New York Road Runners will hold the opening ceremony for the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon at the Central Park finish line at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the current five-borough course, and the race takes place on Sunday, Nov. 1. The elite field includes 40 Olympians, among them last year's winner, Hellen Obiri.
According to ABC7 New York, New York Road Runners (NYRR) will hold the opening ceremony for the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon at the Central Park marathon finish line at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the race's signature five-borough course. The event is scheduled to end at 6:45 p.m. and will be streamed live on abc7NY.com.
The ceremony will introduce the 2026 NYRR Hall of Fame inductees and the recipient of the Abebe Bikila Award. The Hall of Fame class includes Lynn Blackstone, a pioneer of women's running; George Hirsch, a co-founder of the race; and the late Percy Sutton. The late Jeff Galloway will be named the recipient of the Abebe Bikila Award. There will also be a special tribute to participants in the 1976 race, the first run on the five-borough course.
The elite field for the race includes returning champions Hellen Obiri, last year's winner, and Benson Kipruto, as well as Marcel Hug in the wheelchair division. The field includes 40 Olympians and Paralympians, 25 medalists from the Olympics, Paralympics and World Championships, and 22 national record holders. In the women's race, Obiri will face Sifan Hassan and 2024 winner Sheila Chepkirui, among others, while U.S. half marathon record holder Weini Kelati will make her marathon debut.
Race coverage begins with a pre-race broadcast at 7 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, and can be watched on ABC7, Channel 7. ABC7 anchors Liz Cho and Mike Marza will also run in support of the Alzheimer's Association, in honor of Bill Ritter, who stepped away from the anchor desk after revealing his Alzheimer's disease diagnosis last June.