The NYC marathon takes place on the first Sunday of November and features over 60,000 runners snaking 26.2 miles through all five NYC boroughs.

Over 1,000,000 spectators fill the streets each year to watch this city-wide event, and we're gonna give you all the insider tips for watching the NYC marathon.

Where to Stay on Marathon Weekend

The best place to stay on marathon weekend depends on whether you're traveling with a runner and where you plan to spectate. Generally speaking, you can stay anywhere in New York City on marathon weekend and have a good shot at watching the runners.

The subway will get you where you need to ! Join the newsletter for free access to the NYC Navigation & Transportation Guide + curated Google Maps lists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://rebrand.ly/nyc-newsletter⁠

Where to Stay for Runners

• Lower Manhattan
• Midtown/Hell's Kitchen
• Upper West Side (options are limited)
• Anywhere in close proximity to the 1, 4, 5, or R lines

Where to Stay for General Travelers

If your travel group doesn't include any runners, it doesn't really matter where you stay in New York City during the marathon weekend. With one caveat...

You do NOT want to stay near Columbus Circle. The handful of blocks around that area are largely closed, become an absolute madhouse on race day, and will probably frustrate your experience.

As long as you are more downtown than 55th street or more uptown than 65th street, you should be fine.

If you want to avoid the marathon-specific crowds, stay somewhere away from the course.

Best Places to Watch the Marathon

The best place to watch the NYC marathon will also depend on where you're staying. The beauty of this race is that you can go to any point of the race route and cheer people on.

Out of the 26.2 miles, there are crowds throughout about 20 miles of the race. With that being said, here are some of the most fun and energetic places to watch the NYC marathon runners:

• Central Park
• Central Park South
• 5th Ave in the lower 100s or upper 90s
• 1st Avenue
• Bedford Avenue
• Atlantic Terminal/Barclays Center
• 59th Street near the Queensboro Bridge

This map shows the full course, including which subway lines stop near major spectating points.

I've run the race multiple times and spectated multiple times as well. Our favorite is to:

• Watch along 1st Avenue in the 80-100s range, usually runners are still alive and thriving at this point, and the energy along 1st Avenue is usually top-notch notch
• From there, walk to either 5th Avenue to see them around mile 22/23, OR head deeper into Central Park and catch them closer to the Obelisk, roughly between mile 24 & 25

Extra Tips for Marathon Day

• Be LOUD - This is one of the few times in your life where screaming, cheering, and making as much noise as possible will boost the morale of participants, in this case, runners
• If you want to be helpful, have things to give runners. Some amazing on-course items I've seen handed out include fruit, Kleenex, small water bottles, candy, etc.
• Be courteous to runners & the course - Your desire to cross the race course should never interfere with people who have trained for months and don't want to be weaving between spectators

You'll Have to Check It Out - Gurumé

Gurumé brings the world of Korean food into the Spanish tapas tradition, conveniently located near Broadway shows (see location here).

Dishes you must try include:

• Crispy corn & cheese (our top choice)

• Baby back ribs

• Fried chicken wings (perfectly crisp)

• Any of the desserts

Plus, they have an unbelievable happy hour every day with cocktails, beer, and wine (Tue-Thurs 5-7 pm & Sunday 3-5 pm).

Learn more about Gurumé and check out their full menu here.

🗽 Join the newsletter for free access to the NYC Navigation & Transportation Guide + curated Google Maps lists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://rebrand.ly/nyc-newsletter