2026 TCS New York City Marathon

Runners can add meaning to their miles and earn guaranteed entry to the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon by running with one of our official charity partners. Official charity partners spots opened on March 4. More information here.

Non-U.S. residents can book their marathon package with guaranteed entry through an Official International Tour Operator. Marathon packages can include hotel and/or flight to New York City. Learn more here.

Runners who completed the 2025  9+1 program are eligible for guaranteed entry to the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon and will be informed of their status in their NYRR dashboard. Runners must have an active NYRR membership as of December 31, 2025 to complete the 9+1 program in 2025.  Athletes  who earned 9+1 will be invited to claim their guaranteed entry during the claim window from February 4 at 12:00 p.m. ET to February 25 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Please note that if you already have entry to the 2026 Marathon through another method, you cannot complete the 2026 program to gain eligibility to the 2027 or later Marathon. Guaranteed entries not claimed during the guaranteed entry claim window are forfeited.  

Runners who registered for the Virtual TCS New York City Marathon (Guaranteed Entry) in 2025 and completed their virtual race gain guaranteed, non-complimentary entry to the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon. 

Team for Kids is full.  Join the waitlists. 

The 2026 TCS New York City Marathon charity program offers guaranteed entry to runners who pledge to raise funds for one of the event's official charity partners, including NYRR's Team for Kids. 

Run sustainably in 2026! Join NYRR Team for Climate to fundraise toward carbon offsets and insets, pledging to help NYRR on its journey toward Net Zero by 2040. Stay tuned for more information here.

Runners who finish their 15th New York City Marathon are eligible for guaranteed entry in future years. These runners can claim their guaranteed entry during the claim period from February 4 at 12:00 p.m. ET to February 25 at 11:59 p.m. ET. 

NYRR offers non-complimentary guaranteed entry to any athlete who meets the time qualifying standards at an in-person NYRR marathon or half marathon within the qualifying window from January 1, 2025–December 31, 2025. Times achieved in NYRR races within the qualifying window will automatically be included in the NYRR dashboard. Runners who qualify at an eligible NYRR race can claim their guaranteed entry during the claim period from February 4 at 12:00 p.m. ET to February 25 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Learn more here.

NYRR offers a limited number of entries to the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon to athletes who meet the time qualifying standards at a certified full marathon race that is not held by NYRR during the qualifying window from January 1, 2025–December 31, 2025. Half-marathon times will not be eligible for a Non-NYRR Time Qualifier entry. All athletes who meet the time qualifying standards are invited to apply from February 4 at 12:00 p.m. ET to February 11 at 11:59 p.m. ET, however, submission of a qualifying time does not guarantee entry. Learn more here.

Members of NYRR at the 5K and 10K level receive guaranteed entry to the TCS New York City Marathon among other annual benefits in thanks for their support of NYRR's mission to build healthier lives and stronger communities through the transformative power of running. Request information by emailing philmembership@nyrr.org. 

Runners who canceled their entry to the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon may be eligible to claim guaranteed entry to the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon. In order to claim guaranteed entry, runners must register and pay the 2026 processing and entry fees during the guaranteed entry claim window from February 4–25, 2026. All entry fees are non-refundable. If you canceled your entry in 2025, you are not automatically placed in the following year's race; you will still need to claim that entry for the 2026 race. Guaranteed entries not submitted during the guaranteed entry claim window are forfeited.

Please note: Runners who earn guaranteed entry to the 2026 race because they deferred in 2025 cannot defer a second time (in 2026) and become eligible for guaranteed entry in 2027.

Runners who do not have guaranteed entry to the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon can apply to the non-guaranteed general entry drawing during the application period from February 4 at 12:00 p.m. ET to February 25 at 11:59 p.m. ET. 

The drawing for these entries will take place on March 4.

The entries available to non-guaranteed applicants will be filled through three drawings, one in each of the following applicant pools:

 
1. "NYC metro area” applicants: Residents in and within 60 miles of New York City 
2. “National” applicants: U.S. residents outside of the NYC metro area, including Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories 
3. “International” applicants: Non-U.S. residents 

A drawing will be conducted within each applicant pool. To be selected, you must have provided a valid credit card, future expiration date, and authorization to charge. The provided credit card is charged when the applicant is drawn.

