Fashion

Saint Laurent CEO: Heritage Must Keep Moving

Fashion

Giorgio Armani CEO Touts Links to Chinese Culture

Fashion

Compromise Is Underrated: Prada Group CEO

Where to Watch the 2026 New York City Marathon Online Without Cable

The 2026 TCS New York City Marathon promises to bring together nearly 60,000 runners from all over the world. Here's how to livestream the event for free online.

By Stacia Datskovska Plus Icon

Stacia Datskovska

Senior Commerce Writer for WWD

Recent Articles by Stacia Datskovska

View All

October 31, 2026, 6:00pm

Add us as a Google Preferred Source

Runners cross the Verrazano Bridge as they compete in the New York Marathon in New York on November 2, 2025; how to watch the new york city marathon online for free

Courtesy Angela Weiss/Getty Images

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, WWD may receive an affiliate commission.

Traditionally taking place on the first Sunday of November, this year’s TCS New York City Marathon lands on November 1, kicking off at 8:00 a.m. EST for the professional wheelchair and handcycle divisions, with the pros assembling at the starting line next — followed by five waves of amateur runners.

Shoe Industry News

Jimmy Choo Momentum Grows as Shoes Reclaim the Fashion Spotlight

Fashion

The Art of Gifting Well: 21 Luxury Christmas Gifts for Men Who Appreciate the Finer Things

2026 New York City Marathon Details

Date, time: November 1, starting at 8:00 a.m. EST
Channels: ESPN, WABC-TV
Where to stream: DirecTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV

Weaving its way through all five of the city’s boroughs, the marathon’s route has been adjusted for the first time in 15 years (the change affects a portion of the course in the South Bronx). 2026 also marks the 50th anniversary of said five-borough concept, as the marathon was originally based only in Central Park before expanding, and drawing in more participants, to celebrate the U.S. Bicentennial.

Runners are cheered on by spectators while competing in the New York City Marathon on November 2, 2025. Courtesy Kena Betancur/Getty Images

How to Watch the 2026 New York City Marathon Online

If you don’t plan on finding yourself in the Big Apple on November 1, there’s still a way to catch the action and camaraderie live by streaming the New York City Marathon online. It will be broadcast on WABC-TV locally and on ESPN2 nationally; cable cutters, though, can tune in with the help of a few editor-recommended streaming platforms like DirecTV, Fubo, and Hulu + Live TV. All of them have free trials attached for watching the marathon without having to pay.

Here’s more to know.

EDITOR’S PICK

DirecTV

Get free trial here

– Starting at $59.99/month
– Five-day free trial
– Over 185 channels

ESPN2 is found in all of DirecTV’s main packages, from Entertainment to the well-rounded Premier that comes with over 185 channels. Thanks to the streamer’s generous, $30-off deal on new users’ first month of service, plans start at just $59.99 a month (for the aforementioned Entertainment option).

That being said, DirecTV is also providing a five-day free trial. Use it to stream the 2026 New York City Marathon online at no cost.

HUNDREDS OF OTHER CHANNELS

Fubo

get free trial here

– Starting at $63.99/month
– One-day free trial
– Over 200 channels

Another mode of watching the TCS New York City Marathon without cable involves signing up for Fubo’s free trial, which lasts a day. ESPN2 is included in its Pro and Elite channel bundles, which typically go for $88.99 and $98.99 per month but are also being marked down as we speak (to a first-month price of $63.99 and $68.99, respectively).

The best news is that ESPN Unlimited accompanies the subscription, granting expanded access to all ESPN content: meaning you can continue enjoying your favorite spectator sports long after the marathon is completed.

BEST FOR ENTERTAINMENT

Hulu + Live TV

get free trial here

– $99.99/month
– Three-day free trial
– Over 100 channels

Hulu + Live TV just revived its three-day free trial, so there’s no better time than now to get on board and start streaming. It carries both regular ESPN and ESPN2 for watching the NYC Marathon, not to mention over a hundred other popular channel selections like ABC, NBC, CNN, and Fox.

After the trial wraps up, Hulu + Live TV will clock in at $99.99 a month. Disney+ and Hulu’s entire portfolio of TV shows plus movies will also be yours to savor.

Professional Runners Competing in 2026 New York City Marathon

According to New York Road Runners, this year’s professional athlete field for the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon features “three defending champions, 40 Olympians and Paralympians, 25 Olympic, Paralympic, and World Championships medalists, and 22 national record holders.”

Defending champions Hellen Obiri, Benson Kipruto, and Marcel Hug will “return to headline the women’s open division and men’s open and wheelchair divisions,” joined by notable names like Sheila Chepkirui, Sifan Hassan, Geoffrey Kamworor, Abdi Nageeye, Daniel Romanchuk, and David Weir.

