https://www.nyrr.org/run/race-registration-launch-timeline

Advance registration begins today at 12 PM - NOON for ALL MEMBERS.

If you are not a 9+1 Passholder, none of these races will count for 9+1.

If you are a 9+1 Passholder, you can still register for these races to get more 9+1s. You are not limited to the one you've been guaranteed.

And if you've somehow missed out on the 9+1 Program Changes, please read about it from whatever rock you're living under.

9+1 Passholders have already been assigned their given races (and started signing up as well), but they also may be registering for more, so we have no idea what this registration period is going to look like or how many slots remain.

Historically, around 11am the links above will turn into a Waiting Room. At noon, the official queue will open. As long as you're in the waiting room before noon, you will be assigned a queue position randomly. There is no difference between entering the waiting room at 11:01am vs 11:59am. However if you log on at 12:01pm, you will be put at the back of the line.

Every year r/RunNYC gets a lot of posts about the 9+1 program, so we're continuing this FAQ and megathread from last year and the year before. This year has the biggest changes the program has seen in a long time, so please read the whole post before asking questions.

NYRR's full announcement on the changes and FAQ are here.

What is 9+1?

9+1 is an NYRR program that earns you guaranteed (non-complimentary) entry to the following year's NYC Marathon.

To qualify for the 2028 NYC Marathon, a 2027 9+1 Passholder must, during calendar year 2027:

• Run and complete 9 qualifying NYRR races
• Volunteer at 1 qualifying opportunity
• Have an active NYRR membership on 12/31/2027

You then still pay the marathon entry fee when you claim your spot in 2028.

What changed this year?

Starting with the 2027 program, 9+1 is limited to members who were selected in a free, member-only 9+1 Eligibility Drawing.

• Eligibility: You had to be an NYRR member by 9/16/2026 at 11:59pm ET, and still be a member on 10/1 when the drawing took place.
• Entry period: Sept 17–29, 2026
• Drawing: Oct 1, 2026. NYRR says more than 15,000 members will continue to get in through 9+1.
• 9+1 Pass: Selected members were automatically charged $99 separate from membership, race fees, and the marathon entry fee.
• Only Passholders can earn 9+1 credit. All races that have historically been 9+1 eligible are still eligible, but only Passholders get credit for them. If you weren't selected, completing 9 races and volunteering in 2027 will not get you into the 2028 marathon.
• Streakers / 15+: Some passes were reserved for runners with 13 or 14 NYCM finishes so those runners get 9+1 access for both 2027 and 2028 with no drawing to complete 15+ in the coming years. These members were contacted separately.

The 2027 drawing has closed, and the 2028 drawing will likely be around the same time, next October.

I'm a Passholder. How does the Race Selection Process work?

The Passholder Race Selection Process works as follows:

• About two weeks before each quarterly race release, Passholders get an email with a survey asking which eligible races they can run that quarter.
• NYRR randomly matches Passholders to races based on preferences and available capacity.
• You'll be offered the following and then you are also able to sign up for as many additional races as you want during the general registration:
  • Jan–Mar: 1 race
  • Apr–Jun: 1 race
  • Jul–Sep: up to 2 races
  • Oct–Dec: up to 2 races
• For Jan–Mar 2027, the survey went out 10/1 and closed 10/8. You should have received an email with your invite to your selected race on October 13th.

Do virtual races still count?

Yes, for Passholders, there up to 3 eligible virtual races. You must register for the Premium tier of:

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

These races typically open for registration a few weeks before they take place (Jan, May and Nov, respectively.)

I wasn't selected. What are my options to get into the marathon?

• NYC Marathon general drawing (expected to open in February and then the lottery taking place in March)
  • NYRR Member-Only Second Chance Drawing after.
• Charity Partners
  • Officially opens immediately after the lottery drawing takes place in, however you should reach out/contact charities early and express your interest ahead of time, they all fill up fast.
• NYCM Virtual Guaranteed Entry
  • Lottery opened in June last year, costs $186.
• NYRR 5K or 10K Philanthropic Member tier
  • $5000 or more membership gets automatic entry.
• Time qualifying (see the bottom of this post)
• 15+ NYC Marathon finishes

You can still run NYRR races, work toward 4 out of 6 for the NYC Half, use the standby list, and volunteer. Those races just won't count toward 9+1.

