The NYC Marathon runs on Sunday, November 1, live on ESPN2 and ESPN Unlimited in the US and free on ABC7 in New York. Here are the start times in ET and UK time, the elite field, the free NYRR tracking app and how to keep your ESPN stream working abroad.
How to watch NYC Marathon 2026 in one line: ESPN2 and ESPN Unlimited carry it across the US from 8:00 to 11:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, November 1. The pro women start at 8:35 a.m. ET, which is 1:35 p.m. UK time, and the pro men follow at 9:05 a.m. ET. In the New York area, ABC7/WABC-TV shows the race free over the air from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET, with pre-race coverage from 7:00 a.m.
Mind the clocks. The US falls back to standard time at 2:00 a.m. on race morning, while Europe switched on October 25. So on race day, New York is 5 hours behind London and 6 hours behind Paris and Madrid.
One catch if you’re traveling that weekend: streaming apps check where you connect from, so the ESPN plan you pay for at home may not play in a hotel in Lisbon or Cancún. Below you’ll find who shows the race in each country, what’s free, every start time and how to keep your own stream working abroad.
Here’s who shows the elite races in the main English-speaking markets, as of October 26, 2026.
Country | Where to watch | Free? |
|---|---|---|
United States | ESPN2, ESPN Unlimited | No, pay TV or streaming |
New York area | ABC7/WABC-TV, ABC 7 New York App | Yes, over the air |
United Kingdom | Eurosport (NYRR partner for Europe), channel not yet confirmed | No, subscription |
Ireland | Eurosport (NYRR partner for Europe), channel not yet confirmed | No, subscription |
Canada | TSN (NYRR partner), schedule not yet announced | No, subscription |
Australia | Fox Sports (NYRR partner), schedule not yet announced | No, subscription |
ESPN Unlimited also streams pre-race coverage from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. ET and continuing coverage from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET, plus a Spanish-language broadcast live from 8:00 to 11:30 a.m. ET. ESPN Deportes re-airs it on Monday, November 2, at 8:00 a.m. ET. Our ESPN streaming guide explains the plans: ESPN Unlimited adds ESPN’s linear cable channels. NYRR hasn’t said whether the cheaper ESPN Select plan includes the race.
ABC7/WABC-TV also streams the race in the ABC 7 New York App. Nationally, the ABC network only airs “Live from the TCS New York City Marathon” from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. ET, a finish line show about everyday runners, not the elite races. The multiyear deal NYRR signed with ABC7/WABC-TV and ESPN in 2024 runs through 2026.
Outside the US, IMG lined up regional partners: Eurosport for Europe, TSN for Canada and Fox Sports for Australia. NYRR names no separate partner for the UK or Ireland. NYRR says international viewers can watch from 8:00 to 11:30 a.m. ET, but none of these broadcasters had confirmed a channel or time slot as of October 26. Canadians can check our TSN streaming guide for the service itself.
ExpressVPNFrom $2.79/moYes, if you’re in the New York area. ABC7/WABC-TV is free over the air there, and the station streams the race in the ABC 7 New York App. ABC7NY.com and the app also run a dedicated finish line view from 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET.
Two more free options exist. The official New York Road Runners App costs nothing and, according to NYRR, carries live feeds of all four professional races. NYRR doesn’t say where those feeds play, so don’t count on them outside the US. In the evening, the Final Finishers livestream runs from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. ET on ABC7NY.com and the New York Road Runners channel on YouTube. It follows the last runners home, not the elite race.
Everything else is paid. ESPN2 comes with a TV provider, ESPN Unlimited is a subscription, and Eurosport, TSN and Fox Sports are pay services. Streaming services built for a home audience usually check your location, and your paid ESPN plan is no exception. That’s where a VPN helps.
ESPN Unlimited is a US service, and the ESPN app looks at where you connect from. Picture a runner from Boston who’s in Madrid for work that Sunday: the plan is paid, but the race may not play at the hotel.
