New York City Marathon 2023 Guide: Route, Start Times, Best Viewing Spots, and Special Features

Marathon to Start Early Sunday with Forecasted Favorable Running Conditions; Key Viewing Spots Include Brooklyn's 4th Avenue and Bronx's 135th Street; ABC-TV, ESPN2, and Marathon's Mobile App to Broadcast Event Live.

The New York City Marathon 2023 is set to start early Sunday with forecasted favorable running conditions, facilitating a comfortable running environment for both professional and amateur runners, with temperatures expected to oscillate between the high 40s to mid-60s.
The marathon route begins on Staten Island and stretches through all five boroughs, turning north through Brooklyn and Queens, crossing the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan, moving north into the Bronx, and returning to Manhattan with the finish line set up in Central Park near the West 60s.
The best viewing spots encompass Fourth Avenue and Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn and around 135th Street and Alexander Avenue in the Bronx. Notably, the former guarantees easy access from other city areas, whereas the latter serves as a significant morale boost for runners during a notoriously challenging part of the course.
Runner interest has significantly rebounded following the pandemic, with over 125,000 people entering the drawing to participate this year, an increase from 89,000 last year. The number of running crews and participants in organized running clubs has also surged across the city.
Enhancements this year include the addition of youth races in Central Park to inaugurate the marathon week, a second stage featuring panels and sessions about the running community and industry at the annual marathon expo, and an increased number of cups of water and Gatorade at fluid stations.
The event will be broadcasted live on WABC-TV, ESPN2, and Marathon's Mobile App, with the latter also offering real-time runner tracking feature and commentary on professional races by marathoners Des Linden, Galen Rupp, and Amanda McGrory.

Gothamist