The NYC Marathon began in 1970, with the first race held on September 13, 1970 in Central Park.

Quick context

• The inaugural event started as a local park circuit in Central Park with 127 entrants and 55 finishers, organized by Fred Lebow and Vincent Chiappetta.

• In 1976 the course was redesigned to traverse all five boroughs, helping the race grow into the large, city-wide event it is today.

If you’d like, I can pull up more details about notable early winners, how the route evolved over time, or the current annual schedule.