With an estimated 50,000 runners slated to finish Sunday’s NYC Marathon, you can expect lots of traffic changes — and a revised MTA schedule for the day.
The NYC Marathon is, after all, the largest marathon in the world and takes place in all five boroughs, so this should come as no surprise.
The official start time for Sunday’s big race is 8:30 a.m., though different divisions and waves have different start times. The marathon starts in Staten Island and ends in Central Park.
Here’s everything you need to know about the NYC Marathon MTA schedule.
NYC Marathon: MTA bridges & tunnels
Starting at 11 p.m. Saturday night, the upper level of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge will be closed in both directions to prep the roadway for the NYC Marathon. Over-dimensional vehicles and vehicles carrying hazardous materials will not be allowed on the bridge once that closure begins.
The Bay Street and Lily Pond Avenue exits in Staten Island will close at 3 a.m. Sunday and reopen around 3 p.m., the MTA said.
The Verrazzano Bridge will be closed to all vehicular traffic starting at 7 a.m. Sunday to roughly 3 p.m.
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NYC Marathon: NYC subways
On Sunday, runners heading to Staten Island for the NYC Marathon can take the subway to the Bowling Green 4/5/6 station, South Ferry 1 station or Whitehall N/R station, then walk to the Whitehall Ferry Terminal.
There will be a shuttle bus to the Staten Island starting line, which will take runners to School Road at Bay Street.
Increased ridership is expected for the following NYC subway stations and lines:
South Ferry 1; Whitehall Street N/R; Bowling Green 4/5; 42nd Street-Bryant Park D and uptown F; 42nd Street-Grand Central 4/5/6/7/S; Fifth Avenue 7; 59th Street-Columbus Circle A/C/D/1; 72nd Street C; 81st Street-AMNH C and 86th Street C.
Some NYC subway stairways may be designed entrance- or exit-only to offset overcrowding during the NYC Marathon.
As some NYC subway lines experience reroutes and service suspensions on weekends due to MTA maintenance, straphangers should also check MTA.info.
The MTA also released a NYC Marathon Subway Map on its website that highlights runner-specific pre-race activities and viewing locations.
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NYC Marathon: NYC buses
NYC buses will be subject to reroutes, detours and or “frozen zones,” so riders “should anticipate delays” during the NYC Marathon, the MTA said.
The Central Park Traverses at 65th, 79th and 96th Streets will be shut for most of Sunday, and NYC buses will not be allowed to cross Fifth Avenue during the race.
Expect delays/detours on these routes:
• Brooklyn
B1, B4, B8, B9, B11, B16, B24, B25, B26, B32, B35, B37, B38, B41, B43, B44, SBS44, B45, B48, B52, B54, B57, B61, B62, B63, B64, B65, B67, B69, B70, B103, Q59, X27.
• Bronx
Bx1, Bx2, Bx15, Bx21, Bx32, Bx33, BxM2, BxM3, BxM4, BxM6, BxM7, BxM8, BxM9, BxM10, BxM11.
• Manhattan
M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M7, M10, M15, M15SBS, BX15, M20, M31, Q32, BX33, M57, M60SBS, M66, M72, M79SBS, M86SBS, M96, M100, M101, M102, M103, M104, M106 and M116.
• Queens
Q32, Q39, Q60, Q66, Q67, Q69, Q100, Q101, Q102, Q103, QM2, QM5, QM6.
• Staten Island
SIM1C, SIM2, SIM3C, SIM4C, S51, S53, S79.
