The 2023 New York City Marathon takes place on 5 November, the culmination of months-long training for runners around the world. However, it also marks the start of a long period of training for next year’s race.
There are only 50,000 spots available to run the marathon, so registration and qualification for next year’s race may begin more than one year in advance. While certain qualifications for the 2024 New York City Marathon are not available anymore, there are still some ways to register.
One of the most common ways people register for the marathon is through a process called The Drawing, or the lottery. For the 2023 marathon, 128,000 thousand people entered the lottery but only around five per cent of people earned a spot.
The lottery opens in February and the New York Road Runners select the winners the following month. If you are selected, you will be asked to pay the $295 entrance fee - only if you are not a member of New York Road Runners - to participate. Those who are selected are divided into three groups: people who live in New York City or within 60 miles of the city, US residents outside the New York City area, and non-US residents.
Another way to run the marathon is to register with the New York Road Runners’ Team for Kids. This option requires runners to raise at least $2,620 for Team for Kids, which supports community running programs. Runners who choose this option can receive coaching for the marathon, in addition to some race-day perks.
Instead of running with Team for Kids, there is also the option to run for another charity. The New York City Marathon has been known to partner with many non-profit organisations, which provide charity bibs for runners. In order to enter, runners may need to fundraise a minimum amount - anywhere between $3,000 to $5,000 - depending on the charity. The list of charities to sponsor for next year’s race has not been released yet.
If you live outside the US, some international tour operators offer packages that include race entry. The operators that participate are normally listed on the marathon’s website.
NYC Marathon Preview— (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Some marathons require runners to compete in an earlier race within a specific time limit in order to qualify. While the New York City Marathon is not one of them, people do have the ability to override the lottery system if they achieved a qualifying time in a previous race.
If one of those qualifying races was sponsored by the New York Road Runners, it will receive a higher priority over others. For those who didn’t run a New York Road Runners race, their final time must be available to find online. Their application should be submitted in February, along with other lottery entries. This option is first-come, first-serve for those who didn’t race at a Road Runners event, and the courses must be certified.
If all other options fail, people who run the New York City Marathon and finish it at least 15 times are eligible to be guaranteed entry. Runners who decided to cancel their participation in the 2023 race are also guaranteed a spot in the 2024 race, but the method only works once - meaning those who cancelled their participation in 2023 will not be guaranteed a spot in the 2025 marathon.
The 2023 New York City Marathon kicks off on Sunday 5 November. The race kicks off at 8 a.m on Staten Island, as runners make their way across all five boroughs.
