Changes to NYRR Membership and the 9+1 Program

The TCS New York City Marathon and the 9+1 program have become so popular that NYRR races now sell out almost immediately, as participants chase the program’s guaranteed marathon entry pathway. This has become unsustainable with limited ability to expand capacity for races.

We revamped the 9+1 program to improve access to our races for all runners, while preserving this cherished program that uniquely enables more than 15,000 local athletes to participate in their hometown marathon.

All NYRR members are eligible to be selected in the 9+1 program drawing if they meet the following criteria:

• Must be an NYRR member as of September 16, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
• Must remain an NYRR member as of the drawing day on October 1, 2026.
• Those who are accepted and complete the 9+1 program must have an active NYRR membership as of Dec. 31, 2027, to claim guaranteed entry to the 2028 TCS New York City Marathon.
• Must be 18 years old as of November 5, 2028.
• Must apply during the application window of September 17–29, 2026, with a valid credit card on file.

Members selected in the 9+1 eligibility drawing become 9+1 Passholders. The 9+1 Pass provides exclusive access to our new Passholder Race Selection Process, designed to help Passholders secure entries into the qualifying races and their volunteer obligation to complete the program.

The 9+1 Pass gives participants a clearer path to completing the program by helping match them with available qualifying race entries, provided they make a reasonable effort to participate throughout the year. The 9+1 Pass will cost $99 (includes processing fee).

The 9+1 Pass fee reflects the exclusive benefits of participating in the program, including access to the new Passholder Race Selection Process. NYRR will help ensure Passholders have a clear path to registering for the races needed to complete the program through the new Passholder Race Selection Process.

Members selected in the drawing will automatically be charged the 9+1 Pass fee of $99 (includes processing fee) upon acceptance. If there is an issue processing the payment, the member will have until October 4, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET, to update their payment information. If the payment is not successfully processed by the deadline, the selection will be forfeited.

• In addition to paying the 9+1 Pass fee, those accepted into the 2027 9+1 program will need to register for and complete nine qualifying races and one qualifying volunteer opportunity in the 2027 calendar year to receive the guaranteed, non-complimentary entry to the 2028 TCS New York City Marathon.

Yes, refund protection will be available for the cost of the 9+1 Pass. More details will be announced prior to the application launch.

Our goal is to preserve this valued member benefit while making it easier for more people to take part in NYRR races throughout the year.

The 9+1 program has been, and will continue to be, an exclusive benefit for NYRR members, providing local athletes with a unique pathway to earn guaranteed entry into the TCS New York City Marathon through participation in year-round, NYRR weekly races and volunteer service.

At the same time, we believe these updates will benefit the broader running community.

By better aligning the size of the 9+1 program with available race capacity, more entries will be available across NYRR races for runners who are not participating in 9+1.

The restructured 9+1 program will go into effect for calendar year 2027 races for those pursuing guaranteed entry into the 2028 TCS New York City Marathon.

• The application window for the 9+1 eligibility drawing will open to NYRR members on September 17, 2026, and close on September 29, 2026.
• Applicants must be NYRR members by September 16, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET to be selected in the drawing.
• The drawing will take place on October 1, 2026.
• These changes do not impact members currently pursuing 9+1 in 2026 for a guaranteed entry into the 2027 TCS New York City Marathon.

New York Road Runners is committed to preserving the 9+1 program as a unique and beloved pathway that gives more than 15,000 local members the opportunity to earn guaranteed entry into their hometown marathon.

At the same time, we believe it’s important to maintain a balance across all of the marathon’s entry methods—including the non-guaranteed general entry drawing, Official Charity Partner Program, time qualifiers, international tour operators, and other guaranteed entry pathways—so as many people as possible have an opportunity to participate in the TCS New York City Marathon.

These updates are designed to help maintain that balance while ensuring the 9+1 program remains sustainable for the long term.

The New York Road Runners races that have historically been eligible for 9+1 credit will continue to be 9+1 credit eligible. However, only 9+1 Passholders will receive a 9+1 credit upon completing an eligible race or volunteer opportunity.

New York Road Runners reviews its volunteer opportunities throughout the year based on operational needs, so the types of volunteer opportunities may vary from year to year.

We are finalizing our 2027 volunteer calendar, but we will ensure there are ample volunteer opportunities for 9+1 Passholders to complete their required volunteer assignment as part of the program.

