From it's unhearalded start in 1970, the New York City Marathon has grown into an international event. Run through the heart of New York City in early November, it reaches its finish in a little over 2 hours in Central Park.

The first New York City Marathon, in 1970, had 55 finishers and a total budget of $1,000. Currently more than 35,000 athletes participate and prize money exceeds $250,000. Male and female winners in the open division receive $50,000 each.

In 1976, to celebrate the U.S. bicentennial, the marathon which had previously been only run within the confines of moved to the streets of New York City's five boroughs: Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan.

Currently beginning on the Staten Island side of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, the course then runs through Brooklyn and Queens and across the Queensborough Bridge into Manhattan.

From there, the course heads north along First Avenue, across the Willis Avenue Bridge into the Bronx, across the Madison Avenue Bridge into Manhattan, and along Fifth Avenue into Central Park.

For the last 3 1/2 miles, the course goes through Central Park ending at the Tavern on the Green.