New York Marathon 2015: Date, Weather, Start And Finish Line And 5 Facts To Know About The Race

The 2015 New York City Marathon is quickly approaching with racers expected to lineup the morning of Sunday, Nov. 1. Runners participating in the 45th annual race should expect cloudy skies but comfortable temperatures just before the start.

The temperature is expected to reach a high of 62-degrees Fahrenheit the day of the big race, with a low of 53 degrees, according to AccuWeather. Saturday's temperatures aren’t predicted to fall lower than 46 degrees, so at the beginning of the 26.2-mile trek around the city’s five boroughs runners should feel a favorable 50 to 55 degrees.

Participants eager to warm up prior to the race should expect sunrise at 6:26 a.m., and there is a chance of showers but only in spots.

Low 6 mph winds, with 8 mph gusts, originating from the southwest are also predicted, which shouldn’t hinder runners as they make their way north up through Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Queens before entering Manhattan and then the Bronx and ending in Central Park.

Here are five facts to know ahead of the race.

Start And Finish Points

The marathon is scheduled to fire off at 9 a.m. ET from the starting line just over the Staten Island side of the Verrazano Bridge. Then the majority of the race will take place between Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan, before looping around in the Bronx and then wrapping up back in Manhattan and down the stretch at the West 68th street parallel inside the southwest corner of Central Park.

If you’re trying to navigate around the city and don’t necessarily want to join the more than one million spectators lining up to cheer on the runners along the route, check out the full list of bridge and road closures and how long they will last throughout the race.

How Many Runners

Organized by New York Road Runners (NYRR) and part of the six-part World Marathon Majors, the race is expected to draw more than 50,000 runners from across the globe and should break the record of 50,530 runners set last year.

But even more tried to enter the race back in January. According to New York Daily News, more than 80,000 people entered the race lottery, up from 77,087 last year, but only 55 percent won the right to hit the city’s pavement.

What Is The Fastest Time For Men And Women?

A new course record has been set 10 times for both the men’s and women’s side since the marathon first took place in 1970. The current men’s record belongs to Kenya’s Geoffrey Mutai, who finished at 2:05:06 in 2011, blowing away Ethiopia’s Tesfaye Jafir’s mark of 2:07:43 in 2001.

The women’s record has held steady, however, for the last 11 years. Back in 2003, Kenya’s Margaret Oakayo claimed her second NYC marathon in a scintillating time of 2:22:31.

Are There Any Celebrities Running?

Famous participants include some notable retired athletes. American tennis star James Blake and former New York Giant running back Tiki Barber will be running for charity, according to Runner’s World.

Multi-platinum songstress and New York native Alicia Keys and Oscar-nominated actor Ethan Hawke are also expected to run. Hawke is running to raise money for The Doe Fund, a city program that helps previously homeless or incarcerated individuals transition back to the workforce. Keys will run for Keep a Child Alive, a charity she co-founded to send HIV medications to African children and families, she wrote in Refinery 29. Actors Sean Astin of "Lord of the Rings" and "Rudy," and Katrina Bowden of "30 Rock" will also compete.

How Does A Runner Qualify For The Race And What’s The Entrance Fee?

The lottery was broken down into three tiers, first comprised by applicants who live within 60 miles of the city, followed by applicants from around the country, and then international racers, according to Competitor.com. NYRR members received a discounted entry fee of $216, compared to $255 for non-NYRR member U.S. residents, and $347 for international runners.

However, many could have raced their way into the marathon. Some could have completed nine qualifying NYRR races during the year, volunteered at an NYRR event, and applied for a guaranteed entry in next year’s race as part of the 9+1 Program. There’s also the 9+$1K Program that allows runners to skip the volunteer work and donate $1,000 to the NYRR’s Youth and Community Service Programs.