The New York City marathon will be broadcast live across the U.S. for the first time in nearly two decades as part of a five-year deal, the New York Times reported.
The Nov. 4 race will be carried for 3 1/2 hours on ESPN2, which reaches nearly every household with cable or satellite television, and for five hours on ABC's affiliate in the New York area, the report said.
The race was last broadcast live and nationally in 1993, the last year ABC televised the event, the Times said.
The marathon, the largest in the country, had more than 47,000 entrants last year and is expected to expand to about 55,000 runners in coming years, the newspaper said.
Race organizer the New York Road Runners may announce the accord today.
