Should more marathons introduce a lower cut-off time?

Every year, the debate resurfaces: how long should a marathon be allowed to shut down city streets? Now, one big-city marathon is taking a firm step toward the middle ground.

At the 2025 Valencia Marathon, runners who had not reached the 40-kilometre mark by five hours and 30 minutes were directed off the official course. Roads reopened, medical staff and volunteers were released and the back-of-the-pack runners moved onto the pedestrian pathways. For years, Valencia’s cut-off time was six hours, but this year organizers shortened it to streamline logistics and reduce road closures—all while reinforcing the event’s reputation as one of the world’s fastest marathon courses.

Valencia isn’t alone in this decision. Several large marathons in China and South Korea enforce even stricter limits, sometimes reopening roads just five hours after the starting gun. This doesn’t mean runners are pulled from the race. In Valencia, the finish line remains open, so runners can still complete the distance, but they now must do so on sidewalks and shared paths, and without on-course support.

In contrast, most North American marathons maintain far more generous cut-off times. Major events like the TCS New York City Marathon and TCS London Marathon allow up to eight hours, due to both the size and diversity of their fields. Even then, runners who fall behind pace may be asked to move to the sidewalks while the finish area stays open. At 12 hours, the Honolulu Marathon, known for attracting tourists and recreational runners, has one of the longest limits. 

TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon race director Alan Brookes says shorter cut-off times make sense, but only in specific contexts. “Different marathons have different needs and different benefits,” Brookes says. “European races like Valencia and Berlin are fast courses that attract runners from around the world who come specifically to chase a quick time.”

Brookes adds that regardless of where the cut-off lies, every successful city marathon relies on co-operation between its municipal partners. “Without the city streets, often high-profile ones through downtown and vibrant neighbourhoods, there is no event,” Brooks says. “A marathon has the privilege of taking that space for a certain period of time, and that time has to be negotiated.”

Those negotiations are driven in large part by the race’s economic impact. Brooks says the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon generates an independently measured $60 million annually, which is only a fraction of the $692 million the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon brought in.

Brooks believes the question isn’t simply how long runners should have to finish, but instead, how cities can balance road closures against the significant financial and cultural benefits these major races deliver.