NYC Marathon 2027: Lottery, Qualifying Times & Every Way to Enter

NYC Marathon 2027 at a Glance

The correct mental label for NYC entry is a system, not a lottery. The drawing is the front door, and it is almost always locked. The runners who get in plan two or three routes at once.

The 2026 race is still ahead of us, on Sunday, November 1, 2026. Everything below is about the November 7, 2027 race.

Want to run the 2027 NYC Marathon?

The general drawing application dates have not been announced yet. Here is what you can do now:

• Check whether you already qualify through an eligible 2026 NYRR race.
• Join NYRR before the membership deadline so you are eligible for the second-chance drawing.
• Research official charity partners and international tour operators.
• Bookmark the official NYRR entry page for application announcements.

When Does the NYC Marathon 2027 Lottery Open?

NYRR has not announced the 2027 general drawing dates yet. Do not trust any page that presents them as confirmed.

What we can tell you is the recent pattern. For the 2026 race, the application window ran February 4 to 25, 2026, and drawing day was March 4, 2026. If NYRR follows a similar calendar, expect the 2027 window to open in early 2027, a few months after this year's race.

We will update this guide the moment NYRR confirms the 2027 dates.

How to Apply for the NYC Marathon Lottery

The drawing costs nothing to enter, and the application takes a few minutes. The one decision worth making before the window opens is membership.

Step 1: Join NYRR before the membership eligibility deadline

NYRR members who are not selected in the main drawing are automatically entered into a member-only second-chance drawing. That is a second bite for the price of a membership.

The timing matters. To be eligible, your membership must be active by the day before the drawing application opens and stay active through drawing day. Joining after applications open, or just before the drawing, is too late. Since the 2027 dates are not announced yet, the safe move is to join now and keep your membership active.

Step 2: Create or update your NYRR account

Make sure your name, residency and payment details are current. NYRR charges the entry fee automatically if you are selected, so an expired card is a real risk.

Step 3: Apply during the window

When the 2027 window opens, apply through the official NYRR TCS New York City Marathon page. One application per person. Applying early does not improve your odds.

Step 4: Watch drawing day

On drawing day, acceptances roll out throughout the day. A charge for the full entry fee on your card is usually the first sign you are in.

Step 5: Have Plan B ready before drawing day

If you are not selected, charity teams and tour operators are the main remaining routes, and the good options move fast. Research them before drawing day, not after.

NYC Marathon Lottery Odds: How Hard Is It to Get In?

Very hard, and getting harder every year. NYRR said the 2026 drawing received more than 240,000 applications, a record and an increase of nearly 20 percent on 2025, and only around 1 percent of applicants were accepted through the general drawing.

NYC Marathon lottery acceptance rates by year

In two years, applications rose by roughly half and the acceptance rate fell by roughly three-quarters.

Why does the rate move every year? Because the drawing gets whatever is left after guaranteed entries, charity, tour operators and other programs are allocated. More applicants and the same leftover places mean lower odds.

The second-chance drawing is not the same number

For 2026, about 24,000 eligible NYRR members who missed the main drawing were entered into the member-only second-chance drawing, with up to 2 percent accepted. That 2 percent applies only to that smaller pool. It is not the overall lottery acceptance rate. For a member, the two drawings stack: a small chance in the main draw, then a second small chance.

Applications are not people competing for drawing places

The 240,000 figure counts applications to the general drawing. It does not mean 240,000 people were competing for every place in the field. Most of the roughly 50,000-plus starting spots go to guaranteed routes.

Every Way to Get Guaranteed Entry

The biggest structural distinction in the NYC system is this:

• NYRR race qualifiers: hit the standard at an eligible NYRR race and you get guaranteed non-complimentary entry.
• Non-NYRR race qualifiers: you can apply with an eligible marathon time, but entry is not guaranteed if demand exceeds available places.

That is the part many runners miss. A qualifier from an NYRR race and a qualifier from a non-NYRR race do not function the same way.

Time qualification through NYRR races

Best for: faster runners who can target an eligible NYRR race

NYRR's policy says runners who meet the time standard at an eligible NYRR race receive guaranteed non-complimentary entry. Eligible races include NYRR half marathons such as the United Airlines NYC Half and RBC Brooklyn Half, plus the NYC Marathon itself. This is one of the cleanest routes in the system: the times are already in NYRR's system, half-marathon times count, and the route is guaranteed, not competitive.

Time qualification through non-NYRR races

Best for: very fast marathoners who cannot use NYRR races

This is where a lot of runners get burned. You can apply with a time from a non-NYRR full marathon, but only marathon times count, and acceptance becomes fastest-first when demand exceeds places. For 2026, demand exceeded places by a wide margin. More on that in the qualifying times section.

