50 years later, New York City Marathon scales from 2,000 to 60,000 runners

About 60,000 runners will start the New York City Marathon this Sunday, nearly 30 times the number who competed when the race first covered all five boroughs. In 1976, the field consisted of just over 2,000 participants, including 88 women. This year, women will make up nearly half of the starters.

The event began in 1970 as a loop course inside Central Park. For the first six years, runners stayed within the park boundaries. Organizers moved the race to the five-borough route in 1976 to coincide with the U.S. Bicentennial and to support the city during a difficult economic period. That change established the format used for the next half-century.

Bill Rodgers, who won the race from 1976 to 1979, recalled the shift from the park to the open streets. He noted that the first Verrazzano Bridge start felt intense and different from the familiar Central Park loops. Rodgers said the sport evolved globally that day, with competition becoming far more international than it was in the late 1970s.

Runners from more than 140 countries will compete this year. Defending champion Benson Kipruto of Kenya returns after winning by three hundredths of a second last year. Kipruto has replayed that finish multiple times, calling the close race a cinematic moment. Two-time champion Hellen Obiri of Kenya also competes, aiming to defend the title she secured last year with a course record of 2 hours, 19 minutes, and 51 seconds.

The race route includes a minor adjustment for the first time in 15 years. In the Bronx, runners will take a slightly different path at Mile 20. This change reduces the number of turns in that section from seven to five and eases street closures for local residents.

Wheelchair racing also features high-profile competitors. Susannah Scaroni, the two-time defending champion, seeks a third consecutive title roughly three months after giving birth to her first child. Tatyana McFadden, who is pursuing her sixth New York title and 25th overall victory, expressed support for Scaroni's return to competition.

Local runner Dana Smolin, competing for her fourth time, cited the city-wide cheering crowds as a defining feature of the event. She noted that the 50th anniversary of the five-borough course makes this year particularly special for participants who have watched the race their entire lives.