Today, March 5, 2025, thousands of eager runners around the globe are discovering their fate in the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon lottery. This annual drawing determines which non-guaranteed applicants secure a coveted spot in one of the world’s most iconic races, set to take place on November 2, 2025.
Understanding the Lottery Process
The New York Road Runners (NYRR), the organization behind the marathon, employs a lottery system to manage the high demand for entries. Applicants are categorized into three distinct pools:
- NYC Metro Area Applicants: Residents living within a 60-mile radius of New York City.
- National Applicants: U.S. residents outside the NYC metro area, including Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories.
- International Applicants: Non-U.S. residents.
Each pool has a separate drawing to ensure a diverse representation of runners. Applicants who provided a valid credit card during the application process will be charged the entry fee upon selection, confirming their spot in the marathon.
Notification of Results
By the end of today, all applicants will be informed of their status through:
- Credit Card Charges: Selected runners will notice a charge for the race entry fee on their provided credit card.
- NYRR Account Dashboard: Accepted applicants will see their status updated to “Accepted.”
- Email: All participants, whether accepted or not, will receive an email detailing their application outcome.
It’s important to note that credit card charges might appear before official notifications are sent.
The moment you’ve been waiting for—Drawing Day for the #TCSNYCMarathon is tomorrow, March 5! 🎉 Here’s how you’ll know if you’re in:
— TCS New York City Marathon (@nycmarathon) March 4, 2025
Good luck to all runners! 🤞🏃
Learn more: https://t.co/CC1onX5XnW pic.twitter.com/r7i4xEswru
How Selective is the NYC Marathon?
The 2025 NYC Marathon lottery is likely to be more competitive than ever, with over 200,000 applicants, the most in history, vying for a chance to run.
With only 2 to 3 percent of applicants being selected, the odds were comparable to acceptance rates at some of the nation’s most prestigious universities, including Harvard (3%), Stanford (4%), and MIT (5%).
The historic 200,000+ applications is a significant increase from the 2024 edition, which received nearly 165,000 applications. Including the lottery, around 55,000 runners took to the start of the 2024 editions, where it edged out the 2024 Berlin Marathon as the largest marathon ever.
Second-Chance Drawing for NYRR Members
For current NYRR members who were not selected in the general drawing, there’s still hope.
The NYRR Member-Only Second-Chance Drawing also takes place today. Winners of this drawing will receive an email invitation to register for the marathon before March 31, 2025.
These members must complete their registration and pay the entry fee by May 1, 2025, to secure their spot.
Alternative Entry Methods
For those not selected in the lottery, several guaranteed entry options are available:
- Charity Partners: Runners can secure a spot by committing to fundraise for one of the marathon’s official charity partners. The list of these partners is announced on drawing day.
- 9+1 Program: NYRR members who completed nine qualifying NYRR races and volunteered at one event in 2024 are eligible for guaranteed entry.
- Time Qualifiers: Runners who met specific time standards in eligible races can apply for guaranteed entry.
The announcement of the lottery results marks the beginning of the journey for many runners aiming to conquer the 26.2 miles through New York City’s five boroughs. Whether selected today or pursuing alternative entry methods, the road to the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon promises to be an exciting and rewarding event.
