The TCS New York City Marathon has made a name for itself by shattering records. In 2024, the race became the world’s largest marathon, with more than 55,000 runners crossing the finish line in Central Park. To kick off 2025, the race has again smashed another record, receiving 200,000 applications for its marathon lottery—a massive 22 per cent increase over last year.
New York Road Runners (NYRR), the race organizers, said runners from more than 150 countries have applied in hopes of getting into the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon. The applicants will find out by the end of the week whether they’ve secured a coveted spot.
The moment you’ve been waiting for—Drawing Day for the #TCSNYCMarathon is tomorrow, March 5! 🎉 Here’s how you’ll know if you’re in:
Good luck to all runners! 🤞🏃
Learn more: https://t.co/CC1onX5XnW pic.twitter.com/r7i4xEswru
— TCS New York City Marathon (@nycmarathon) March 4, 2025
There are about half a dozen ways to qualify for the New York City Marathon, with the most common being through running a time qualifier within the window. If you don’t have the time qualifier, there are ways to run the race through NYRR’s various programs, including the 9+1 (race) program and their virtual racing series.
Entering the general entry lottery and hoping to be selected is the method that receives the most applicants each year, but the number of runners who get in is slim. This year’s applicants submitted their lottery entries during a two-week registration period from Feb. 11 to 25. NYRR says only 6,000 runners will be accepted via the lottery process, meaning only three per cent of applicants.
New York runner receives marathon rejection email–with his face on it
With limited spots, even runners who’ve hit the time qualifier aren’t guaranteed entry. NYRR says they’ve had to adjust their time qualifier standard, accepting only the top 25 per cent of marathon qualifiers—meaning athletes had to run at least 13 minutes and 20 seconds faster than their initial qualifying time. For women aged 18-35, you would have had to run sub-three hours to get into New York for 2025—standards even tougher than the Boston Marathon.
The 26.2-mile journey through all five NYC boroughs is a bucket-list event for many, and this year marks the race’s 54th edition. Last year, the race made history with 55,643 finishers, officially becoming the largest marathon ever. The race also saw its first European champion, Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands, who broke the tape in Central Park in 2:07:39.
For those who don’t secure a spot through the drawing, all hope is not lost. You can still gain entry through charity partnerships, the NYRR Team for Climate, the NYRR member-only second chance draw or an international tour operator. But if you are one of the 200,000 runners sweating your application, may luck be on your side!