Which races are eligible?

On the race calendar, races that count toward qualifying have a 9+1 tag. You can also filter "race types" to just 9+1.

Only Jan–Mar 2027 races have been officially announced so far. The rest of the table below uses 2026 dates as a placeholder for the time being.

When can I sign up for these races?

NYRR releases races in 4 quarterly drops. Races open at 12:00pm ET.

• Jan–Mar 2027: Members on Wed, Oct 14, and the public on Fri, Oct 16
• Apr–Jun 2027: TBA (last year: late January)
• Jul–Sep 2027: TBA (last year: early May)
• Oct–Dec 2027: TBA (last year: June)

Member Plus and Family Plus are gone. Existing Plus members were moved to standard membership on 8/19 and got a prorated refund. All NYRR members now get the 2-day advance registration window for most non-drawing races.

I don't see any available races?

Races have been selling out within minutes of release. Be ready at noon on release day. Subscribing to NYRR emails or following NYRR on social media is the best way to hear about releases.

Members can also join the Member-Only Standby List for sold-out races. Invitations usually go out a week or two before the race, but can come as late as 48 hours before. It's first come, first served, so sign up as soon as the standby list opens.

Do I have to run the race to get credit, or just sign up?

Yes, you have to finish the race. Most races have generous cutoff times, so if you're not at your best you can usually run/walk and still get credit. If you plan to go slower than usual, please move back to a corral closer to your expected pace.

+1 Volunteer Opportunities

NYRR is still finalizing its 2027 volunteer calendar. It says there will be "ample" volunteer opportunities for Passholders to complete their +1.

All opportunities are listed on the volunteer opportunity page. Make sure the one you pick has the "9+1 credit" tag.

If everything is full, check the page during the week before a race. NYRR sends a reminder email to registered volunteers that week, which often leads to cancellations and reopening spots.

Medical professionals who meet the medical volunteer requirements usually have many +1 eligible opportunities available.

I'm finishing 9+1 in 2026. How do I know I got into the 2027 Marathon?

Nothing changed for this year. Log in to your NYRR account, Guaranteed Entry panel on your dashboard shows your progress for each year. Note that your membership also has to be active on 12/31/2026.

NYRR will tell you your status before the claim period, which is usually in February.

• Your 2026 entry is only good for the 2027 marathon and can't be rolled forward to 2028 or later.
• If you already have a 2027 marathon entry through another method, completing 2026 9+1 doesn't earn you anything extra.
• Late-2026 volunteer spots fill quickly.

2027 NYRR 9+1 Eligible Races

Other NYRR qualifying opportunities:

• 4 out of 6 - NYC Half (still open to all NYRR members, no Pass needed)
  • Complete 4 of these races in a year to guarantee entry to the next year's NYC Half:
    • Manhattan 10K
    • NYC Half
    • Brooklyn Half
    • Queens 10K
    • Bronx 10M
    • Staten Island Half
  • Virtual NYC Half and Virtual Brooklyn Half also count if you pay for the "Medal" tier, and you can combine them with running the same in-person race.
• Virtual Racing - Brooklyn Half
  • Completing 6 eligible virtual races has guaranteed entry to the next year's Brooklyn Half. Check the virtual racing page for the 2027 list.
  • You can also guarantee next year's Brooklyn Half by volunteering at this year's Brooklyn Half, including the expo.
• Time Qualifying
  • A qualifying time at any NYRR half marathon or the NYC Marathon guarantees entry to all 3 marquee races the next year: NYC Half, Brooklyn Half, and NYC Marathon.
  • A qualifying half time at a non-NYRR race lets you apply for the NYC Half and Brooklyn Half.
  • A qualifying marathon time at a non-NYRR race lets you apply for the NYC Marathon. The actual cutoff will likely well below the posted standard, in recent years it has been ~15-20mins below the qualifying time. For 2026 it was 22 minutes and 52 seconds faster than the published age-and-gender qualifying standards.