The New York City Marathon is held annually and draws up to 37.000 runners each year while 2 million visitors are expected to watch the spectacle. The marathon runs over the full distance of 42.2km (26.2 miles) and through each of the five city boroughs (Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island) of New York City. Since 1970 it is held on the first Sunday of November and due to its popularity the number of participants has been limited to 37.000, who are mostly chosen by a lottery-style system. Starting near Verrazano-Narrow Bridge in Staten Island the course first leads through Brooklyn, then Queens and the Bronx, and finally finishes at the Tavern on the Green in Manhattan.