Photos from the 2026 NYC Marathon, from celebrity sightings to record-setting finishes

Photos from the 2026 NYC Marathon, from celebrity sightings to record-setting finishes More than 240,000 people applied for this year's drawing, and about 1% received a spot. Reuben Ingber/Business Insider New York City traded Halloween costumes and candy for running shoes and bibs as the five boroughs transformed into a racetrack for the city's annual marathon.The 26.2-mile race, which drew over 2 million spectators on November 1, is the world's biggest marathon. There are a handful of ways to get in, but probably the best-known is the lottery system.Runners apply in one of three pools: those who live within 60 miles of the city, US residents outside the metro area, and international applicants. The application opens in February, and the drawing takes place in early March.Of the 240,000 people who applied this year, only about 1% received a spot — yet it saw more finishers than ever before.Beyond the lottery, runners can get in by raising money for charity, meeting qualifying time standards, participating in New York Road Runners programs, or booking through an approved international travel operator. NYRR is the nonprofit that organizes the race.From Halloween costumes and celebrity sightings to record-setting runs and emotional finishes, here are some of the best photos from the 2026 New York City Marathon. The New York City Marathon celebrated 50 years of its five-borough course in 2026. Participants enter a hall to pick up their bibs at the marathon's expo on October 30, 2026. Michael Yanow/NurPhoto via Getty Images While the first New York City Marathon began in 1970, the first marathon to weave through all five boroughs took place 50 years ago in 1976.Runners pay between $255 and $358 to race, depending on where they live and if they're an NYRR member. The race starts in Staten Island and ends in Central Park. An aerial view as runners cross the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. Paul Seibert/Back Left Media/New York Road Runners via Getty Images Runners start at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island, cross the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn, then continue through Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx before finishing in Central Park. With the earliest start time at 8 a.m., racers braved the cold morning air as they arrived. The marathon started with temperatures in the low 50s at the 9:10 a.m. general public start time. Reuben Ingber/Business Insider The professional wheelchair, women's professional, and men's professional divisions began between 8 and 9:05 a.m. The general public waves followed, starting at 9:10 a.m. and continuing through 11:30 a.m.The temperatures at the start were in the low 50s. By the afternoon, temperatures reached the mid-60s under sunny skies. Exactly 61,529 people started the race, and 61,146 finished — the most ever in any marathon. Runners pass through Central Park as they compete in the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon. Kena Betancur / AFP via Getty Images The 2026 New York City Marathon set a world record for the most finishers for the third straight year, and became the first marathon to see more than 60,000 people complete the race.The second-largest marathon is the Paris Marathon, which attracts between 50,000 and 60,000 runners each year. Runners from all walks and stages of life completed the race — the youngest participant was 18, and the oldest was 90. Runners celebrate after completing the 26.2-mile race. TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP via Getty Images The oldest finisher was Danil Farkash, 90, from the US, with a race time of 11:24:18. The youngest was Lucy Weld, 18, from the US, who turned 18 on race day. Her race time was 4:12:06.The runners represented 153 countries. Italy had the highest number of non-US finishers this year, followed by France. Celebrities, including Jennifer Connelly and Casey Neistat, ran among the participants. YouTuber and New York City Marathon super fan Casey Neistat finished the race with a time of 2:57:25, which translates to 6:46 per mile. Reuben Ingber/Business Insider Neistat, a famous YouTuber, completed his 10th New York City Marathon—and his 30th marathon overall — on Sunday.He's called the city's marathon "the meanest" of all marathon courses because of its hills and hard surfaces. Spectators across all five boroughs showed their support with signs and cheers. Spectators and fans line the streets of New York City to cheer on the 60,000 runners. Reuben Ingber/Business Insider Signs ranged from supportive slogans to funny messages. Taking place on the day after Halloween, several racers chose to run in costumes. One runner chose to dress up as "Lady Liberty." Reuben Ingber/Business Insider Other costumes included runners dressed up as bananas, slices of pizza, and a Trojan War-era soldier. Tracy Morgan was the marathon's official Grand Marshal. Grand Marshal Tracy Morgan and honorary Grand Marshal Estee Stimler participate in the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon. Bryan Bedder/New York Road Runners via Getty Images As Grand Marshal, the "30 Rock" star joined spectators in cheering runners at the finish. Sheila Chepkirui won the women's race, crossing the finish line at 2:24:36. Kenya's Sheila Chepkirui crosses the finish line to win the New York City Marathon's women's race on November 1, 2026. TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP via Getty Images Her time translates to a pace of roughly 5:30 per mile.The women's professional field also included Julia Paternain, who holds Uruguay's women's marathon national record, among others. Andreas Almgren won the men's race, crossing the finish line at 2:06:01. Sweden's Andreas Almgren crosses the finish line to win the New York City Marathon's men's race on November 1, 2026. TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP via Getty Images His time translates to a 4:48-per-mile pace.The men's professional field also included Edward Cheserek, who holds one of the world's fastest mile times, and Joe Klecker, a professional runner for On. Catherine Debrunner and Marcel Hug won the wheelchair division race, respectively. Switzerland's Catherine Debrunner and Marcel Hug both finished first in the New York City Marathon's wheelchair division. Ishika Samant/Getty Images Debrunner finished with a time of 1:40:02. Hug finished in 1:28:14. American runner Zouhair Talbi set a new men's time record. Zouhair Talbi runs in the New York City Marathon. Theodore Parisienne / New York Daily News via Getty Images Talbi placed sixth overall and set the fastest-ever NYC Marathon time by an American man, crossing the finish line in 2:06:43 — an average pace of about 4:50 per mile. The event generates about $700 million in economic impact for New York City. The 2026 TCS New York City Marathon medal. Waleed Zein/Anadolu via Getty Images Rob Simmelkjaer, the CEO of New York Road Runners, previously told Business Insider that the race generates about $700 million in economic impact for the city because of the large number of visitors. Read next Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Tristin Hoffman is a Life Fellow on Business Insider’s Editorial Partnerships team. Her reporting focuses on retail, travel, business, and more through a visual storytelling and lifestyle lens. She has previously reported on Oregon’s economy for The Oregonian and Pennsylvania litigation for Law.com. Her stories have inspired policy changes, shed light on public officials’ misconduct, and gained national awards. She graduated from the University of Oregon, where she studied journalism and law while serving as editor-in-chief of The Daily Emerald. New York City