Men's standards
Women's and non-binary standards
NYRR publishes identical times for the women's and non-binary categories. The gender category your qualifying result is posted under determines which standard you must meet.
The rules people get wrong
1. NYRR qualifier vs. non-NYRR qualifier
Hit the standard at an eligible NYRR race (United Airlines NYC Half, Maybelline Women's Half, RBC Brooklyn Half, Staten Island Half, TCS New York City Marathon) and your entry is guaranteed — you just claim it. Hit it at any other certified marathon and you're applying to a limited pool; if it oversubscribes, only the fastest in each age and gender category get in.
2. Halves only count at NYRR races
A 1:21 at a local half does nothing for a NYC application. The same time at the RBC Brooklyn Half is guaranteed entry.
3. Chip time, certified course
Net time only. The course must be certified by USATF, AIMS, World Athletics or a national governing body, and the result must be verifiable online. Strava and watch files are not accepted.
4. Age is race-day age
Standards use your age on 7 November 2027, not your age when you ran the qualifier.
5. Indoor, virtual and multisport splits don't count
Only road full marathons (and NYRR halves) inside the qualifying window are considered.
NYC vs. Boston
The two standards are close but not interchangeable. NYC is faster at the open end and more forgiving in the masters bands; Boston applies a rolling cut-off below its published standard, while NYC caps the non-NYRR pool instead. Practical translation: in both cases, aim several minutes under the number.
How to train for an NYC standard
Pick a fast, flat qualifier inside the window — NYC itself is a net-slow course, so chasing your standard on the five bridges is the hard way. Anchor every pace to a current race result rather than a goal, then rebuild the paces every four to six weeks as fitness moves.
- ✓ 80% of weekly volume genuinely easy — conversational, not "comfortably hard"
- ✓ One threshold session per week to lift the pace you can hold aerobically
- ✓ Goal-pace segments inside long runs from week 8, with race-day fuelling rehearsed
- ✓ Target several minutes under your standard — a squeaker at a non-NYRR race can still miss the pool
Frequently asked
What is the NYC Marathon qualifying time?
NYRR grades standards by age and gender. For the 2027 TCS New York City Marathon the open standards are 2:53:00 (men) and 3:13:00 (women and non-binary) in the 18–34 band, easing with age up to 4:55:00 / 6:35:00 at 80+. Times must be net (chip) time from a certified course run inside the 1 January – 31 December 2026 window.
Does a half marathon count for NYC Marathon qualification?
Only if you run it at an NYRR half marathon. A qualifying half at the United Airlines NYC Half, Maybelline Women's Half, RBC Brooklyn Half or Staten Island Half earns guaranteed entry. Half-marathon times from non-NYRR races are not accepted — those applications need a full marathon time.
Is hitting the NYC standard guaranteed entry?
It depends where you ran it. A qualifying time at an eligible NYRR race is guaranteed (non-complimentary) entry, claimed during the claim window. A qualifying time at a non-NYRR marathon goes into a limited pool — if applications exceed spots, NYRR takes the fastest times in each age and gender category and the rest drop into the general drawing.
Is NYC harder to qualify for than Boston?
At the front of the field, yes. The NYC open men's standard of 2:53:00 is faster than the Boston standard for the same band, and the NYC women's standard of 3:13:00 is also tighter. Boston applies a rolling cut-off below the published standard; NYC caps non-NYRR qualifiers instead. Both reward the same thing: a cushion, not a squeaker.
What age do the NYC standards use?
Your age on race day — 7 November 2027 for the 2027 race — not your age at the qualifying race. If you age up into a new band before the marathon, you get the easier standard.
What are the other ways into the NYC Marathon?
The non-guaranteed drawing, the 9+1 program (nine qualifying NYRR races plus one volunteer shift in the prior year), official charity partners, international tour operators, virtual-race guaranteed entry, and the three-strikes drawing rule. Time qualifying is the fastest route if you already have the fitness.
Want a plan built around your standard?
12× Boston qualifier, RRCA/USAT certified, Boston-based and working with athletes worldwide. Bring your age group and target race — we'll build back from the time.