Team for Kids

Best for: runners who want NYRR's flagship fundraising route

Team for Kids is NYRR's own fundraising team and a major guaranteed-entry path. For the 2025 cycle, NYRR said Team for Kids runners committed to a $3,000 fundraising minimum, plus a $107 sign-up fee, plus the marathon registration fee. Team for Kids usually opens earlier than many charity options, so you can lock in a strategy before drawing day.

Philanthropic Membership

Best for: runners who want a direct guaranteed route and are comfortable paying for it

NYRR says Philanthropic Members at the 5K and 10K level receive guaranteed entry to the marathon, along with VIP hospitality and other marquee-race benefits. This is not the cheapest route. It may be the simplest.

Team for Climate

Best for: runners who want a guaranteed path linked to sustainability fundraising

NYRR said the 2025 Team for Climate route required a $3,000 fundraising goal, a $150 non-refundable sign-up fee and the race registration fee. Applications for the 2026 race opened in April 2026. It often gets left out of entry roundups, but it is a real guaranteed route.

Virtual guaranteed entry

Best for: runners anywhere who want a structured next-year route

NYRR's virtual marathon has included a Guaranteed Entry tier that, when completed, earns guaranteed non-complimentary entry to the following year's in-person race. Capacity has been limited. Check NYRR's virtual race page for the current year's tiers before counting on it.

15+ finisher legacy entry

Best for: longtime NYC Marathon finishers

Runners who complete their 15th New York City Marathon become eligible for guaranteed non-complimentary entry in future years.

Cancellation carryover

Best for: runners who entered and canceled correctly the prior year

Runners who cancel through NYRR's official cancellation process may be eligible for guaranteed entry the following year. Some routes, including Team for Climate, have route-specific rules. Simply not showing up is not the same thing as canceling.

NYC Marathon 2027 Qualifying Times

Qualifying times are based on your age on race day, not your age when you ran the qualifier. For the 2027 race, NYRR says qualifying performances must be achieved in 2026. The table below shows NYRR's currently published standards. We will update it if NYRR changes them for 2027. Half-marathon standards in brackets apply only to eligible NYRR half marathons.

How each route uses these times

• Eligible NYRR race result: meet the standard and entry is guaranteed. Marathon or half marathon.
• Non-NYRR marathon result: you may apply, but entry is limited and fastest-first. Half marathons from non-NYRR races are not accepted.

The number serious runners need to know

For the 2026 race, NYRR accepted only the top 10 percent of non-NYRR marathon time qualifiers. Accepted runners had to be at least 22 minutes and 52 seconds faster than their published standard. For the 2025 race, the margin was more than 13 minutes.

Put that in real terms: a 35–39-year-old man with a published 2:55 standard would have needed approximately 2:32:08 to clear a cutoff 22 minutes and 52 seconds faster than that standard. That is not a qualifying time. That is a sub-elite time.

The 2026 cutoff does not predict the 2027 cutoff. It depends on how many non-NYRR qualifiers apply and how many places NYRR makes available, and it has swung by roughly ten minutes in a single year.

NYRR 9+1 Program: Major Changes for 2027

9+1 has been the go-to guaranteed route for local runners for years. In August 2026, NYRR restructured it. If you are planning on 9+1, this is the most important section in this guide.

What has not changed

If you are completing 9+1 during 2026, nothing changes for you. Finish nine qualifying races and one volunteer opportunity in 2026, keep your membership active, and you still earn guaranteed non-complimentary entry to the 2027 marathon.

What changed for the 2027 program year

Three things to understand:

1. 9+1 no longer earns 2027 entry for new participants. The first pass drawing covers the 2027 program year, which leads to the 2028 race.
2. The $99 pass is on top of everything else. It is separate from membership dues, the entry fees for the nine races and the eventual marathon entry fee.
3. The pass is designed to make the races easier to get into. NYRR says Passholders get a dedicated race selection process, and all members now get advance registration for most non-drawing races two days before the public, starting October 14, 2026. NYRR also eliminated its Member Plus tier.

NYRR has also said it will reserve complimentary passes for participants in its Race Free program and a dedicated allotment for runners nearing Streaker or 15+ finisher status.

For the full breakdown, read NYC Marathon 9+1 Changes for 2027: New Lottery, $99 Fee & How It Works.

What this means for your strategy

If you did not secure a 2027 9+1 Pass, you generally cannot use the standard 2027 9+1 program to earn guaranteed entry into the 2028 marathon. Expect the next eligibility drawing in fall 2027, for the 2029 race, though NYRR has not confirmed future dates. For everyone else, the drawing, an NYRR time qualifier, charity and the other routes above are unchanged.

Charity Entry and Fundraising Requirements

Best for: runners who want a structured guaranteed path and can fundraise

NYRR's Official Charity Partner Program gives partner charities blocks of guaranteed entries. Each charity must set a fundraising minimum of at least $3,000 per runner, and many ask for more. For 2026, NYRR said the program included 670 charities, the most in the race's history.

