TCS NYC Marathon opening ceremony set to welcome runners from around the world

An opening ceremony will welcome runners ahead of the TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday.

The ceremony is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Friday at the finish line in Central Park for the 50th annual race.

Past champions, honorary grand marshals and runners who completed the inaugural five-borough course in 1976 will be honored Friday. 

Then, in two days, more than 60,000 participants will line up on Staten Island at Fort Wadsworth to complete the 26.2-mile race.

From there, city residents and visitors take over with cowbells, boomboxes and handmade signs. Millions of people line the route, cheering for people they've never met all the way to Central Park.

This year, everyone who finishes will take home a 50th anniversary medal. It's slightly bigger than years prior and features a depiction of the city's skyline. The ribbon is a nod back to a 1970s design, which was the first year the race handed out finisher medals. 

The NYPD said there are no credible threats, but thousands of officers and specialized units will be on the sidelines to ensure everyone's safety.

City officials are reminding New Yorkers that bridges and roads along the route start closing late Saturday evening and will reopen Sunday afternoon gradually. 

Spectators are urged to take the subway and to expect big crowds.