Who will win this year’s New York City Marathon?
Who will win this year’s New York City Marathon?
It’s the 50th anniversary of the famed race, and we’ll explain how to stream it live here.
Runners from around the world are headed to the Big Apple for the 2026 New York City Marathon, which will be run at 8 a.m. ET on ESPN2 nationally and on ABC 7 in New York City. Viewers will be able to watch live coverage of the race from start to finish, with a talented array of veteran track and field reporters and commentators pitching in. While there are multiple ways to watch ABC 7 in New York, we recommend watching the 2026 New York City Marathon with a five-day free trial to DIRECTV. You can also watch with a subscription to ESPN Unlimited.
How to watch the 2026 New York City Marathon
- When: Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, at 8 a.m. ET
- TV: ESPN2 nationally, ABC 7 in New York
- Stream: Watch with a five-day free trial to DIRECTV or on ESPN Unlimited.
- From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.
Everything you need to know about the 2026 New York City Marathon
When does the 2026 New York City Marathon begin?
The broadcast of the 2026 New York City Marathon will air on ESPN2 from 8 to 11:30 a.m. ET, with pre-race coverage starting on the ESPN App at 7 a.m., and continuing coverage through 1 p.m.
Locally, the race will be available on ABC 7 from 8 a.m. through 1 p.m., with pre-race coverage starting at 7 p.m. The ABC 7 New York App will offer coverage, and ABC7NY.com will have a dedicated view of the finish line from 10:30 a.m. through 6 p.m.
Why do we recommend watching the 2026 New York City Marathon on DIRECTV?
When it comes to offering the most channels in streaming, every live TV streaming service is chasing DIRECTV. The platform offers the most of The Streamable’s top 35 cable channels, so if you are looking for a breadth of programming options, DIRECTV is a surefire hit. In addition, the streamer has the industry’s best guaranteed free trial. While others can roll out longer options depending on what time of year it is and what qualifications you meet as a customer, DIRECTV offers a five-day trial to all new users. So, if you are specifically looking to watch the Rays vs. Brewers game, this is the option that makes the most sense.
But DIRECTV is able to offer an even more compelling package of channels for sports fans. In 2025, DIRECTV launched its Genre Packs that allow people to pick curated channel lineups around central themes and genres, and for sports fans, that means the MySports Pack.
The MySports plan runs $65 a month after the aforementioned five-day free trial, which gives you a way to check out everything that it has to offer before having to pay a penny. However, currently, you can also save an additional $15 off your first month, so you will only pay $50 for the first 30 days of the season.
You’ll also get a bunch of great sports channels with MySports, including ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, FS1, FS2, Golf Channel, MLB Network, NBA TV, NFL Network, NHL Network, SEC Network, TBS, TNT, and USA Network, and depending on your market, ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC.
These channels bring you an incredible selection of games from across pro and college sports, oh, and MySports also comes with a free ESPN Unlimited subscription. Pretty solid. All these channels and features are available for just $65, which is why it’s our favorite way to watch.
DIRECTV
DIRECTV is one of The Streamable’s top choices for the best live TV streaming service overall in 2026, especially for users who want the most channels or want to watch the most live sports. With an unbeatable lineup of local, news, sports, and entertainment channels, three main signature packages, an unlimited DVR, and 20 simultaneous streams at home, DIRECTV remains a premier choice for any cord-cutter.
Can you watch the 2026 New York City Marathon for free?
If you are just looking for a streaming service to watch this race and nothing else, there are options available for you. We already mentioned DIRECTV’s industry-leading guaranteed option, but Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, and YouTube TV all offer free trials as well, but they vary in length, so be wary. DIRECTV’s trial runs for five days, while Hulu + Live TV’s is a solid three days.
Those are pretty straightforward, but when it comes to the sports-minded streamer Fubo, things can get a little complicated. As The Streamable’s expert David Satin discovered when signing up for the service, figuring out how long Fubo’s trial is — even as you are signing up — can be a bit difficult. Nonetheless, it will be at least one day, with the potential to be as many as seven, depending on a wide range of factors that Fubo does not share publicly.
The YouTube TV trial is said to be “up to two weeks,” but can be as short as two days. So it is difficult to ascertain what you are actually getting before you go through the sign-up process.
If you are looking to watch the race for free, I would recommend DIRECTV, because that streamer has the longest guaranteed free trial and gives you the best channel options.
| DIRECTV | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube TV | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Save with Sling | Free Trial | |||||
| $20.99 | $9.99 | $28.99 | $25 | $19.99 | $29.99 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $64.99 | ||
| ABC | + $24 | + $59 | + $61 | - | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| ESPN2 | + $24 | + $59 | + $61 | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
What streamers will carry the 2026 New York City Marathon?
Fortunately for race fans, there are six different streaming services that will stream the marathon, so you have options to choose from if you don’t already subscribe to any of them. We discussed the free trial options above, and Sling TV will also carry ESPN2 across the country and ABC in select markets, but there is one more, and it offers a different type of streaming arrangement.
Last fall, the worldwide leader in sports launched a first-of-its-kind streaming service. The standalone ESPN Unlimited direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming service is the home to everything available on ESPN’s linear channels as well as everything that was previously found on ESPN+. The Unlimited tier of the service runs $30 per month, but is available in various bundles to make it even more affordable.
ESPN Unlimited
ESPN launched its highly anticipated direct-to-consumer streaming service on August 21, 2025. For the first time, this service gives sports fans access to its full lineup of linear channels without a traditional cable or satellite subscription.
Preview the 2026 New York City Marathon course
How to watch the 2026 New York City Marathon from anywhere
If you’ll be away from home and can’t watch the 2026 New York City Marathon as you normally would, you can still catch all of the action no matter where you are in the world with a VPN. A VPN can be used on your phone, tablet, or computer and make you appear to be back home — even when you’re not — making sure you feel at home no matter where you are. A VPN is a safe and secure way to stay protected online while streaming your favorite sports, movies, and shows on the go. Keep in mind that you will still need to be subscribed to ESPN Unlimited or a live TV streaming service in order to stream the show with a VPN.
NordVPN is one of the best providers around, at one of the best prices. Currently, you can get two full years of protection for just $3.59 per month — plus you’ll get three extra months FREE. A high-speed VPN with best-in-class security that can be used on up to 10 devices at once — what more could you ask for? Simply sign up, install the software on your device of choice, and start streaming just as you would back home. It couldn’t be easier!
While NordVPN is our recommendation for the best VPN to use while you are traveling, there are a number of other high-quality options available depending on what you are looking for.
- Best Features: ExpressVPN | Starting at $5 per month
- Best Budget Option: Surfshark | Starting at $2.50 per month
- Best Free Option: Proton VPN | Free plan available
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