The New York City Marathon is this Sunday.

Ah, November in New York. A magical time when the air turns crisp, the leaves turn gold, and Central Park turns into an obstacle course for the athletically ambitious and the mildly annoyed.

Yes, it is marathon season, the day when 50,000 people voluntarily do what most New Yorkers would only do if chased by a rat the size of a Vespa.

For weeks leading up to the big event, the city transforms. Barricades sprout like mushrooms, Central Park is fenced off, viewing stands and retail stores appear, and signs are posted warning that your usual Sunday jog or dog walk will now require a tactical evacuation plan. Even the ducks in the park start migrating early.

Central Park, that democratic playground of runners, strollers, and squirrel enthusiasts, becomes a restricted zone for anyone not wearing a bib number and a GPS watch.

Some facts…more than 55,000 participants are expected to start the 2025 New York City Marathon this Sunday. It is one of the largest marathons in the world.

The race starts in Staten Island and finishes in Central Park, running through all five boroughs of New York City.

For the 2025 race, there were over 200,000 applications, with only a small percentage of applicants gaining entry through methods like the lottery, time qualifiers, or charity partnerships.

Take the behind the scenes tour:

Run, Baby, Run!!