2013 New York City Marathon To Be Broadcast Live on National TV For First Time in 20 Years
by LetsRun.com
October 29, 2013
Before the 2012 ING New York City Marathon race was cancelled last year because of the hurricane, there was a lot of excitement about the fact that the race was going to be on live nationally for the first time in nearly 20 years. Well the good news is that live coverage on ESPN2 (locally ABC 7, also on Watch ESPN app) is finally going to happen in 2013, twenty years after the last broadcast, as there are no hurricanes in the forecast.
The expected television crew is much the same that was supposed to work last year. SportsCenter anchor, John Anderson a former high jumper and team captain at Missouri who knows a thing about track and field, will be the lead anchor with Hannah Storm. Anderson, who also ran New York in 4:44:52 in 2010, was supposed to anchor last year and said at the time, “Short of my first SportsCenter, I have never been more excited about any assignment I’ve had here at ESPN.”
LRC favorites Tim Hutchings and Toni Reavis are also on the broadcast along with Jenny Simpson‘s old coach Juli Benson. Hopefully with Anderson’s background in the sport and with the race, he’ll do a good job of setting the tone and the broadcast will be pretty good.
The NYRR’s full 2013 television press release which details the times of this year’s coverage appears below.
ESPN’s Hannah Storm and John Anderson Named Lead Hosts for ING New York City Marathon
ESPN2, WatchESPN, ESPN Deportes+, ABC7 and WatchABC Combine to Present the Race on November 3
SportsCenter anchors Hannah Storm and John Anderson will serve as co-hosts of ESPN’s 2013 ING New York City Marathon coverage on Sunday, November 3. The event, which was cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy in 2012, will be presented live on national television (ESPN2) for the first time in 20 years – and for the first time in high definition.
In addition to the ESPN2 telecast, the race will also be available to national audiences via WatchESPN – for those who have video subscriptions from affiliated providers – and ESPN Deportes+, the network’s Spanish-language ESPN3 extension. Locally, New Yorkers can watch the race on ABC7 or via WatchABC on mobile devices.
Led by Storm and Anderson, ESPN’s New York City Marathon commentator team also includes reporter Jeremy Schaap and analysts Tim Hutchings, a former 5,000 meter Olympic competitor who has covered the past six summer Olympic Games, and Carrie Tollefson, an Olympian and five-time NCAA Champion.
Lewis Johnson, an All-American in track who has covered several Olympic Games, will also be part of race day coverage as a reporter, providing updates from the start and finish lines. Other reporters include ABC7’s Laura Behnke and Rob Powers, as well as Jim Dolan (stationed at First Avenue and East 60th Street) and Kemberly Richardson (at Fourth Avenue and Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn).
Additionally, Editor-in-Chief of Runner’s World David Willey will serve as a reporter while running the course. Juli Benson, an Olympian and NCAA All-American, and Toni Reavis, a journalist and member of the Running USA Hall of Champions, will serve as lead women’s reporter and lead men’s reporter, respectively.
“The beauty of the marathon is that any runner can share the same unbridled joy in finishing as a world class runner can in winning,” said Anderson. “The accomplishment is the thing! And New York makes people feel better about that accomplishment than anywhere else. The course and the spectators give the race unmatched energy. It’s why ’83 champion Rod Dixon was spot on when he said, ‘New York is the one you have to win.’”
Storm added: “There is perhaps, no sporting event in America more closely attached to its neighborhoods and city – while at the same time being an instantly recognizable international event – than the New York City Marathon. It’s an integral part of the fabric of this city and I’m thrilled to be involved in the broadcast, which we hope showcases the resilience of all New Yorkers and those who attend this great event.”
ING NYC Marathon Schedule:
| Date | Time (ET) | Show | Network(s) |
| Sun, Nov 3 | 7-9 a.m. | Pre-Race Coverage | ESPN3, ABC7 and WatchABC |
| 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | ING NYC Marathon | ESPN2, WatchESPN, ESPN Deportes+, ABC7 and WatchABC | |
| 12:30-2 p.m. | ING NYC Marathon and Post-Race Coverage | ESPN3, ABC7 and WatchABC | |
| 4-6 p.m. | ING NYC Marathon Highlights Show | ABC |
More: 2012 Press Release on Coverage
*2009 LRC Story on John Anderson