50th NYC Marathon Draws 60,000 Runners
The anniversary race featured Halloween costumes on the sidelines and a podium sweep by international athletes.
By Yuki Melnyk ·
Approximately 60,000 athletes completed the 26.2 mile course on Sunday. The event marked the 50th anniversary of the race expanding beyond Central Park to include all five boroughs. Spectators lined the streets in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island to watch the runners pass. The race started on Staten Island and concluded in Central Park.
The course took participants across the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and through neighborhoods in Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Park Slope, Bedford Stuyvesant, and Williamsburg. Runners crossed the Pulaski Bridge to enter Queens. The route then moved through the Bronx and Manhattan before ending in the park.
Sweden’s Andreas Almgren won the men’s professional division in two hours, six minutes, and one second. It was his first competitive marathon. Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui won the women’s title in two hours, 24 minutes, and 36 seconds. This victory marks her second win at this event in three years.
American runner Jess McClain placed second in the women’s division. She is the first American woman on the podium at this race since 2018. Switzerland’s Marcel Hug won the men’s wheelchair division for the eighth time. Catherine Debrunner from Switzerland took the women’s wheelchair title.
Spectators brought Halloween costumes to the sidelines one day after the holiday. The Clinton Hill Mile Nine party continued its tradition of providing food and drinks to runners. This gathering has been a staple of the race for more than two decades. Signs on the street included humorous messages about pain and local wildlife.
Reality television personality Carl Radke finished the race in three hours, 59 minutes, and 55 seconds. He ran for the Release Recovery organization. Radke owns a nonalcoholic bar in Greenpoint. He said he trained on specific sections of the course to prepare for the difficulty. He noted that the crowd support was overwhelming and reflected the culture of the city.
Comedian Tracy Morgan served as the race’s grand marshal. He watched the event from the 14th floor of Coney Island’s Marlboro Houses. Morgan grew up across the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. He recalled watching the race with his grandfather as a child. He said the role brought him close to tears and that his advice to runners is to keep going.
Wheelchair racer Brian Siemann placed 10th in his division. He was born in Brooklyn and said the long stretch of the course through the borough was a highlight for him. Siemann credited his coach at the University of Illinois for his training. He said he was ready for a break after months of running long distances.
