TCS New York City Marathon Opening Ceremony Presented by United Airlines
The TCS New York City Marathon Opening Ceremony Presented by United Airlines kicks off race weekend with a celebration at the finish line in Central Park. The annual festivities feature the Parade of Nations—a showcase of runners from all over the world—and will conclude with fireworks over the finish line.
This year's ceremony will also feature the 2025 NYRR Hall of Fame Inductees.
See past inductee information here.
Date and Time
Friday, October 31, 2025, 4:00 p.m.
- Grandstand Seating Opens: 4:00 p.m.
- Presentation Begins: approximately 4:30 p.m.
- Grand Finale: approximately 6:30 p.m.
Location and Spectator Access
Spectators can watch from the TCS New York City Marathon finish line in the Grandstand seating. Seating is first-come, first served until capacity is reached.
Entrance: Central Park West at 63rd Street
All bags are subject to screening. We suggest no more than one bag per guest, no larger than a purse.
Check back soon for the 2025 Parade of Nations Map.
Accessibility
NYRR strives to host inclusive, sustainable, and accessible events that enable all individuals to engage. We welcome all spectators and participants with disabilities, including those using wheelchairs, crutches, walkers, and other mobility devices. To request reasonable accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility for attending this event, please email marathonopeningceremony@nyrr.org and accessibility@nyrr.org.
American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters will be present from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Parade of Nations Participation
Applications to participate in the 2025 Parade of Nations are now closed. If you would like to be added to the waitlist for the event, you may do so by filling out the survey in your NYRR dashboard. Registered runners for the TCS New York City Marathon who fill out the survey after July 28 will be added to the waitlist and may be contacted in late October if we are able to invite you to march with your country.
Please follow these instructions to access the survey:
- Log into your NYRR account
- Go to the "Your Events" tab and find your 2025 TCS New York City Marathon registration under upcoming events. Click "View Registration"
- Scroll to the very bottom of your registration information and answer "Yes" to the following question: "If you are selected to run, would you be interested in participating in the Parade of Nations at the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon Opening Ceremony Presented by United Airlines on Friday, October 31, 2025 at the Marathon Finish Line in Central Park?"
- Answer the additional questions pertaining to your participation in the Parade of Nations
- Save your registration to submit your answers
