NYC is giving away 350 free NYC Marathon finish-line grandstand tickets; enter by Oct. 26
The city and New York Road Runners are running a free drawing for seats along the final 200 meters in Central Park on Nov. 1. Grandstand tickets usually start at $55.
Photo: www.elbpresse.de / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Thursday that the city will give away 350 free tickets to the TCS New York City Marathon grandstand at the Central Park finish line (Mayor's Office, 6sqft).
- Enter the drawing, run with New York Road Runners, at on.nyc.gov/2026marathon until 11:59 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26. Winners will be notified shortly after.
- Entrants must be New Yorkers 18 or older; each winner can get up to two tickets, and the second ticket can go to a New Yorker of any age.
- The grandstands line the final 200 meters of the course. Tickets there usually start at $55 (Mayor's Office, Time Out).
- The race is Sunday, Nov. 1, with nearly 60,000 runners; most of the course is free to watch from the sidewalk.
New Yorkers can try for a free seat at the TCS New York City Marathon finish line. Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Thursday that the city will give away 350 free grandstand tickets for the Nov. 1 race, in a drawing run with New York Road Runners (NYRR), according to the Mayor's Office and 6sqft.
How to enter
- Where: the drawing is at on.nyc.gov/2026marathon.
- Deadline: 11:59 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26. Winners will be notified shortly afterward, the city said.
- Who can enter: New Yorkers 18 or older. Each winner can receive up to two tickets, and the second ticket can be used by a New Yorker of any age.
- Cost: free. Grandstand seats usually start at $55, the Mayor's Office said; Time Out noted that price is before fees.
What you'd see
The grandstands stretch along the final 200 meters of the course in Central Park. Nearly 60,000 runners are expected to run the 26.2 miles from the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge through all five boroughs, with more than 2 million spectators along the route, the city said. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the five-borough course, NYRR CEO Rob Simmelkjaer said in the announcement.
"Sports belong to the people, and we're making sure New Yorkers can experience the special joy of the New York City Marathon," Mamdani said. The giveaway follows similar city ticket programs, including free seats for the Knicks' championship ceremony and discounted Gotham FC tickets.
If you don't win, most of the course is free to watch from the sidewalk. This year's route also changes in the Bronx for the first time in 15 years; see our guide to the course change and road closures.
- NYC Mayor's OfficeMayor Mamdani Announces 350 Free Tickets to TCS New York City Marathon Finish Line
- 6sqftMamdani is giving away 350 tickets to NYC Marathon finish line
- Time Out New YorkMayor Mamdani is giving away 350 free tickets to the marathon finish line: here's how to enter
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