The ING New York City Marathon will be televised by ESPN2 beginning this year -- the first national television coverage for the race in nearly 20 years.
The race, which annually draws a field of 45,000, is part of a five-year deal between ESPN, WABC television in New York (both companies are owned by the Walt Disney Company) and the New York Road Runners, the group that stages the race.
Coverage of the Nov. 4 event will run from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2, and from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. ET on WABC. It also will be streamed online at WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app.
A two-hour highlights show will air on ABC later in the day.
"The ING New York City Marathon is one of the greatest spectacles in all of sport, and today's announcement is a huge step forward in bringing all of the event's passion and excitement into homes, live, across the country," said Mary Wittenberg, the race director and president and CEO of the New York Road Runners.
The deal also includes additional year-round shows on WABC, including a two-hour pre-race show on Nov. 4.