The 2026 Jersey City Marathon and Half Marathon was run throughout the city on a cool day on April 19, with a prize purse of $50,000 being distributed to winners. This year, the race attracted runners from all 50 states and 36 different countries, yet most of its runners are from New Jersey and the Tri-State New York Metro area. This year’s pre-registrant runner total between the two races was over 11,000, up from nearly 10,000 in 2025, and 5,500 in 2024.
The 2026 male marathon winner was Joe Maguire from Philadelphia with a time of 2:21:09. The female marathon winner was Hannah McGovern from Branchburg, New Jersey with a time of 2:33:40. The marathon winners received $5,000 each. The male half marathon winner was Josh Izewski from Durham, North Carolina with a time of 1:02:09. The female half marathon winner was Angelia Norstrom from Glastonbury, Connecticut with a time of 1:16:11. The half marathon winners received $1,000 each.
“Excited is an understatement. To have over 10,000 visitors to the town where I was born, it can’t get much better than this,” said Jersey City Marathon Race Director and Founder Steve Lipski, “It’s the city’s largest block party and we’re going to celebrate.”
“I’m excited to see how this race can grow over the next five to ten years and become a staple in the springtime here in Jersey,” Josh Izewski said.
“This was my first marathon,” Hannah McGovern said, “The energy the entire race was really inspiring, from spectators on the street to runners in the race.”
The event is owned and produced by the Jersey City Road Runners, a non-profit organization, in conjunction with the city of Jersey City. The race, established in 2023, consists of both marathon and half marathon distances and is staged and started in the Newport Green area – across from Manhattan. The route goes through downtown Jersey City with stunning views of the New York City Skyline. T
he marathon and half marathon are USA Track & Field sanctioned events on a certified course, one of the fastest and flattest courses in the world. Runners traverse Jersey City’s uniquely diverse and culturally rich neighborhoods. The race is also a qualifier for the Boston Marathon.
