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NYC Marathon April Fools' Joke Fools Runners
Organizers joked about returning to the original Central Park route in 2026, causing a stir in the running community.
The New York City Marathon organizers embraced April Fools' Day by claiming the 2026 race would return to its original 1970 Central Park route. The prank sparked confusion and recalled the history of the early editions of the iconic Major.
In typical April Fools' Day fashion, organizers of the New York City Marathon played a prank on the running community by announcing a supposed radical change for 2026. The claim was that, to mark the 50th anniversary of the five-borough course, the race would temporarily return to its inaugural 1970 format, held entirely over more than four loops inside Central Park.
The story was presented with a convincing pitch celebrating racing heritage and an exclusive anniversary experience. Despite the nostalgic appeal, the prospect of having tens of thousands of marathoners run four laps in the same park immediately raised eyebrows, quickly proving to be an April Fools' joke.
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The true story of the 1970 edition
The prank served as a reminder of the origins of the world's largest marathon. From 1970 to 1975, the event was restricted entirely to the perimeter of Central Park. In that historic first edition, only 55 runners started, the entry fee was just $1, and the winner crossed the line in 2:31.
Even though such a move would be unthinkable given the current scale of the World Marathon Majors, the official announcement managed to dupe athletes and content creators worldwide, who had to double-check their calendars before sharing the news.
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