The numbers are in, and they’re staggering. New York Road Runners announced today that more than 240,000 people applied for a spot in the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon drawing — a near-20 percent jump from last year’s already record-breaking total. Only about one percent of those applicants were accepted, making it the lowest acceptance rate the race has ever seen.
To put that in context: you now have a better chance of getting into Harvard than getting into the NYC Marathon through the lottery.
RELEASE: New York Road Runners Sets Record with 240,000+ Applications for 2026 TCS New York City Marathon Drawing >> https://t.co/abd6LlVmtw pic.twitter.com/woksnKIQrP
— NYRR Media Relations (@nyrrnews) March 4, 2026
The Race Is Only Getting Bigger
The demand surge didn’t come out of nowhere. The 2025 NYC Marathon finished with 59,226 runners crossing the line in Central Park — the largest marathon in recorded history. Runners came from 132 countries, with 2,396 finishing under three hours and more than 20,000 under four.
The 2026 edition has an extra draw: it marks the 50th anniversary of the five-borough course, which first ran through all five boroughs in 1976. That milestone appears to have pushed applications to a new stratosphere.
“Year after year, the TCS New York City Marathon unites runners of all ages and abilities who believe in the power of every step to transform lives,” said Rob Simmelkjaer, CEO of NYRR, in a press release issued today.
New York isn’t alone. The 2025 London Marathon drew 840,318 applications — a world record that shattered the previous high of 578,374 set just a year earlier. The running boom is real, and entry into the World Marathon Majors has never been more competitive.
Time Qualifiers Got Squeezed Too
It wasn’t just lottery applicants who felt the pressure. For non-NYRR marathon time qualifiers, NYRR only accepted the top ten percent of submissions this year. That meant runners needed to finish at least 22 minutes and 52 seconds faster than the standard qualifying time for their age group — a bar that ruled out many strong recreational runners.
Didn’t Get In? Here’s What’s New
NYRR has added some new options for runners shut out of the lottery this year.
Starting March 5, runners who didn’t gain entry through the drawing or other methods can enter the Across the Boroughs Marathon Sweepstakes. Two winners will receive entry into the marathon plus all six NYRR Five-Borough Series races. It’s a long shot, but it’s a shot.
The charity route expanded significantly for 2026. NYRR’s Official Charity Partner Program now includes 670 charities — the most in the race’s history. Charity runners at last year’s NYC Marathon raised a record $80 million for more than 600 organizations. Fundraising minimums typically start around $2,500–$3,000 depending on the charity.
NYRR members who didn’t make the general draw were automatically entered into the member-only second-chance drawing. Around 24,000 eligible members were included, with up to 2 percent accepted.
International runners can still pursue entry through one of NYRR’s Official International Tour Operators, which bundle race bibs with travel packages. And come April, runners can also apply to NYRR Team for Climate, a program tied to the organization’s sustainability work around race day.
The 9+1 program — nine qualifying NYRR races plus one volunteer event — remains the most reliable non-lottery path to a guaranteed spot. Here’s a full breakdown of every entry method available for those already planning their route into 2027.
The 2026 TCS New York City Marathon takes place on Sunday, November 1, 2026. The course winds through all five boroughs, starting on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in Staten Island and finishing in Central Park. For the runners who got in today, the training starts now. For everyone else, the grind toward 2027 entry begins immediately.
