As New York City counts down to Marathon Sunday, a new interactive exhibit at Grand Central Terminal is giving commuters and visitors a chance to experience the race route while celebrating a major milestone for the event.
The activation, which opened Tuesday in Vanderbilt Hall, marks the 50th anniversary of the New York City Marathon course running through all five boroughs.
Organizers say 1976 was the first year the marathon expanded beyond Central Park and into all five boroughs.
Eyewitness News toured the exhibit, which allows visitors to follow a replica of the marathon route, beginning at the Verrazzano Bridge on Staten Island and continuing through Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan, where the race finishes.
Organizers said about 60,000 runners are expected to take part in Sunday's marathon, while an estimated two million people will participate as spectators and supporters along the route.
New York Road Runners CEO Rob Simmelkjaer said the event brings together residents and visitors in a way few other occasions can.
"It's funny, people don't always think of New Yorkers as like warm and fuzzy, right? But on marathon day, millions of us come out to cheer on friends, family, but also total strangers. People from all around the world are all the stars of the show on marathon Sunday. And I think it's the day that unites our city, because every New Yorker respects and loves the marathon and wants to see these runners succeed," Simmelkjaer said.
The exhibit will remain open through Friday, giving visitors an opportunity to walk the simulated course and learn more about the marathon and its participants before Sunday's race.
The 2026 TCS New York City Marathon takes place on Sunday, November 1. Coverage on Channel 7 and wherever you stream ABC 7 New York begins with pre-race coverage, Marathon Sunday, at 7:00 a.m. Live coverage of Sunday's marathon begins at 8:00 a.m. only on Channel 7 and ESPN2.
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