Runners wait at the starting line during the New York City Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018, in New York. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
NYC Marathon
Start times
8:30am Professional Wheelchair Division
9:10am Professional Women
9:40am Wave 1 (Including Professional Men)
10:10am Wave 2
10:35am Wave 3
11:00am Wave 4
The Course
Runners will start in Staten Islands Fort Wadsworth before crossing over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge for the first mile of the marathon before making their way into Brooklyn. The midway point on the bridge is the highest elevation runners will face along the entire course, reaching about 247 feet around the first mile marker.
Miles 2-13 will be run in Brooklyn before the course enters Queens.
Often considered the most exciting part of the course is after runners cross the Queensboro Bridge and make their way into Manhattan on First Avenue around Mile 16.
After spending just one mile in the Bronx (Mile 21), runners come back down Fifth Avenue before entering Central Park for the final 2 miles of the race.
The finish line is on the west side of the park, right near Tavern on the Green.
Can Keitany win again?
Mary Keitany has been the top female finisher in four of the last five NYC Marathons. Keitanys win last year made her only the second women to win the NYC title four times. The 37-year old is the world-record holder for the marathon, running 2:17:01 at the 2017 London Marathon. Keitanys 2:22:48 time at last years NYC marathon was the second fastest womens time in the events history, just 17 second shy of the course record. She hopes to add a fifth NYC championship to her collection on Sunday.
Going for the record
On the mens side, Ethiopians Lelisa Desisa and Shura Kitata will be targeting a course record in NYC if weather cooperates on Sunday. The current record on the 26.2 mile course is 2:05:06, set in 2011 by Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya.
Desisa and Kitata were the top two finishers in 2018, running 2:05:59 and 2:06:01.
Who to Watch
Des Linden
The 2018 Boston Marathon champion expects to be a serious player on Sunday. She was one of four Americans to finish in the Top 7 at last years NYC Marathon and will be a contender for the Top American finisher this year. Shes run a personal best time of 2:22:38 (Boston 2011) and finished in 2:27:51 for 6th place in NYC in 2018.
Jared Ward
The 2016 Olympian has his sights set on a personal goal of finishing in the Top 3 in a major marathon. Coming off of an impressive Boston Marathon in April running 2:09, he is expected to be one of the top American finishers, and could contend for a spot on the podium.