In practical terms, charity is one of the most accessible guaranteed routes for runners who do not live in New York and do not have qualifying times. Remember that the race entry fee is usually paid on top of the fundraising commitment.

The biggest mistake is waiting too long. Many teams keep interest lists for the next year well before drawing day, and the strongest opportunities fill fast once drawing results come out.

International Tour Operators

Best for: international runners who want certainty

NYRR offers guaranteed-entry packages through official International Tour Operators for runners who are not full-time U.S. residents. Packages bundle race entry with travel and hotel.

This is usually the cleanest route for international runners who do not want to gamble on the drawing or fundraise through a U.S. charity. It looks expensive next to the entry fee alone, but compare it with entry plus four nights in Midtown, not entry alone. Only book through operators on NYRR's official list.

What If You Don't Get Selected?

If you live in New York City or nearby

If you won a 9+1 Pass, protect it: register for races the moment they open and do not leave the volunteer shift for the fall. Enter the drawing anyway. If you are fast enough, target an eligible NYRR half or full and qualify directly.

If you live elsewhere in the U.S.

Become an NYRR member before entering the drawing so you also get the second-chance draw. Then decide whether your better second track is charity, Team for Kids, Team for Climate or the virtual guaranteed-entry tier. If you are fast, a trip to an NYRR half marathon beats a non-NYRR marathon qualifier by a mile.

If you live outside the U.S.

Enter the drawing, check tour operators early, and decide whether charity or the virtual guaranteed-entry route fits your budget and timeline better.

Do not buy a bib

NYRR prohibits transferring or selling entries. Running on someone else's bib can get you disqualified and banned. Not worth it.

NYC Marathon Entry Fees

NYRR has not announced 2027 entry fees. For the 2026 race, reported fees were $269.66 for NYRR members and $333.11 for non-members, with higher fees for international entrants. Expect 2027 fees to be similar or slightly higher.

When to Start Training for NYC 2027

NYC is not a flat PR course. Five bridges, the Queensboro climb into Manhattan, the long First Avenue drag and the rolling final miles through Central Park all reward runners who train for hills and pace with restraint.

For the November 7, 2027 race:

• 18-week plan begins Monday, July 5, 2027
• 16-week plan begins Monday, July 19, 2027

That puts your marathon-specific block squarely in July and August heat. Use it to learn your sweat rate and fueling, and add bridge-style climbs to your long runs.

Read our complete NYC Marathon training guide for a borough-by-borough course breakdown, bridge pacing and Central Park strategy.

Use the marathon pacing calculator →

Plan your race-day fueling →

FAQ

When is the 2027 NYC Marathon?

The 2027 TCS New York City Marathon is on Sunday, November 7, 2027.

When does the NYC Marathon 2027 lottery open?

NYRR has not announced the 2027 dates. For the 2026 race, applications ran February 4 to 25, 2026, with drawing day on March 4, 2026.

What are the odds of getting into the NYC Marathon through the drawing?

For the 2026 race, NYRR said the drawing received more than 240,000 applications and only around 1 percent were accepted. Members who missed out were entered into a second-chance drawing that accepted up to 2 percent of that smaller pool.

What are the NYC Marathon qualifying times?

Marathon standards range from 2:53 for men and 3:13 for women and non-binary runners aged 18 to 34, to 4:55 for men and 6:35 for women and non-binary runners aged 80 and over. Half-marathon standards apply only to eligible NYRR races.

Is a non-NYRR qualifying time guaranteed?

No. Non-NYRR marathon qualifiers compete for limited places on a fastest-first basis. For 2026, accepted runners needed to be at least 22:52 under their standard.

Can I qualify for NYC with a half marathon?

Yes, but only at an eligible NYRR half marathon. Non-NYRR qualifiers must use a full marathon time.

What changed with 9+1 for 2027?

Starting with the 2027 program year, members must be selected in a free 9+1 eligibility drawing and pay $99 for a 9+1 Pass. Completing nine races and one volunteer opportunity in 2027 earns guaranteed entry to the 2028 marathon. Runners completing 9+1 in 2026 are unaffected and still earn 2027 entry.

How much do NYC Marathon charity runners need to raise?

NYRR requires charity partners to set a minimum of at least $3,000 per runner. Individual charities may require more, and the entry fee is usually paid separately.

What is the difference between Team for Kids and regular charity entry?

Team for Kids is NYRR's own fundraising team, with its own sign-up fee, fundraising minimum and support structure. Other charity partners set their own application process and minimums.

Are there NYC Marathon routes most people miss?

Yes. Philanthropic Membership, Team for Climate, virtual guaranteed entry and the difference between NYRR and non-NYRR time qualification are the most overlooked.