It’s been 700 days since the last TCS New York City marathon.

But on Saturday, runners made it across the finish line for the Abbott Dash race to the finish line marking marathon weekend ahead of the big race Sunday. The first since last year's marathon was canceled due to COVID-19.

“I feel like I heard so many people say it’s like a holiday, but it’s really New York at its best, so it’s awesome,” said runner Emily Flynn.

The comeback of the race marks the 50th anniversary of the 26.2 mile race around the five boroughs. Runners from all over the world come to run in the historic event each year.

“I train five days every week. It’s a lot of effort and discipline, but I think that that effort is paying off to run tomorrow in this amazing place,” said Gonzalo Zapata, a runner from Chile.

This year will look a little different due to COVID precautions. The race will have 40% fewer participants than in 2019 and begin a half hour earlier.

“We’ve also added an additional wave for our event. So instead of a traditional fourth wave, we’ve added a fifth wave, so when you add more time and less people, that instantly creates more space,” said Ted Metellus, director of the New York City marathon.

Despite those changes, the route remains the same, with runners starting on Staten Island and finishing in Central Park.

It is a race that Andres Kychental said he’s waited two years to run, "to be in such an amazing city and be part of such a beautiful place, country."

The race kicks off Sunday at 8 a.m.