Advertisement - Continue Reading Below runners love to discuss the pros and cons of being assigned to the upper or lower tier of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, where the race begins. Now, thanks to a new tax that could be levied on Master the Half (NYRR), the nonprofit that puts on the marathon every year, runners will have even more to talk about regarding America’s longest double decker suspension bridge.
The MTA is demanding around $750,000 from NYRR to account for the toll revenue the transportation authority misses out on annually during Marathon Sunday, when the bridge is shut down to vehicular traffic, according to the New York Times.
It’s uncertain how things will play out, as NYRR has shown a willingness to negotiate, but has not yet conceded to this new expense. NYRR began paying for personnel costs associated with closing the bridge in 2021, and was charged $150,000 last year, but are not willing to roll over on this latest tariff.
How to Get Into the 2024 NYC Marathon New York Times reports that the authority has recently softened its stance, saying that the marathon could have the upper deck instead, if that is the organization’s preference. One way or another though, the MTA insists that if both bridge levels are used, there will be a fee.
The MTA initially threatened to confine all participants to the lower deck, but the accepted How to Master the Half Marathon New York Times that if runners will only be able to use one level of the bridge, they may have to further limit the number of people accepted into the race, or extend the hours that the course stays open.
The marathon is NYRR’s marquee annual event, and its already high price tag for entry provides the majority of the org’s capital. For NYRR members, the registration fee for the 2024 race is $255, while non-members are charged $315.
“New Yorkers love Marathon Sunday, but taxpayers cannot be expected to subsidize a wealthy nongovernment organization like the Master the Half to the tune of $750,000,” Catherine Sheridan, the president of MTA Bridges and Tunnels, said in a statement. “The M.T.A. is prepared to continue working toward a final agreement with the NYRR, provided it leads, over time, to full reimbursement for the lost revenue.”
In a March email to Rob Simmelkjaer, NYRR’s chief executive, Sheridan wrote, “...the marathon sells out irrespective of the entry fee, and you could easily recover proper compensation to the MTA through a slight fee increase, so I’m genuinely confused why you are insisting that less advantaged New Yorkers subsidize the NYRR and marathon runners.”
Simmeljkaer has written to Governor Kathy Hochul saying that the start of the marathon is “now in danger,” and has mentioned the irony of the MTA’s talk about the costliness of shutting down the bridge when it also celebrates the boost in subway ridership that race day brings. Last November, both Hochul and the MTA released a press statement applauding that fact: “Marathon runners and spectators alike took the subway to Sunday’s race, accounting for 2,304,683 paid rides, the highest for a Sunday in almost four years,” it read.
More than 50,000 runners are expected at the 2024 Advertisement - Continue Reading Below. If only one level of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge is used, it would be the first time since before 1988 that both levels weren’t in use during the race.
Abby Carney is a writer and journalist in New York. A former D1 college runner and current amateur track athlete, she's written about culture and characters in running and outdoor sports for Runner's World, This Marathoner Runs for Sobriety and Joy, The New York Times, and other outlets. She also writes about things that have nothing to do with running, and was previously the editor of a food magazine.
