The New York City Marathon comes up First Avenue through the Upper East Side on Sunday, November 1, and comes back down Fifth Avenue along the edge of Central Park a few miles later. That makes the Upper East Side one of the few neighborhoods where a spectator can see the same runners twice.

This year's race marks 50 years of the five-borough course, first run on October 24, 1976.

First Avenue, miles 16 to 18

Runners come off the Queensboro Bridge and turn north onto First Avenue, a long, wide straightaway that New York Road Runners lists among its recommended places to watch. The organizer points spectators to the N, Q, R, 4, 5, 6 and F trains for this stretch.

Crossing First Avenue during the race is allowed only at marked pedestrian crossing zones. On the Upper East Side, those are at 69th, 72nd, 83rd and 86th Streets.

Farther north, East Harlem covers miles 18 to 20, and the Charity Cheer Zone sits at First Avenue and 120th Street, both reached by the 6.

Fifth Avenue, miles 23 to 24

After the Bronx, runners return to Manhattan and head south on Fifth Avenue. New York Road Runners lists the stretch from East 90th to East 105th Streets, beside Central Park and Museum Mile, as a viewing spot, served by the Q, 4, 5 and 6.

When to be there

The race starts in Staten Island in stages:

  • 8:00 a.m.: men's professional wheelchair division, with the women's at 8:02.
  • 8:22 a.m.: handcycles and select athletes with disabilities.
  • 8:35 a.m.: professional women.
  • 9:05 a.m.: professional men.
  • 9:10, 9:45, 10:20, 10:55 and 11:30 a.m.: the five waves of the general field.

New York Road Runners does not publish times for when the leaders reach a given mile, and it notes start times can change. Because the Upper East Side comes after Brooklyn and Queens, the leaders arrive well after the start, and the general field passes for hours afterward.

The rules for spectators

  • Stay behind the blue tape or the barricades.
  • No amplified speakers and no drones.
  • No spectators on any bridge, including the Queensboro.
  • The portable toilets along the course are for runners only.

The race's emergency hotline is 866-705-6626. The broadcast runs on WABC-TV Channel 7 and on ESPN2 from 8:00 to 11:30 a.m.

Sources