On March 4, New York Road Runners announced the highly anticipated results of the 2026 New York City Marathon drawing. For this year’s event, the race organizers received over 240,000 applications—almost a 20 percent increase from last year’s record-breaking lottery. Today, the runners who applied will learn if they got into the race, which had a staggering 1 percent acceptance rate (the lowest ever).
Fueled by the recent running boom, the record in New York City follows a surge in demand for entry into one of the world’s premier races. The 2026 edition of the marathon, set to take place on November 1, will mark the event’s 50th anniversary of the five-borough course.
Related Stories
“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, the CEO of NYRR, in a press release.
After receiving over 200,000 applications, the 2025 New York City Marathon set the record as the largest marathon in history with 59,226 finishers in Central Park. The finale of the World Marathon Majors welcomed runners from 132 different countries. Unsurprisingly, it attracted thousands of speedy endurance athletes with 2,396 participants clocking times under 3:00:00, and 20,047 runners finishing under 4:00:00.
Other World Marathon Majors are also seeing massive interest. Last year, a world record 840,318 people applied to run the 2025 London Marathon, which shattered the previous record (578,374) from the 2024 London Marathon. More than 53,000 people finished the race last year.
The New York City Marathon has a notoriously selective system that grants entry to a handful of lucky racers. Outside of the entry drawing, there are a few other ways you can earn a spot, including running for a charity partner, being a NYRR 9+1 participant, or qualifying based on time from a NYRR race.
This year, NYRR only accepted the top 10 percent of non-NYRR marathon time qualifiers, which means athletes needed to run at least 22 minutes and 52 seconds faster than the qualifying standard for their age group.
Related Story
If you didn’t get in through the drawing, there are a few new options to consider. This year, NYRR expanded its charity partner program to include 670 charities, the most ever, with more organizations to fundraise for while you run. Last year, charity runners raised a record $80 million for more than 600 charities at the New York City Marathon. You can also enter NYRR’s new sweepstakes program. On March 5, athletes who didn’t get in through the drawing or other entry methods can enter the Across the Boroughs Marathon Sweepstakes, which will grant two prize winners entry into the marathon and all six NYRR Five-Borough Series races.
NYRR members can enter a second-chance drawing. Approximately 24,000 NYRR members who met the eligibility criteria were entered into the NYRR member-only drawing, with up to 2 percent accepted.
International runners can gain entry through one of NYRR’s official International Tour Operators, which feature race bibs as part of the travel package.
In April, runners can also apply to run with NYRR Team for Climate, a program dedicated to supporting event organizers’ sustainability initiatives around the race.
Best-Selling Products We Recommend
Shoe of the Year
adidas Adizero EVO SL ShoesCredit: Thomas Hengge
Best Garmin Running Watch
Garmin Forerunner 265
Now 18% Off
Best Running Socks
Balega Enduro Running Socks
Best Treadmill
NordicTrack Commercial 1750 Treadmill
Now 13% Off
Best Value Running Headphones
Best Walking Pad
For the past decade, Taylor has reported on sports, health, and wellness for leading fitness publications including Runner’s World, SELF, Bicycling, and Outside. She’s also a podcast host and film producer focused on amplifying the stories of women and other underrepresented communities in endurance sports. When she’s not writing, you can usually find her running—or eating breakfast tacos with her family in Austin, Texas.