A VPN from our table handles the location check. Connect to a US server, open the ESPN app and sign in with your own account. ESPN sees a US connection and plays your plan as usual. You keep paying for your own subscription, and nothing on your bill changes.
| VPN Service | Price | ESPN+ | Tested | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
ExpressVPNBEST | From $2.79/mo | ✓ Works | October 24 | Try it |
 NordVPN | From $2.99/mo | ✓ Works | October 25 | Open |
 Surfshark | From $1.78/mo | ✓ Works | October 24 | Open |
 ProtonVPN | From $3.59/mo | ✓ Works | October 22 | Open |
 Private Internet Access | From $1.79/mo | ✓ Works | October 26 | Open |
 CyberGhost | From $1.75/mo | ✓ Works | October 24 | Open |
 IPVanish | From $2.19/mo | ✓ Works | October 23 | Open |
✓ Works✓ Works✓ Works✓ Works✓ Works✓ Works✓ WorksThe ranking in the table is based on StreamFix data, and our VPN ranking methodology explains how each provider is scored. For other US services, see our guide to watching US TV abroad with a VPN.
Pick a VPN from the table
Choose one that works with ESPN according to StreamFix data.
Install the app
Put it on the phone, laptop or TV you’ll watch on. Our guide to a VPN on a smart TV covers Samsung, LG and Android TV.
Connect to a US server
ESPN2 and ESPN Unlimited are US services, so pick a server in the US.
Sign in to ESPN
Use your own ESPN Unlimited account, or your TV provider login for ESPN2. The pre-race show on ESPN Unlimited starts at 7:00 a.m. ET, noon in the UK.
ExpressVPNFrom $2.79/moThese are NYRR’s official start times, in Eastern Time with UK time in brackets. NYRR notes that start times are subject to change.
Race | Start time |
|---|---|
Men’s wheelchair | 8:00 a.m. ET (1:00 p.m. UK) |
Women’s wheelchair | 8:02 a.m. ET (1:02 p.m. UK) |
Handcycles and select athletes with disabilities | 8:22 a.m. ET (1:22 p.m. UK) |
Pro women | 8:35 a.m. ET (1:35 p.m. UK) |
Pro men | 9:05 a.m. ET (2:05 p.m. UK) |
Waves 1 to 5 | 9:10, 9:45, 10:20, 10:55 and 11:30 a.m. ET |
US clocks fall back one hour at 2:00 a.m. on race morning, so the race runs on Eastern Standard Time. Europe switched on October 25, so the usual gaps apply: 5 hours to London and 6 hours to Central Europe. In Paris and Madrid, the pro women start at 2:35 p.m. and the pro men at 3:05 p.m. Ireland is on UK time and Toronto on ET. In Sydney, the men’s wheelchair race starts at midnight on Monday, November 2, and the pro men at 1:05 a.m.
Everyone starts at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island. The amateur field goes off in five waves from three start colors: blue, orange and pink.
Three defending champions are back: Benson Kipruto, Hellen Obiri and Marcel Hug. Names and personal bests come from NYRR’s professional athlete fields page. The picks at the end of each part are ours.
Benson Kipruto of Kenya leads the list with a personal best of 2:02:16. He won last year in 2:08:09, by less than a second, in his New York debut. Deresa Geleta of Ethiopia (2:02:38), CyBrian Kotut of Kenya (2:03:22) and American Zouhair Talbi (2:03:45) bring the next fastest times. Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands, Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya, American Conner Mantz, Kengo Suzuki of Japan and Yemaneberhan Crippa of Italy are also in the field. The course record is 2:05:06, set by Geoffrey Mutai in 2011.
Our pick: Kipruto. He has already won on this course, and his personal best tops the list.
Hellen Obiri of Kenya returns as champion after winning in 2:19:51 last year, a course record. Her personal best is 2:15:53. Kenyans Sheila Chepkirui (2:17:29), Viola Cheptoo (2:19:05) and Edna Kiplagat (2:19:50) come next on the list. Mercy Chelangat of Kenya, Americans Jessica McClain and Annie Frisbie, Fabienne Königstein of Germany and Julia Paternain of Uruguay also start. American Weini Kelati makes her marathon debut.
Our pick: Obiri. She is the defending champion and holds the women’s course record.
Marcel Hug of Switzerland won in 1:30:16 last year for his seventh New York title. He faces Americans Aaron Pike and Daniel Romanchuk and British racers Johnboy Smith and David Weir. In the women’s race, Catherine Debrunner of Switzerland holds the course record and won here in 2023. Americans Susannah Scaroni and Tatyana McFadden, Eden Rainbow-Cooper of Britain and Madison de Rozario of Australia line up with her.
