Flying Out of NYC on Marathon Sunday: Road Closures and Airport Car Service Tips

The TCS New York City Marathon runs through all five boroughs on Sunday, November 1, 2026. It is one of the best days of the year to be in the city, and one of the hardest days to get to an airport on time. If you have a flight out of JFK, LaGuardia or Newark that day, or guests landing in the middle of race morning, a little planning now saves a lot of stress on Sunday.

Here is what the City has announced, how it affects airport trips, and how we plan Marathon Sunday rides.

What closes on Sunday, November 1

According to the City of New York's official street closure notice, closures and reopenings happen on a rolling basis and can change at the NYPD's discretion. The main ones for travelers:

• Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge: upper level closed in both directions from 11 PM Saturday, October 31 to 4 PM Sunday; lower level closed from 7 AM to 4 PM Sunday.

• Brooklyn: the course runs up 4th Avenue, Flatbush Avenue, Lafayette Avenue, Bedford Avenue and through Greenpoint, with closures roughly 7 AM to 6:30 PM. The BQE from the Verrazzano to 79th Street is closed, and Belt Parkway exits can see delays.

• Queens and the Queensboro Bridge: the Pulaski Bridge and streets in Long Island City are closed, and the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge lower level is closed in both directions from 6:30 AM to 5:30 PM.

• Manhattan: First Avenue is closed from 59th Street to the Willis Avenue Bridge from 7 AM to 10:30 PM. Fifth Avenue is closed in sections from 9 AM to 7:30 PM, Central Park South is closed from 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM, and FDR Drive exits on the East Side have intermittent closures from 8:45 AM to 7:30 PM.

• Bronx: the Willis Avenue and Madison Avenue bridges are closed from 7:30 AM to 6:30 PM.

The City's 311 guidance sums it up: many street and bridge closures are in effect citywide from about 7 AM to 4 PM, and the race starts at 8 AM. Check the City's notice again on Saturday night, since times can shift.

How the closures affect JFK, LaGuardia and Newark trips

East Side Manhattan to JFK or LaGuardia. With First Avenue, the Queensboro Bridge lower level and several FDR exits affected, the usual East Side routes are slower. Expect your chauffeur to route around the course and to pick you up on a street that stays open.

Brooklyn and Staten Island. The Verrazzano closure cuts off the most direct link between Staten Island and Brooklyn for most of the day, and the course divides much of Brooklyn. If you are flying from or landing at these boroughs, allow the most extra time.

West Side and Midtown to Newark. Newark trips from the West Side usually avoid the course itself, but traffic spills over onto the open roads and the tunnels. Leave room in your schedule.

Flying private? Teterboro and Westchester County Airport trips often stay clear of the course. See our guide to Teterboro to Manhattan chauffeur service for how we handle jet-side timing.

Five tips for a calm Marathon Sunday ride

1. Book ahead, not Sunday morning. On a closure day, a reserved car with a planned route beats searching for a ride at the curb.

2. Add buffer time. For a morning or midday flight, plan to leave well before you normally would, especially from the East Side, Brooklyn or Staten Island.

3. Choose a pickup spot on an open street. If your hotel or building faces the course, tell us. We will set a pickup point you can walk to easily.

4. Share your flight number. For arrivals, it lets our dispatch team plan the pickup around any delay.

5. Plan the evening return too. Some Manhattan closures, including First Avenue and parts of the West Side near Central Park, last into the evening.

Also on November 1: Jets vs. Raiders at MetLife

The same Sunday, the New York Jets host the Las Vegas Raiders at MetLife Stadium at 1:00 PM, according to the Jets and MetLife Stadium. On NFL days, private cars and limos drop off and pick up at the curb between Lots D and E. If you are heading to the game from Manhattan or Westchester, we route around the Marathon course and get you to East Rutherford with time to spare.

Why book Royal Ride on race day

Royal Ride runs 24/7 with live, in-house dispatch, so a real person is watching the closures and your trip all day. We cover New York City, New Jersey, Westchester and Connecticut, with airport transfers to JFK, LaGuardia and Newark and private jet pickups at Teterboro and Westchester. Choose a sedan, an SUV or a Sprinter for your group and luggage. Flying into or out of Cleveland instead? Our Cleveland team is a phone call away.

Book your Marathon Sunday ride

Reserve now so your car is set before the closures start.

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