How to watch the New York Marathon: live stream the 2023 race online

Three Pro Women's Open Division winners pose on the New York Marathon finish line with national flags.
(Image credit: Bryan Bedder/New York Road Runners via Getty Images)

The New York Marathon – the biggest marathon in the world and the last of the annual big six races – takes place on Sunday, November 5. The Big Apple will play host to elite athletes from all over the world plus 50,000 amateur runners. 

In some parts of the world, you can watch the New York Marathon 2023 for free, including in the US using various local channels. But don't worry if you're away while the race is taking place, because you can watch the New York Marathon 2023 live streams from anywhere with a VPN.

Quick links

Time: 8 am ET / 5 am PT / 1 pm UK / 11 pm AEDT

US: ESPN2 via Sling TV | ABC 7 New York App (free)
UK:
Discovery+
AU: Kayo Sports
FREE: RTVE (Spain) | RaiPlay (Italy) | L'Equipe TV (France)
How to watch from anywhere

The final of the six World Marathon Majors, New York’s first marathon took place in 1970 and saw just 127 runners on the start line and only 55 complete the race. This year there is expected to be as many as 50,000 tackle the 26.2 mile course that runs through all five boroughs of New York City. 

Starting in Staten Island, elite and amateur runners will cross five bridges and pass by some of the most iconic sites in the city before finishing in Central Park. The entire way they will be cheered along by huge crowds that create a real party atmosphere. 

This year the weather is set to be much milder than in 2022 when it was unseasonably warm, which should help the elite runners who will be looking to post a fast time. Four world records have been set on the course, all by women, including a remarkable three in a row by Norway’s Grete Waitz. 

Attempting to set a new benchmark this year will be defending champion Sharon Lokedi, Olympic gold medalist Peres Jepchirchir and previous world record holder Brigid Kosgei. In the men’s race, the Ethiopian duo of Tamirat Tola and Amedework Walelegn could well be battling for the title. 

How to watch the New York Marathon for free

Good news: there are lots of watch to tune into this year's 2023 NY Marathon without paying a penny (if you are luck enough to live in the right country, that is).

The race is being live streamed for FREE on the ABC 7 New York App in the U.S., on L'Equipe TV in France, via the RaiPlay streaming service in Italy and on RTVE in Spain. 

Viewers travelling outside those countries can use a VPN to access their local stream from anywhere. 

How to watch the New York Marathon in the US

The New York Marathon will be airing locally on WABC-TV, Channel 7. You can also live stream the marathon on the ABC 7 New York App and ABC7NY.com

Want alternatives? Don't worry, there are other options. National coverage across the US is being provided on ESPN2. The broadcast will also be available live in Spanish on ESPN3. 

How to watch New York Marathon without cable

If you don't have the channel as part of a TV package, there are plenty of other ways to live stream the New York Marathon without cable.

Sling TV includes the ESPN channels in its Orange plan, which normally costs $40 per month, but if you're new to the service you can get your first month half-price.

A more comprehensive (but more expensive) option is Fubo, which includes ESPN 2 and a whole host more channels than Sling. Prices start at $74.99 a month after a FREE Fubo trial.

How to watch the New York Marathon in the UK

Viewers in the UK can watch the 2023 New York Marathon on Eurosport and its streaming arm Discovery+

Discovery+ coverage gets underway at 2.30 pm GMT on Sunday afternoon. 

A Discovery+ subscription costs £6.99 per month or £59.99 for the year, and allows you to tune in on a wide range of devices, as well as the Eurosport TV channels. 

How to watch the New York Marathon 2023 everywhere else

If you're going to be away from your normal TV setup but still want to watch the New York Maraton, you might run into some problems. Thankfully, you can solve this exact issue with a Virtual Private Network (VPN). 

A VPN lets you change your IP address to that of the area of what you want to watch, meaning you can tune in to your favorite shows, sports or other content even if you're not there. Our favorite is ExpressVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar.

How to use a VPN to watch any stream

ExpressVPN
$12.95 at ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is one of the simplest and most affordable ways to watch what you want from anywhere you want to watch it. 

It's straightforward and easy to use, has great security, is available on loads of streaming devices and, best of all, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out 100% risk-free.

What time does the 2023 NY Marathon start?

So when does the race start? Here are the timings, converted into different time zones:

  • Wheelchair: 8 am ET / 5 am PT / 1 pm UK
  • Handcycle : 8:22 am ET / 5:22 am PT / 1.22 pm UK
  • Professional women: 8:40 am ET / 5:40 am PT / 1.40 pm UK
  • Professional men: 9:05 am ET / 6:05 am PT / 2.05 pm UK
  • Wave 1: 9:10 am ET / 6:10 am PT / 2.10 pm UK
  • Wave 2: 9:45 am ET / 6:45 am PT / 2.45 pm UK
  • Wave 3: 10:20 am ET / 7:20 am PT / 3.20 pm UK
  • Wave 4: 10:55 am ET / 7:55 am PT / 3.55 pm UK
  • Wave 5: 11:30 am ET / 8:30 am PT / 4.30 pm UK
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Adrian Back
Contributor

Adrian is a freelance journalist and copywriter based in the UK. He’s written about sport for a wide range of publications including World Soccer Magazine, Newsweek, Yahoo and FourFourTwo. Having covered everything from the NBA Finals and French Open to the London Olympics and F1 in Abu Dhabi, his great passion remains football – a sport he could write and talk about all day long.