, reopening behind the final wave of runners. Driving across course corridors will be effectively impossible during active wave hours, according to Fox5NY. Popular spectator locations are accessible by public transit, and New York Road Runners offers a live runner-tracking app for race day.
Why it matters — The reroute directly affects South Bronx residents' access to their homes and businesses on race day, and the logistical scale — 60,000 runners, five boroughs, rolling bridge and street closures — means anyone in New York City on Nov. 1 needs to plan around it.
⚠ Not yet confirmed
- Specific bridge closure times and individual street closure schedules for Marathon Sunday.
- direct quotation marks around the NYRR statement on Patterson building access, which appeared in sources as narrative rather than verbatim quote
Reported by nbcnewyork.com, marathonhandbook.com, fox5ny.com, nyweekly.com
