The TCS New York City Marathon has placed itself at the top of the international marathon event podium, officially becoming the first marathon in history to cross the 60,000-finisher threshold during its 2026 race.
Organised by New York Road Runners (NYRR), the event on Sunday, November 1, 2026 marked the 50th anniversary of its five-borough course. A total of 61,146 runners reportedly crossed the finish line out of 61,529 starters, representing 153 countries and all 50 US states.
The landmark turnout secured the world’s-largest marathon record for the third consecutive year and included record-breaking individual fields featuring 32,047 men, 28,942 women, and 157 non-binary finishers.
Beyond participation numbers, NYRR surpassed its fundraising milestone ahead of race day, eclipsing the US$100 million goal for its Official Charity Partner Program during its 20th anniversary year.
The TCS New York City Marathon is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors (AbbottWMM) series, which is currently comprised of the following events:
- Tokyo Marathon
- Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America
- TCS London Marathon
- Sanlam Cape Town Marathon
- TCS Sydney Marathon presented by ASICS
- BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
- Bank of America Chicago Marathon
- TCS New York City Marathon
Of these eight events, four of the Abbott World Marathon Majors feature in the ranking of the top five marathons worldwide.
| Rank | Event | Location | Finishers |
| 1 | TCS New York City Marathon | NYC, USA | 61,146 (2026) |
| 2 | Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris | Paris, France | ~54,000 to 57,000 |
| 3 | TCS London Marathon | London, UK | ~53,000 to 54,000 |
| 4 | Bank of America Chicago Marathon | Chicago, USA | ~50,000 to 52,000 |
| 5 | BMW Berlin-Marathon | Berlin, Germany | ~45,000 to 54,000 |
Next year, the TCS London Marathon is to become a two-day event for the first time in its history. This will allow a record 100,000 participants to take part in 2027. Although the New York City Marathon is expected (for the time being) to retain the record for hosting the largest single-day number of marathon participants.
Elite competition at 2026 TCS New York City Marathon
- Men’s Open Division: Andreas Almgren of Sweden secured victory with a time of 2:06:01, becoming the first Swedish winner in race history and the first runner to win on their marathon debut since 2010. American Zouhair Talbi finished sixth in 2:06:43, setting a new fastest time for an American man at the event.
- Women’s Open Division: Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui claimed her second title in three years with a time of 2:24:36, making her only the tenth woman to secure repeat championships in race history. Jess McClain was the top American woman, finishing second in 2:24:42.
- Wheelchair Division: Swiss athletes swept the podium categories, with Marcel Hug securing an unprecedented eighth men’s title (1:28:14) and Catherine Debrunner dominating the women’s race (1:40:02) by a margin of 8 minutes and 26 seconds.
- Non-binary Division: Ryan Montgomery set a new course record with a winning time of 2:23:39.
The event also celebrated a number of milestone participants, including 90-year-old Danil Farkash, the oldest male finisher (11:24:18), and 84-year-old Sharon Kerson, the oldest female finisher (12:30:21). Dave Obelkevich extended his historic streak, maintaining his position as the longest-running New York City Marathon streaker by completing every five-borough race since 1976.
Initially run in 1970 as four-plus laps of Central Park with 55 finishers, the New York City Marathon left the park and was run through the five boroughs for the first time on October 24, 1976, to celebrate the US Bicentennial. The landmark move set the standard for the modern marathon event.
