Applications for the 2003 New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 2 will be available for runners and wheelchair participants online beginning Thursday, January 30, with paper applications following soon afterwards, Allan Steinfeld, New York Road Runners (NYRR) President and CEO and New York City Marathon Race Director, announced at the weekly Track Writers of New York luncheon.

The 2003 New York City Marathon application fee will be $70 for NYRR members ($80 for non-members). Participants can apply by mailing their name and address on a piece of paper to Marathon Entries, 9 East 89th Street, New York, NY 10128 or by picking up an application at the NYRR building at 9 East 89th Street. The deadline for all on- line and mail entries, completed in full and accompanied by a non-refundable processing fee of $7, is midnight June 1. A random lottery drawing, which will fill most of the starting field of approximately 30,000, will be held in mid- June.

Certain applicants may also gain guaranteed entry in the 2003 New York City Marathon including: New York Road Runners members who completed nine NYRR qualifying races in 2002, participants who have run in 15 New York City Marathons and those entrants in the 2002 New York City Marathon who canceled prior to the race. Runners and wheelchair participants who have met the New York City Marathon qualifying times set forth on the 2003 application may also get guaranteed entries. These applications must be received by May 1.

Inaugurated in 1970 with 127 entrants, the New York City Marathon has grown into the world's premier road race, featuring 30,000 participants, some 2.5 million live spectators, a leading elite field and a guaranteed prize purse of more than $475,000. Broadcast across the nation and in 125 countries worldwide, the 26.2-mile footrace is the United States' most watched one-day sporting event. The New York City Marathon, a Running USA Founding Member, takes places the first Sunday in November each year and is the premier event of New York Road Runners, the world's most comprehensive running organization. For more information visit www.nycmarathon.org

Last year, the New York City Marathon was the largest U.S. marathon with 31,834 finishers and #2 in the world behind the Flora London Marathon (32,899 finishers). Kenyans swept the 2002 New York City Marathon as Rodgers Rop (2:08:07) took the men's crown and Joyce Chepchumba (2:25:56) the women's title.