The 55th TCS New York City Marathon takes place Sunday, Nov. 1. The race starts on Staten Island, passes through Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx, and finishes in Central Park. The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge closes to general vehicle traffic at 7 a.m., and the start is split into five waves from 9:10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. This year the course has changed for the first time in 15 years, with the Bronx section between miles 20 and 21 now straighter. Daylight saving time also ends in the early morning hours that same day.
The New York City Marathon takes place Sunday, Nov. 1. Nearly 59,000 runners will cross all five boroughs. Even for those who aren't running, the city becomes a different place that day.
The course starts on Staten Island, crosses the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn, passes through Queens and heads north up First Avenue in Manhattan. It makes a brief loop through the Bronx, then returns to Manhattan and finishes in Central Park.
Start with the schedule
The first closure to affect drivers is the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. Starting at 7 a.m., general vehicle traffic is not allowed on it. If you have business on Staten Island, or need to take that route to the airport, plan another way that day.
The course has changed for the first time in 15 years
The change to watch this year is in the Bronx. Between miles 20 and 21, around Mott Haven, the course has been adjusted. The number of turns drops from seven to five, so the route runs straighter along Alexander Avenue. It is the first adjustment in 15 years.
For runners, that means fewer changes of direction at the point where their energy is lowest. For spectators, it means you can't rely on last year's map. The Mott Haven stretch draws smaller crowds than the Manhattan side and is easy to reach by subway, making it a better choice if you want to watch up close.
Driving that day is a mistake
Closures last all day across the five boroughs and are lifted at different times section by section. A crosstown trip that normally takes 20 minutes can easily take more than an hour. Buses and taxis get stuck as well.
The answer is the subway. If you have to get to an airport or have a schedule you can't push back, it's safer to allow 30 minutes to an hour extra. If you are coming into Manhattan from New Jersey, the tunnels are relatively manageable, but the problem is moving east-west once you are in the city. Assume First Avenue, Fifth Avenue and the area around Central Park will be effectively gridlocked.
One more thing: Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. that same day. Clocks go back an hour, which makes it easy to get confused in the morning. Your phone will update on its own, but the clock in your car and the ones on your walls need to be set by hand. If you are heading out to cheer, double-check which clock your meeting time was based on.
The first Sunday of November is one of the days of the year when New York's streets are the most crowded with people. Flushing and Fort Lee are within an hour's reach, so rather than trying to avoid the traffic, you might head out and join the crowd.