STATEN ISLAND, NY — The 2024 TCS New York City Marathon will take place on Sunday, November 3 and begin on Staten Island at 8 a.m.

The iconic event is now in its 53rd year, with over 50,000 runners expected.

Last year, 51,453 runners completed the 26.2-mile course, which encompasses all five boroughs of New York City.

In Staten Island, participants will gather at the Fort Wadsworth start area and runners will cross the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn to begin the journey.

Only registered runners will be authorized to access the starting area.

The only bag participants can bring into the start area is the Start Village bag they received at the Marathon Expo, and bags will not be carried to the finish line by staff racing.

The beginning

Multilingual announcers will notify participants once their corral is open and the waves line up at the start. Below is a list of start times for each group:

• 8:00 a.m. Professional Wheelchair Division
• 8:22 a.m. Handcycling category and selected disabled athletes
• 8:35 a.m. Women’s Professional Open Division
• 9:05 a.m. Men’s Professional Open Division
• 9:10 a.m. Wave 1
• 9:45 a.m. Wave 2
• 10:20 a.m. Wave 3
• 10:55 a.m. Wave 4
• 11:30 a.m. Wave 5

Closures

The upper level of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge will be closed to traffic from 11 p.m. on November 2 to 4 p.m. on November 3. The lower level will be closed in both directions on November 3 from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Additionally, the Bay Street and Lily Pond Avenue exits of the Staten Island Expressway historically close at 3 a.m. and reopen around 4 p.m. on race day. Additionally, various streets on Staten Island may be closed on Sundays between approximately 5:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. at the discretion of the NYPD.

In addition to Staten Island, motorists can expect delays on roads and bridges in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan, with most closures beginning at 7 a.m. on Sundays.

The course

Initially, runners start at an elevation of 98 feet at the entrance to the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. From there, they’ll tackle the steepest grade on the course as they tackle the span, which peaks at an elevation of 260 feet.

Runners will then cross Bay Ridge and ride along Sunset Park. They will then head to Williamsburg South and North. Once they reach the Pulaski Bridge, around the 13 mile mark, they will have reached the halfway point.

They will then head into Queens and cross the Queensboro Bridge at miles 15 and 16. When they exit the bridge and turn right onto Manhattan’s First Avenue at 59th Street, they will encounter perhaps the largest crowd of fans they will have. see, and the most thunderous applause they will hear until they arrive at Central Park at mile marker 24.

They will travel up First Avenue to the Bronx on miles 20-21, then return to the Harlem section of Manhattan and walk down Fifth Avenue to Central Park, where they will enter the park on miles 24-25, and the grand arrival at 67th Street and West Drive.

Equipment for runners

Mile markers will be posted every kilometer and mileage signs will be posted every 5 kilometers.

All class timers will be set to match Wave 1.

Timing mats will be placed at the start, every 5k, halfway (13.1 miles), mile 20 and at the finish.

Purified water will be available at official fluid stations every mile from mile 3 to mile 25, except at miles 5, 7 and 9.

Gatorade Endurance, lemon-lime flavor, will be available at official fluid stations every mile from mile 3 to mile 25, except miles 5, 7 and 9.

Liquids will be distributed in compostable cups. There will be tables on both sides of the course.

Science in Sport energy gels will be available throughout the course at miles 12 and 18.

Bananas will be available at mile 21.

There will be private, dedicated lactation spaces offering accommodations and pumping equipment at miles 8, 17 and 22 as well as at the start and finish of the race.

Portable toilets (including those accessible to wheelchairs) are located every kilometer, starting at kilometer 3.

Medical aid stations will be located approximately every kilometer, starting at kilometer 3 and at the finish.

The finish

The finish of the TCS New York City Marathon is an exciting and emotional time for runners.

As they cross the finish line, MarathonPhoto will take their photo and video.

Shortly after, they will receive a medal, a post-race poncho and a TCS New York City Marathon Runner recovery bag presented by the Hospital for Special Surgery.

Medical assistance will be available upon arrival and throughout the post-arrival area.

Since a large number of people will be using their cell phones, saturation could prevent people from using their phones in and around the arrival area.

Runners are advised to have a meeting place outside the runners’ area. Friends and family can track runners using the TCS New York City Marathon app.