The NYC Marathon is here. Your guide to following along with 50,000 runners from home

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York City Marathon is Sunday, with more than 50,000 runners from over 150 countries expected to start the race. The winner of the men's and women's division will each earn $100,000.

Here's a guide for the NYC Marathon, which starts in Staten Island and ends in Central Park.

Who is in the NYC Marathon elite field?

The field for the marathon is stacked, with defending champions Tamirat Tola and Hellen Obiri leading the way. They are aiming to become the first repeat winners in nearly a decade. Tola set the course record last year. He's trying to become the first male runner to win both an Olympic gold medal and the NYC Marathon in the same year. Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya accomplished that feat on the women's side in 2021.

To defend his title on his favorite course, he’ll have to beat a stellar field that includes past winners Geoffrey Kamworor (2017, 2019), Albert Korir (2021) and Evans Chebet (2022), all from Kenya.

Obiri will need to beat her own loaded field to repeat. Other past champions in Sunday’s race include Sharon Lokedi (2022) and Edna Kiplagat (2010), both of Kenya. American standouts Dakotah Popehn and Jenny Simpson also are running.

How to watch and track runners in the race?

The New York Road Runners has an app that can be downloaded to track runners and stay up-to-date on events. There's also live results available. The marathon will be broadcast at 8 a.m. ET on ESPN2.

What is the NYC Marathon route?

The 26.2-mile course takes runners through all five boroughs of New York, starting in Staten Island and ending in Central Park. This is the 48th year the race has been in all five boroughs. Before that, the route was completely in Central Park when it began in 1970. The first race had only 55 finishers while last year more than 50,000 completed the event.

When does the marathon start?

The professional wheelchair races starts at 8 a.m. ET, with the pro women's division beginning 35 minutes later. The men's pro race starts at 9:05 a.m., when the temperature is expected around 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Then comes five waves of runners, with the last wave beginning at 11:30 a.m. The official cutoff time to finish the race is 10:00 p.m.

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports