The 2017 annual New York City Marathon is this Sunday, November 5, with the women’s start at 9:20 a.m. and the men’s first wave at 9:50 a.m. ET.
Whether or not you live in the greater New York City area, you can witness and live stream the largest marathon in the world. Thousands of runners annually travel from across the globe to trek across the 26.2 mile-course leading them through all five boroughs of the city, beginning in Staten Island and ending in Central Park.
Last year’s top men’s finisher, Ghirmay Ghebreslassie of Eritrea, was the youngest male champion in history and will return to defend his title after winning with 2:07:51. Mary Keitany of Kenya was the 2016 top women’s finisher, and will compete for her fourth win in a row. This year’s 2017 top men’s and women’s winners will take home grand prizes of $100,000 each.
The marathon will continue as planned, despite the deadliest terrorist attack to hit New York City since 9/11. But there will be heightened security in place. More details provided below.
To learn more about the top runners to watch, peruse this Sports Illustrated guide.
Here’s how to tune in to the race, keeping in mind that daylight saving time ends on the same day at 2 a.m. ET)
All of the Marathon Start Times
The marathon will have different start times for runners, including separate start times for wheelchair athletes.
8:30 a.m. Professional Wheelchair Division
8:52 a.m. Achilles Handcycle Category and Select Athletes with Disabilities
8:55 a.m. Foot Locker Five Borough Challenge
9:20 a.m. Professional Women
9:50 a.m. Wave 1 (including Professional Men)
10:15 a.m. Wave 2
10:40 a.m. Wave 3
11:00 a.m. Wave 4
How to Watch the Marathon on TV
U.S. viewers can watch the marathon on ESPN or ABC from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. EST.
The race is also broadcast outside the U.S. on various channels. You can find a list of them on the marathon website, and check your local listings.
How to Live Stream the Marathon
The marathon will be live streamed via WatchESPN on computers, tablets, smartphones, Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. To watch you will need to have video subscriptions from affiliated providers.
If you’re in the New York tri-state area, live streaming will also be available on ABC7NY.com and via the ABC app from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET.
How to Watch the Marathon In Person
The official marathon website listed the best places to watch the marathon, including spots in Brooklyn, along Fifth Avenue and in East Harlem. Check out the rest of the list to see where you can cheer on the sidelines, and the site’s Spectator Guide for more info.
For a full list of street closures, check here to see if you will be affected.
Security Restrictions and Concerns
City officials are prepared to monitor the marathon closely, with ramped-up security following Tuesday's terror attack. The NYPD Chief of Police promised the marathon’s largest police presence, according to the New York Post.
Added security will include more “more than doubled” rooftop surveillance crews and counter-sniper teams, and increased K9 units. The department will also send out heavy-weapons teams and deploy helicopters to “patrol from above and survey rooftops and routes.” In addition to regular uniformed officers, there will also be undercover NYPD officers monitoring for suspicious activity.
How to Track A Runner
You can track your favorite runners with the TCS New York City Marathon Mobile App. Unofficial results will be available right after the race.