Members selected through the 9+1 eligibility drawing will continue to have the opportunity to earn 9+1 credit for running up to three qualifying virtual races.

To receive 9+1 credit for a Virtual Race, Passholders would need to register for and complete the Premium tier of the following races:

• Virtual NYRR Resolution Run 5K
• Virtual NYRR Global Running Day 5K
• Virtual NYRR Run for Thanks 5K

The 9+1 program has always been intended to provide a pathway for local athletes to earn guaranteed entry into the TCS New York City Marathon, and maintaining a limit of three virtual races helps preserve the program’s local nature, while still offering flexibility.

One of the primary goals of the revamped 9+1 program is to make completing 9+1 more predictable and less stressful than under the previous first-come, first-served registration model.

Through the new Passholder Race Selection Process, NYRR will work with 9+1 Passholders to help them secure the qualifying race entries they need to complete the program. How it will work:

• Prior to each quarterly race registration launch, Passholders will receive a survey asking which eligible races they are available to participate in during the upcoming quarter.
• Based on those preferences and available race capacity, NYRR will match Passholders with qualifying race entries during the registration process each quarter.
• Passholders will be offered one 9+1-eligible race during each of the January–March and April–June registration periods, and up to two 9+1-eligible races during each of the July–September and October–December registration periods—for up to six in-person race opportunities throughout the year.

In addition, Passholders are encouraged to complete the three eligible virtual races that count toward 9+1, providing additional flexibility as they work toward completing the program.

While completing 9+1 still requires participants to register for, attend, and finish their qualifying races and volunteer opportunity, the new process is designed to provide Passholders with a much clearer and more reliable pathway to successfully completing the program.

New York Road Runners will reserve an allotment of complimentary 9+1 Passes for runners in its Race Free program, which provides race fee assistance and complimentary race entries to runners who financially qualify. This is an expansion of the Race Free offering to ensure Race Free runners have the opportunity to pursue guaranteed entry to the TCS New York City Marathon through the 9+1 program.

Yes. NYRR will continue to offer the non-guaranteed general entry drawing for the TCS New York City Marathon, which is open to everyone and does not require NYRR membership.

The application period for the 2027 TCS New York City Marathon non-guaranteed general entry drawing has not yet been announced but is expected to take place in early 2027.

This drawing is separate from the annual 9+1 program drawing, which is open only to eligible NYRR members seeking guaranteed entry into the 2028 TCS New York City Marathon.

Yes, there be a cancellation policy for pregnant and post-partum runners who have the 9+1 Pass. More details will be announced prior to the application launch.

Once the survey is submitted, you can no longer make changes to your submission. Read about the full process here.

If your child will be 18 on the day of the 2028 TCS New York City Marathon, a parent or guardian may submit an application on behalf of their child to the 2027 9+1 Program drawing.

New York Road Runners will reserve an allotment of non-complimentary 9+1 Passes for runners who have completed the TCS New York City Marathon 12 times (and are running the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon),13, or 14 times so eligible runners can join the new NYRR 9+1 Pass program without entering the member-only eligibility drawing. Those who choose to participate will be guaranteed access to the 9+1 program for 2027 and 2028—no drawing required. This special accommodation is being offered only for the 2027 and 2028 9+1 programs in recognition of these runners’ long-standing participation in the TCS New York City Marathon.

Entry fees are non-refundable and may not be deferred or transferred.

9+1 Pass fees are non-refundable and may not be deferred or transferred.

More than 15,000 local members have and will continue to participate in the TCS New York City Marathon through 9+1.

To streamline member benefits, strengthen the value of NYRR membership, and create a more equitable and accessible registration experience, New York Road Runners is eliminating its Member Plus and Family Plus offerings. Beginning with registration for January–March 2027 races on October 14, 2026, all NYRR members will have access to advance registration and be able to register for most non-drawing races two days before the general public. 

Advance registration is not available for:

• NYRR Team Champs
• NYRR Start Line Series
• NYRR drawing races
• Free program races
• Virtual races

Starting August 6, NYRR will not accept any new Member Plus and Family Plus memberships. Existing Member Plus and Family Plus memberships will end beginning August 19, 2026. On that date, existing Member Plus members will automatically transition to the corresponding standard NYRR membership tier.

Members will receive a prorated refund reflecting the difference between the Member Plus and standard membership prices based on the time remaining in their membership year. No action is required.

