Marathon Marshal: Morgan to Lead 50th Anniversary Race Crowd

Tracy Morgan has been named Grand Marshal for the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon, which marks 50 years since the race adopted its five-borough course. The New York native and entertainer will join more than two million spectators along the route Sunday, with the finish line at Central Park.

The race's television coverage begins at 7:00 a.m. on Channel 7 with a pre-show, followed by live national broadcast from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. ET on ESPN2. A Spanish-language feed runs at the same hours on ESPN3 through the ESPN App and ESPN.com. A two-hour show from the finish line airs from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET on Channel 7 and on the ABC Network, with local listings carrying other time zones.

Hannah Storm returns as host of the broadcast. John Anderson, Carrie Tollefson, and Kurt Fearnley serve as analysts in the booth for all four professional races. Will Reeve of ABC News co-hosts the finish line program with Storm from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET.

Reporting from the course, start, and finish includes Lewis Johnson, Becs Gentry, Ali Feller, Ryan Field, Sam Ryan, Kemberly Richardson, Pedro Rivera, Dani Beckstrom, and Brittany Bell. Kara Goucher and Paul Swangard provide commentary for the international world feed.

ABC carried the New York City Marathon's first live national television broadcast in 1981. ESPN2 and ABC7/WABC-TV have served as broadcast homes for the race since 2013.

The New York City Marathon's first live national television broadcast aired on ABC in 1981, marking the beginning of a longstanding relationship with the network. Since 2013, ESPN2 and ABC7/WABC-TV have served as the broadcast homes of the New York City Marathon.

The course crosses the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn, where runners pass Fourth Avenue at miles 2 through 4 and reach Fourth Avenue and Flatshush Avenue at mile 8. From Williamsburg and Greenpoint at miles 10 through 13, the route reaches the Pulaski Bridge at mile 13.1, which connects Brooklyn to Queens and is closed to spectators. Fans gather on the Queens side just past the halfway mark.

In Manhattan, spectators line First Avenue at miles 16 through 18 and East Harlem at miles 18 through 20. A charity cheer zone sits at First Avenue and 120th Street for runners raising funds for one of the New York Road Runners' 500 or more official charity partners. Fifth Avenue between East 90th Street and East 105th Street covers miles 23 and 24, and the United Airlines Zone is at Columbus Circle.

The race finishes at 67th Street on West Drive. Grandstand seating requires tickets, entered at West 62nd Street and Broadway. A standing area runs inside Central Park from Columbus Circle to the south end of the grandstands, about 500 feet before the finish, with no chairs or seats provided or allowed. There is no spectator viewing at the start or on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, and no access north of the grandstands in Central Park. Entrances at Broadway at West 61st Street and the Central Park path near Heckscher Fields require screening.

MTA advises spectators to use the subway and to check mta.info before traveling; questions can be sent through the chat feature in the MTA app.