The New York City Marathon is among the city’s largest events. New York Road Runners is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the five-borough course this year. It debuted on Oct. 24, 1976. This year’s race is set for Sunday, Nov. 1, kicking off on Staten Island at 8 a.m. The scale of this event results in frequent road closures and other inconveniences for neighborhoods and local businesses alike.
And now, for the first time in 15 years, the New York City Marathon will take a slightly different path through the Bronx this year, changing course. This change is one that is being made with the intention of minimizing the race’s impact on the Bronx as a whole. The Bronx has grown and changed over the past 50 years and is growing and changing more and more. Spokespeople for the New York City Marathon are stating the newly established route will and should help improve access and impact on the local businesses that are located all throughout the Bronx.
These changes have come after a long assessment of the Bronx section of the Marathon and conversations with many local stakeholders; the board landed on two concepts and presented them to the city for consideration, resulting in this update announced this Tuesday.
Much of the South Bronx route will be much the same as years prior. Runners will still enter the borough by crossing over the Willis Avenue Bridge. They’ll then make a left onto East 135th Street and then a right on Alexander Avenue, as they always have.
The changes come into play since instead of heading left on East 138th Street, they’ll continue up Alexander Avenue and take a left on East 141st Street. From there, they’ll take a left on Third Avenue and a right onto East 138th Street, where they’ll continue into Manhattan via the Madison Avenue Bridge.
Many business owners and property owners in the Bronx have claimed the new route as a notable but welcome change to the community and borough.