If you wish to remain an NYRR member, no action is needed if your membership is set to renew between August 6–19. NYRR will fully refund you the difference between your Member Plus/Family Plus membership tier and the standard membership tier should you renew within this period.

NYRR membership pricing is not changing as part of these updates.

As with any membership program, pricing is reviewed periodically, but there are no additional changes to announce at this time.

NYRR membership is not required to register for NYRR races. However, membership provides valuable benefits, including giving members earlier access to race registration before it opens to the general public.

Existing Member Plus members will automatically transition to the corresponding standard NYRR membership tier and immediately receive all benefits associated with that membership tier.

With the revamped NYRR membership, all members will now receive access to advance registration and can register for non-drawing races two days earlier than the general public beginning with registration launch for January–March 2027 races on October 14, 2026.

Additional high-value member perks include access to the new 9+1 eligibility drawing and discounted race entry.

To continue enhancing the NYRR membership experience, New York Road Runners will introduce new and exciting member benefits, including access to exclusive programming and promotions, over the next 12 months.

See the membership benefits page for more information.

Yes. Beginning August 19, 2026, NYRR will automatically process prorated refunds reflecting the difference between the Member Plus and standard membership prices based on the time remaining in your membership year.

No action is required. Please allow up to 10 business days for the refund to be processed and appear on your original payment method.

NYRR will begin processing prorated refunds on August 19, and your prorated refund will be issued to your original payment method.

Depending on your financial institution, it may take up to 10 business days for the refund to appear on your credit card or bank statement.

Your prorated refund reflects the difference between the Member Plus and standard membership prices based on the amount of time remaining in your membership year after August 19, 2026.

The refund is calculated using the unused portion of your Member Plus membership for the remainder of your membership term. Any processing fees you originally paid will also be included in the prorated refund calculation.

Your refund will be issued to the original payment method used to purchase your current Member Plus membership.

If the credit card you made the original payment with has been cancelled or expired, NYRR will process the refund directly with the bank connected to the credit card. Should NYRR not be able to process a refund through your credit card or bank, you may be contacted directly to coordinate your prorated refund.

You can cancel your automatic membership renewal at any time by logging into your NYRR Dashboard, navigating to the Membership tab, and selecting “Edit Membership” at the bottom of the page.

Cancelling automatic renewal will prevent your membership from renewing at the end of your current membership term. Your membership benefits will remain active until your current membership expires.

Eliminating Member Plus streamlines the NYRR membership experience by giving all members access to advance registration for most non-drawing races. Rather than offering earlier registration to a subset of members, all NYRR members will have the same opportunity to register before entries open to the general public.

In addition, the new 9+1 program eligibility drawing is designed to better balance demand for year-round races. By establishing a defined number of 9+1 Passholders each year and providing them with a clearer, more reliable pathway to complete the program, fewer runners will need to compete for race entries as registration opens, particularly for races in the first half of the year. This will help improve access to races for members and runners throughout the year.

The free-to-enter 9+1 program eligibility drawing will remain open for two weeks, giving all eligible runners, who are NYRR members as of September 16, 2026 and apply during the application period, an equal opportunity to be selected.

As a Philanthropic member you would not need to enter the drawing, read more about Philanthropic membership here.

Registration for January–March 2027 NYRR races will open according to the following schedule:

• October 14, 2026, at 12 p.m. ET: Advance registration opens for all NYRR members for non-drawing races
• October 16, 2026, at 12 p.m. ET: General registration opens

Registration for volunteer opportunities will also open this fall. Additional details and registration dates will be announced soon, with all NYRR members having access to two-day advance registration.

Over the past 24 months, New York Road Runners conducted extensive audits and tested several initiatives to better manage the growing demand for race registration and improve access to year-round races. Those pilots have been completed and helped inform the NYRR membership and 9+1 program updates we have announced.

As part of these changes:

• All NYRR members have access to advance registration for most non-drawing races, eliminating the need for a separate Member Plus registration window or caps on advance registration.
• Only 9+1 Passholders will be eligible to earn 9+1 credit, eliminating the need to reserve or designate specific race entries for 9+1 participants.

These updates create a streamlined, more equitable registration experience while helping improve access to races throughout the year.

No. There are no changes at this time to the 4 Out of 6 program, which guarantees entry into the following year’s United Airlines NYC Half, or the Virtual 6 program, which guarantees entry into the following year’s RBC Brooklyn Half. For more information on program requirements, click here.