Once you submit the application into the non-guaranteed drawing, you have authorized NYRR to charge your credit or debit card a non-refundable entry fee upon acceptance into the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon. Your card must have an expiration date of April 2026 or later, and if you plan to pay using a debit card, please ensure that your card has enough funds to pay the entry fee. 

If your credit card is declined upon selection, you will be notified via email of their selection and payment error. You will be allowed to correct your payment information until March 10. NYRR will attempt to charge failed payments again periodically until March 11. If the payment has not been processed by March 11, the entry will be forfeited and the applicant will be moved to “Not Selected”.

You may withdraw your name from the applicant pool in your dashboard until March 3 at 11:59 p.m. Once you are accepted by any method, all fees are non-refundable and non-transferrable. NYRR does not contact applicants prior to accepting them in order to reconfirm that they wish to be selected. 

The rules applicable to the TCS New York City Marathon do not permit entry by a person intending to be pushed in a wheelchair, stroller or other piece of equipment by another person or persons. To be accepted for entry, applicants with disabilities planning to use a wheelchair or other allowable equipment must be able to push themselves through the marathon course. While official support runners are permitted to accompany an entrant with a disability on the course, such support runners cannot push the entrant through the course. 

Note:  Applicants interested in participating as a Duo Team an reach out to duoteams@nyrr.org. There will be a separate Duo Teams drawing in July of 2026.

If you are an athlete with a disability and have any questions regarding race entry, guides, or other circumstances please contact NYRR at nyrrawdteam@nyrr.org. 

Current members of New York Road Runners who meet the eligibility criteria and apply to the non-guaranteed general entry drawing will automatically be entered into the NYRR Member-Only Second-Chance Drawing. Learn more. 

Check back closer to the race for more information.

Whether you plan to tackle 26.2M in person or virtually, here are training resources to help you get to the start feeling confident and strong.

New York Road Runners strives to host inclusive, sustainable, and accessible events that enable all individuals to engage. To request reasonable accommodations or for inquiries about accessibility for attending this event, please email accessibility@nyrr.org.

To learn more about NYRR accessibility, please visit the NYRR Disability Inclusion & Accessibility Resource page.

If you are an Athlete with Disability who needs a guide or support runner to participate in a NYRR event, please follow the process explained here. Check back soon for more information on how to register a support runner.

We at New York Road Runners believe running should be accessible to everyone. To help, we created NYRR Race Free to provide race fee assistance to those who qualify financially.

In 2026, we will offer 1,000 spots in the NYRR Race Free Program and more than 3,000 complimentary race entries, including entry for the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon. Accepted NYRR Race Free participants will receive up to 6 complimentary entries to our weekly races and the opportunity to access training for free.

The 2026 application period is now closed. We invite you to apply for the 2027 NYRR Race Free program, which is expected to open in October 2026. Please visit the NYRR Race Free page for updates.

TCS New York City Marathon runners are assigned to corrals and waves based on the best pace attached to their NYRR account or estimated finish time they submitted with their registration (new runners to NYRR).

New this year: Any runner without an NYRR best pace who anticipates running the TCS New York City Marathon in a time of 4:00:00 or faster may submit a placement time from a certified in-person marathon or half marathon. The submitted placement time will be used to place athletes in a proper wave and corral. Learn more here.

Runners who wish to submit a faster marathon race result, which could qualify them for an assignment to an earlier start wave, must do so by September 11, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. ET, following these guidelines: 

• Submit request to: https://help.nyrr.org/s/contactsupport
• Runners must provide the official race link (URL) from an in-person, certified marathon completed between February 26, 2026 and September 10, 2026. Race results from indoor marathons, virtual marathons, triathlons, shorter distances and training runs will not be considered. Personal times through Strava or a GPS device (e.g. Garmin, Apple Watch) will not be accepted.

Please note: 

• Runners will NOT be able to request a wave change at the TCS New York City Marathon Expo Presented By New Balance.
• Corral changes will not be considered.
• The NYRR Grete's Great Gallop 10k is the final NYRR race that updates best pace. 
• Runners will receive a checklist email that will include wave and corral placement.

• Review the NYRR policy on start and finish cutoff times here.
• Runners can register as woman, man, or nonbinary. Visit our FAQ page for more information on how to update your profile.
• If you wish to pay in cash for your race entry, please reach out to our Runner Services team for assistance. Please be sure to include the event name and the email associated with your NYRR account.
• This race is a 9+1 program qualifier.