Nearly 60,000 participants are set to run the course this year, chosen from a pool of over 240,000 applicants as part of New York Road Runners’ highly competitive selection process. If history is any indication, they will be cheered on by approximately two million spectators, who can always be counted on to line the streets, handmade signs in tow, and support the athletes — until the very last runner crosses the finish line in Central Park.

Hellen Obiri of Kenya reacts after winning the Professional Women’s Open Division during the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon on November 2, 2025. Courtesy Ishika Samant/Getty Images

Celebrity Runners Competing in 2026 New York City Marathon

Each year, the NYC Marathon also attracts many an A-lister. 2026’s celebrity lineup includes Jennifer Connelly, Joshua Bassett, Antoni Porowski, Dylan Efron, Tiki Barber, Zarna Garg, Del Water Gap, and beyond. High-profile runners have also been known to register under fake names, and there’s speculation going around that Harry Styles will be among the throng, with his 30-night Madison Square Garden residency ending just a day earlier on October 31.

Anticipated Footwear Sightings at 2026 New York City Marathon

At the 2025 New York City Marathon, Obiri won the women’s race and set a course record while wearing the On Cloudboom Strike LS shoe. Kipruto, for this part, took home the men’s win in what was deemed the closest result for that category in marathon history: finishing 0.16 seconds faster than Alexander Mutiso Munyao. He had the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2 shoe on, which was also spotted on winners’ feet at marathons across Tokyo, London, Berlin, and Chicago last year.

Adidas Adios Pro Evo 2 Shoe

$444

Buy Now at farfetch

Only four sizes left in stock.

On November 1, we expect to see Obiri donning an On shoe yet again, given the fact that she is sponsored by the brand. The same logic applies to Kipruto, an Adidas athlete. Hassan, Kamworor, and Nageeye, meanwhile, wear gear from Nike, and Chepkirui is another Adidas-sponsored runner.

New Balance continues to be the athletic footwear sponsor of both the New York Road Runners and the TCS New York City Marathon. The New Balance FuelCell SC Elite v6 model is the official race-day super shoe for New Balance athletes at the 2026 NYC Marathon, and you can buy it online on New Balance’s site for $289.99.

New Balance TCS NYC Marathon SuperComp Elite v6 Shoe

$289.99

Buy Now at new balance

Adorned by official race branding.

Other anticipated footwear sightings during the grand event (called “the best day of the year, in the best city in the world” by New York Road Runners) span the re-engineered Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 from Adidas (dropping online on October 29 at 9:00 a.m. EST), Nike’s Alphafly 3 road-racing style, and Brooks’ carbon-plated Hyperion Elite 6 release.

Get inspired by the best of the best in running — and their sneaker choices — by watching the New York City Marathon on November 1, courtesy of DirecTV, Fubo, and Hulu + Live TV.

Why Trust Footwear News

For more than 75 years, Footwear News has been the shoe authority. Our coverage spans top industry news, retail trends, head-to-toe fashion, athletic and outdoor analysis, and more. Footwear News’ global network of editors has carefully curated all product selections featured using our expansive brand knowledge and thorough research to find quality, long-lasting items.

Why Trust WWD

Since 1910, WWD — often referred to as “the fashion bible” — has been the leading industry voice of authority for senior executives in the global women’s and men’s fashion, retail, and beauty communities, while also informing the consumer media that cover the market. Today, WWD’s breaking news and trend coverage continues to be a trustworthy resource for both fashion insiders and consumers alike. Our shopping editors uphold WWD’s editorial standards and values with quality, expert-backed product selections. Learn more about us here.

Meet the Author

Stacia Datskovska is a Senior Commerce Writer at WWD. Previously, she worked at ELLE DECOR as an assistant digital editor, covering all things luxury, culture, and lifestyle through a design lens. Her bylines over the past five years have appeared in USA Today, Baltimore Sun, Teen Vogue, Boston Globe, Food & Wine, and more. Prior to joining ELLE DECOR, Datskovska learned the ins and outs of e-commerce at Mashable, where she tested products, covered tentpole sales, and curated gift guide roundups. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and international relations. Datskovska regularly reports on annual sports happenings and how to stream them online for free.

WWD Recommends

Most Popular

WWD

Get all the top news stories and alerts straight to your inbox.

Enter your Email

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Where to Watch the 2026 New York City Marathon Online Without Cable

Recent Articles by Stacia Datskovska

In this article

View More

Related Articles

2026 New York City Marathon Details

How to Watch the 2026 New York City Marathon Online

DirecTV

Fubo

Hulu + Live TV

Professional Runners Competing in 2026 New York City Marathon

Celebrity Runners Competing in 2026 New York City Marathon

Anticipated Footwear Sightings at 2026 New York City Marathon

Adidas Adios Pro Evo 2 Shoe

New Balance TCS NYC Marathon SuperComp Elite v6 Shoe

Why Trust Footwear News

Why Trust WWD

Meet the Author

Tags

WWD Recommends

Ferran Torres Talks World Cup and That Hat

Most Popular