You don't need to be on the street to watch the New York City Marathon online. Today, the 50,000 runners will run the 26.2-mile course from Staten Island to Central Park in Manhattan, and while the five boroughs of the city come alive to cheer on the runners, you can still watch from just about anywhere in the world.
Read on to find out more about how to watch the live stream of the event from your phone, tablet, or TV. We've also written a guide on how to track runners at the 2022 New York City Marathon here. It's important to note, this year Daylight Savings Time on the East coast of the US ends in the early hours of Sunday morning, so be sure to check and double-check your alarm if you're heading to the start with a runner, or planning to go and watch.
The New York City Marathon kicks off at 8 a.m. ET on Sunday, November 6, with the wheelchair race. The handcycle athletes start at 8:22 a.m. before the elite women begin racing at 8:40 a.m.. The elite men start running at 9:05 a.m., then the mass-participation race gets going with the first wave starting at 9:10 a.m.. Runners will then be released in waves. Wave 2 begins at 9:45 a.m., wave 3 begins at 10:20 a.m., wave 4 at 10:55 a.m., and wave 5 at 11.30 a.m..
If you are planning on going to line the course, it's a good idea to double-check what wave your runner is starting in to get a better idea of when they might get to your viewing point.
How to watch the New York City Marathon 2022: The elite runners
If you're tuning in for the elite field, it looks to be an exciting race this year. In the men's race, reigning champion Albert Korir will be returning to the race after crossing the finish line of the 2021 race in 2:08:22. He will face a tough race from Evans Chebet, who won the 2022 Boston Marathon, and has the fastest personal best on the field, having won the 2020 Valencia Marathon in 2:03:00. USA's Galen Rupp will also be hoping the home crowd will be on his side as he races through the streets of New York City.
In the women's race, Ethiopia’s Gotytom Gebreslase will take on Kenya's Hellen Obiri, who will be taking on the marathon distance for the first time. Kenyan-Israeli athlete Lonah Chemtai Salpeter is also one to watch, and is the fastest woman in the field with a PB of 2:17:45. USA's Keira D’Amato and Sara Hall will also be lining up to race in front of the home crowds.
How to watch the New York City Marathon 2022: Start times
If you want to work out how early to set your alarm, here are the various race start times. All of the times are in Eastern Time.
8 a.m.: Professional Wheelchair Division
8:22 a.m.: Handcycle Category and Select Athletes with Disabilities
8:40 a.m.: Professional Women’s Open Division
9:05 a.m.: Professional Men’s Open Division
9:10 a.m.: Wave 1
9:45 a.m.: Wave 2
10:20 a.m.: Wave 3
10:55 a.m.: Wave 4
11:30 a.m.: Wave 5
How to watch the New York City Marathon 2022: Live stream
Here’s our guide on how to track specific runners so you know when to watch for them. If ESPN2/3 and ABC aren't available where you are, you don't need to miss out.
The answer is to use a VPN, or virtual private network. A VPN will let you tune into your home coverage from wherever you are — meaning that if you're abroad, you can use one of the best VPN services to watch the games live as if you were in your lounge.
Our favorite right now is ExpressVPN, thanks to its combination of superb speed, great customer service and excellent device support. It also offers a no-questions-asked 30-day money-back guarantee, so you could check it out without having to sign up long term.
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, ExpressVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you're in the U.K. and want to view a U.S. service, you'd select U.S. from the list.
3. Sit back and enjoy the race. Head to ABC7NY.com to stream the marathon.
How to watch the New York City Marathon in the US
You don't even need to be a local to turn in. ESPN2, from 8:30 a.m. ET on, will have the race. That means you can watch the race on Sling TV, one of the best streaming services.
If you’re tuning in locally, watch on WABC-TV, Channel 7 from 8:30 AM to 1:30 PM ET, and so it will be on fubo TV for those in town. Pre-race coverage from Fort Wadsworth begins at 7:00 AM ET. Live streaming will be available on the ABC App and ABC7NY.com from 7:00 AM to 1:30 PM ET. If you're not in the US, there are still ways to watch a friend or family member take on the race.
ESPN airs live coverage from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. ET on ESPN2 and via the ESPN2 and via the ESPN App. Pre-race and continuing coverage will also be streamed live nationally on ESPN3 (accessible on the ESPN App and ESPN.com) from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.. You can also watch a live stream of the finish line on ESPN3 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET.
How to watch the New York City Marathon in the UK
If you’re in the UK, you can still follow the New York City Marathon live coverage by using one of the best VPN services, such as ExpressVPN. The race will start at 1:00 pm GMT.
The race will also be broadcast on Eurosport, with a subscription costing £6.00 per month, or £4.99 per month if you agree to a 12-month subscription. You can also pay £29.99 and pay for the entire year. You'll also be able to catch sporting events like the Australian Open and the French Open on Eurosport, as well as cycling, athletics, and popular snooker events.