The NYRR Pace Team members are some of the most experienced runners in New York City and the most knowledgeable runners on the course. They have an average success rate of 94% of hitting their target finish time. Pacers will be on hand to guide participants toward specific goal times over the 26.2 miles. Pace Team members will lead groups at various paces between 6:40 per mile and 14:18 per mile (between a 2:55 finish and a 6:15 finish).

Find Your Pacer

If you choose to run with a pace group, you can look for the NYRR Pace Team members in the start corrals wearing their blue-and-white-striped NYRR Pace Team singlets. You can also come to the Running Lab at the TCS New York City Marathon Expo to meet your pacer. Each pacer will carry signs that correspond with their respective finish times and paces. There is no fee to run with the pace team or sign-up process.

Learn more here.

Track your favorite runners and stay up to speed on race-week and race-day events with the official NYRR App Developed by Tata Consultancy Services. We will also use the app to push out key race-week and race-day communications (please sign up for notifications in the app). 

Web-based runner tracking for this event is also available here.

After the conclusion of the event, official results will be posted on results.nyrr.org.

As a World Athletics Elite Platinum Label race, the TCS New York City Marathon operates under World Athletics Rules and is subject to all applicable rules and policies regarding prize money. Prize money categories may be subject to additional eligibility requirements, outlined below. To be eligible for prize money in any category, a runner must complete the course in 3 hours, 10 minutes or faster.

Prize Money for Invited Professional Athletes

Open Division

Amounts are equal for men and women. Only athletes competing in the Professional/Invited Athlete start are eligible for Open Division prize money; finish order is based on Gun Time.

USA Division

Amounts are equal for men and women. To be eligible for USA Division prize money, athletes must 1) have USA citizenship, and 2) not be eligible to represent another federation in international competition. Only athletes competing in the Professional/Invited Athlete start are eligible for USA Division prize money; finish order is based on Gun Time. USA Division prize money is cumulative with Open Division, NYRR Member Division, and Masters Division, if applicable.

Masters Division

Only athletes 40 years of age or older competing in the Professional/Invited Athlete start are eligible for Masters Division prize money; finish order is based on Gun Time. Cumulative with Open Division, USA Division, and NYRR Member Division amounts, if applicable.

Wheelchair Division

To be eligible for Wheelchair Division prize money, athletes must start in the Invitational Wheelchair Division start.

Time Bonuses: Open and Wheelchair Division

New York Road Runners will pay a $50,000 bonus to the Open Division and/or Wheelchair Division race winners who break the existing event record, based on Gun Time. This bonus is limited to the race winners, only, and the athlete must break, not tie, the record:

NYRR Member Division 40+ prize money is for men, women, and nonbinary athletes who meet the NYRR Member Division requirements and are 40 years of age or older. Athletes who start in the Professional/Invited start OR mass participation start are eligible for NYRR Member Division 40+ prize money, determined by Net Time. Cumulative with Open Division and USA Division amounts above, if applicable.

NYRR Member Division: Teams

For scoring purposes, a men’s team must consist of three men, a women’s team must consist of three women, and a non- binary team must consist of three non- binary athletes, all running with the same team affiliation. All scoring members must meet the eligibility requirements for NYRR Member Division prize money outlined above. Team prize money is based on the cumulative Net Time of the team members.

Time Bonuses: NYRR Member Division

Each runner who meets the NYRR Member Division requirements and completes the course under one of the times below, based on Net Time, will be awarded the bonus listed below. Each runner is eligible for only one time bonus—the runner will receive only the highest bonus for which the runner’s time is eligible. The time bonus is cumulative with prize money listed above.

Once a runner has claimed their guaranteed entry, or once a drawing applicant has been accepted into the race, all entry fees are non-refundable. Runners entered in the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon may cancel their entry and earn non-complimentary guaranteed entry to the 2027 race, but they will be responsible for claiming their entry and paying the entry fees for the 2027 race.

Visit the Cancellation page for more information.

Note: Runners who earn guaranteed entry to the 2026 race because they canceled in 2025 cannot cancel a second time (in 2026) and become eligible for guaranteed entry in 2027.

No Refunds: Entry fees are non-refundable and may not be deferred or transferred.

NYRR offers Protecht, a refund program that provides registration fee protection on all paid events. This includes races and Group Training, and it will protect NYRR x Runna fees if it is an add-on to a race. To learn more, click here.