TCS New York City Marathon Opening Ceremony Presented by United Airlines
The TCS New York City Marathon Opening Ceremony Presented by United Airlines kicks off race weekend with a celebration at the finish line in Central Park. The annual festivities feature the Parade of Nations—a showcase of runners from all over the world—and will conclude with the grand finale at the finish line.
This year’s ceremony will also feature the 2026 NYRR Hall of Fame Inductees.
See past inductee information
here.
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Date and Time
Friday, October 30, 2026, 4:30 p.m.
- Participant Check-In Opens: 4:00 p.m.
- Grandstand Seating Opens: 4:00 p.m.
- Presentation Begins: approximately 4:30 p.m.
- Grand Finale: approximately 6:30 p.m.
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Location and Spectator Access
Spectators can watch from the TCS New York City Marathon finish line in the Grandstand seating. Seating is first-come, first served until capacity is reached.
Entrance: Central Park West at 63rd Street
All bags are subject to screening. We suggest no more than one bag per guest, no larger than a purse.
Check back closer to race week for the Parade of Nations map.
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Accessibility
NYRR strives to host inclusive, sustainable, and accessible events that enable all individuals to engage. We welcome all spectators and participants with disabilities, including those using wheelchairs, crutches, walkers, and other mobility devices. To request reasonable accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility for attending this event, please email
marathonopeningceremony@nyrr.org and
accessibility@nyrr.org.American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters will be present from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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Parade of Nations Participation
Applications to participate in the 2026 Parade of Nations are now closed. You may join the wait list by filling out a survey in your NYRR dashboard. Those selected participants will be notified on September 19. If additional spots become available, you may be contacted in mid-October.
Please follow these instructions to access the survey:
- Log into your NYRR account
- Go to the “Your Events” tab and find your 2026 TCS New York City Marathon registration under upcoming events. Click “View Registration”
- Scroll to the very bottom of your registration information and answer “Yes” to the following question: “If you are selected to run, would you be interested in participating in the Parade of Nations at the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon Opening Ceremony Presented by United Airlines on Friday, October 30, 2026, at the marathon finish line in Central Park?”
- Answer the additional questions pertaining to your participation in the Parade of Nations
- Save your registration to submit your answers
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