Our picks: Hug in the men’s race and Debrunner in the women’s.
The official New York Road Runners App is free on the App Store and Google Play. NYRR says it lets you track runners throughout the marathon, follow their progress along the course and get updates at key moments. It also has leaderboards, results and live feeds of all four professional races: men, women, and the men’s and women’s wheelchair divisions.
Install it a few days before race day rather than on a crowded sidewalk on Sunday morning. If you’re watching from far away, the app works well next to the TV: the broadcast shows the leaders, the app shows where your friend is.
The course runs 26.2 miles (42.195 km) through Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan. Runners start at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island, cross the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and finish in Central Park. For 2026, NYRR made a minor change in the Bronx at East 141st Street, the first course change in 15 years. Official finishers are counted until 10:00 p.m. ET.
This year also marks 50 years of the five-borough route, first run on October 24, 1976. The very first New York City Marathon was held in Central Park on September 13, 1970, and had 55 finishers. Last year, more than 59,000 runners finished, an event record, and more than 2 million spectators lined the course, according to NYRR. The broadcast reaches nearly 500 million homes in more than 160 countries and territories.
Check the server country. Geoblocking is the usual cause. ESPN2 and ESPN Unlimited need a US server.
Switch servers. Still blocked? Pick another US server and reload the app.
Clear the cache. Your app or browser may remember your real location. Clear cookies, open a private window or restart the app.
Check your account. A VPN doesn’t replace a subscription. You need your own ESPN Unlimited plan or a TV provider login that includes ESPN2.
Test it before Sunday. Try your setup on another ESPN event during the week, not five minutes before the wheelchair start.
ExpressVPNFrom $2.79/moTraveling that Sunday? Set up a VPN on Saturday, connect to the US and watch the race on the ESPN plan you already pay for. This VPN tops our ESPN table right now:
Our best VPN comparison covers every provider, and our list of streaming services in the US shows what else is on at home. More sport this fall: here’s where to watch the World Series 2026, where to watch the NFL games in Europe and how to watch NBA opening night.
ESPN+Only in the United States1 of 194tracked countriesIn the US, the elite races are on ESPN2 and ESPN Unlimited from 8:00 to 11:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, November 1. In the New York area, ABC7/WABC-TV has the race from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET, with pre-race coverage from 7:00 a.m. The national ABC network only airs a finish line show from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. ET.
Use your own ESPN plan with a VPN from our table. Connect to a US server, open the ESPN app and sign in as usual. Your subscription stays the same, and using a VPN is legal in most countries. Our explainer on VPNs for streaming covers the details.
In the New York area, yes: ABC7/WABC-TV is free over the air and streams the race in the ABC 7 New York App. The free NYRR App carries live feeds of the four professional races, per NYRR. The Final Finishers livestream on YouTube, 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. ET, is free too, but it shows the last finishers, not the elite race.
The men’s wheelchair race starts at 8:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, November 1, followed by the women’s wheelchair race at 8:02, handcycles at 8:22, the pro women at 8:35 and the pro men at 9:05 a.m. ET. Five amateur waves go off between 9:10 and 11:30 a.m. ET. NYRR notes that start times are subject to change.
NYRR lists Eurosport as its partner for Europe and names no separate UK partner. As of October 26, 2026, Eurosport hadn’t confirmed a channel or time slot. The pro women start at 1:35 p.m. and the pro men at 2:05 p.m. UK time. Our guide to streaming services in the UK shows what’s available there.
Defending champions Benson Kipruto and Hellen Obiri lead the open races, with Deresa Geleta, CyBrian Kotut and Zouhair Talbi among the men and Sheila Chepkirui, Viola Cheptoo and Edna Kiplagat among the women. Marcel Hug defends his wheelchair title, and Catherine Debrunner, the women’s wheelchair course record holder, is also entered.
Download the free New York Road Runners App from the App Store or Google Play. NYRR says it lets you track runners throughout the marathon, follow their progress along the course and get updates at key moments. It also shows leaderboards and results.
Update the app to the latest version, then close and reopen it. Check that you’re online and switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data if the course is crowded. If you use a VPN for ESPN, turn it off while you check the app, then switch it back on for the stream.
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