NYC Marathon average finish time by year
The 2026 race is on Sunday, 1 November 2026, so its results are not in yet. Here are the most recent years we could check against a published source. Times are hours:minutes:seconds.
| Year | Everyone | Men | Women | Non-binary | Finishers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4:32:25 | 4:18:55 | 4:48:11 | 4:43:59 | 59,226 |
| 2024 | 4:31:31 | 4:17:47 | 4:48:31 | 4:41:49 | 55,643 |
| 2022 | 4:50:26 | 4:39:30 | 5:04:06 | 4:56:38 | — |
Sources: 2025 from Marathon Handbook, 2024 from The Running Channel (2024 finisher count from Marathon Handbook), 2022 from Coach using official NYRR results. We did not find a reliable 2023 average, so it is left out.
Two things stand out. First, the average got faster after 2022 by about 18 minutes. Second, the field keeps growing: 59,226 people finished in 2025, the most in marathon history at the time, beating the 2025 London Marathon’s 56,640.
Average pace per mile and per km
The marathon is 26.2 miles (42.195 km). Here is what the average times look like as a pace, plus two popular goals:
| Finish time | Time | Per mile | Per km |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 average, everyone | 4:32:25 | 10:23 | 6:27 |
| 2025 average, men | 4:18:55 | 9:53 | 6:08 |
| 2025 average, women | 4:48:11 | 10:59 | 6:50 |
| Sub-4 goal | 4:00:00 | 9:09 | 5:41 |
| Sub-5 goal | 5:00:00 | 11:27 | 7:07 |
Want to test a different goal? Our pace calculator turns any finish time into a pace, and the marathon time calculator predicts your finish from a recent shorter race.
Training for a marathon?
Run&Grow is a free iPhone run tracker. Every training run grows a plant in your garden. Skip a week? Your garden waits.
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NYC Marathon median time by age (2024)
Averages hide a lot. An analysis of the 2024 results by Running with Rock looked at the middle finisher (the median) in each age group:
| Age group | Median finish time |
|---|---|
| Men 25–39 | just under 4:00 |
| Men 40–44 | just over 4:00 |
| Men, late 60s | about 5:00 |
| Women 20–29 | about 4:30 |
| Women 35–39 | about 4:40 |
| Women 45–49 | about 4:45 |
| Women, late 60s | about 5:30 |
The same analysis found that about 8% of 2024 finishers ran a Boston qualifying time, and the top 1% of young men finished in the 2:30s, with the top 1% of young women in the 2:50s. In 2024 the field was about 55% men and 45% women, and the 20–29 age groups were mostly women.
Is NYC slower than other marathons?
Yes. New York is known as one of the slowest World Marathon Majors. The course crosses five bridges, starting with the long climb up the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, and finishes with rolling hills in Central Park. Here is how its 2024 average compares with other big races, using The Running Channel’s data:
| Race (2024) | Average finish time |
|---|---|
| Boston Marathon | 3:53:05 |
| Melbourne Marathon | 4:01:10 |
| Sydney Marathon | 4:17:11 |
| Chicago Marathon | 4:20:01 |
| London Marathon | 4:27:30 |
| New York City Marathon | 4:31:31 |
| Marine Corps Marathon | 4:36:39 |
Boston is fastest because almost everyone has to run a qualifying time to enter. For UK and Australian readers: London’s 2024 average (4:27:30) was about 4 minutes quicker than New York, and Sydney (4:17:11) and Melbourne (4:01:10) were quicker still. The Running Channel puts a typical road marathon average at about 4:15 to 4:20. See our average marathon time page for the wider picture.
NYC Marathon records and 2025 winners
- Men’s course record: 2:04:58, Tamirat Tola (Ethiopia), 2023 (Canadian Running).
- Women’s course record: 2:19:51, Hellen Obiri (Kenya), 2 November 2025 (CBS New York).
- 2025 men’s winner: Benson Kipruto (Kenya), 2:08:09, in a photo finish with Alexander Mutiso less than a second behind.
For the fastest marathon times ever run, see our fastest marathon times list.
The 2026 NYC Marathon: what to know
- Date: Sunday, 1 November 2026, the 50th anniversary of the five-borough course (Marathon Handbook).
- Pro start times: women at 8:35 a.m. ET, men at 9:05 a.m. ET, on Staten Island.
- Defending champions: Benson Kipruto and Hellen Obiri are both on the start list.
- Official info: the NYRR race page has the course, waves and tracking.
Thinking about running it next year, or a shorter New York race first? Browse running events in New York, and check the average half marathon time by age if a half is your next step.
How to get to a “good” NYC Marathon time
Most people who finish in 4 to 5 hours did not do anything special. They ran three or four times a week for four months and did not stop. The hard part is the weeks when life gets busy. That is where a little motivation helps. In Run&Grow, every training run grows a plant in your garden, so you can see the months of work pile up. Runs from your Apple Watch or other apps count too, through Apple Health. And if you miss a week, nothing is lost. Your garden waits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the average NYC Marathon finish time?
- In 2025 the average finish time at the New York City Marathon was 4:32:25 for all finishers: 4:18:55 for men, 4:48:11 for women and 4:43:59 for non-binary runners. That is about 10:23 per mile, or 6:27 per kilometre.
- Is a 5-hour NYC Marathon time good?
- Yes, it is a solid finish. The average is around 4:30, and in 2024 the median for women in their late 60s was about 5:30. New York is also one of the slower big-city courses because of its bridges, so a 5-hour finish there is often worth a faster time on a flat course.
- What is the NYC Marathon course record?
- The men’s course record is 2:04:58 by Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia (2023). The women’s course record is 2:19:51 by Hellen Obiri of Kenya, set on 2 November 2025.
- When is the 2026 NYC Marathon?
- Sunday, 1 November 2026. It is the 50th anniversary of the five-borough course. The professional women start at 8:35 a.m. ET and the professional men at 9:05 a.m. ET on Staten Island.
- How many people finish the NYC Marathon?
- A record 59,226 people finished in 2025, the most in marathon history at the time, up from 55,643 in 2024.
Watch your training grow
Run&Grow turns every run into a plant, so 16 weeks of marathon training becomes a full garden. Free on iPhone, and it works with Apple Health.
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