New York Marathon on Sunday: Verrazzano Bridge closed 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., subway and commuter rail boosted

The 2026 TCS New York City Marathon takes place on Sunday, November 1, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has announced race-day travel arrangements. The biggest impact is the closure of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge to all non-emergency traffic from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday; the bridge's upper level will also close in both directions beginning at 11 p.m. Saturday, October 31, for race preparations.

Staten Island exits and Central Park roads close too

The Bay Street and Lily Pond Avenue exits on Staten Island will close at 3 a.m. Sunday and are expected to reopen by about 4 p.m. The Central Park transverse roads at 65th, 79th and 96th streets will be closed for most of the day, buses will not be permitted to cross Fifth Avenue during the race, and numerous other bus diversions will take place along the route. Motorists can call the Verrazzano-Narrows Marathon Traffic Hotline at (718) 692-5656 for updates.

Subway links to the ferry; Metro-North adds early trains

For runners, the MTA said subway service will connect to the Staten Island Ferry, where shuttle buses will take participants to the starting area. Metro-North Railroad will operate additional early-morning inbound trains on the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines, arriving at Grand Central Terminal between 5:15 a.m. and 5:30 a.m., giving runners a direct connection to downtown-bound trains. The MTA will deploy extra personnel near the finish line and other popular viewing locations.

Race times and travel advice

The race starts at 8 a.m. with the professional wheelchair division, followed by the elite women at 8:40 a.m. and the elite men at 9:05 a.m., with the final amateur wave starting at 11:30 a.m. City officials warn that closure times may change at the NYPD's discretion; anyone who must cross Manhattan on Sunday is advised to take the subway and check mta.info or the MTA app for last-minute diversions.