Joy and community at the New York City Marathon

A look at the New York City Marathon on Nov. 6.

November 9, 2022

The New York City Marathon is one of the biggest marathons in the world, and it has been a New York City staple since 1970. People from all over the world travel every year to the city to compete in the famous race, and people of all ages cheer on the sidelines for their friends, families and strangers.

The back of multiple people running wearing black, white and green shirts. On the ground are blue and white foam cups. To the sides there are people cheering the runners behind a yellow tape, and a male holds a poster that reads “Go Eric.” He is surrounded by blurry crowds of people holding unidentifiable signs. To the left there are trees, and in the background there are multiple skyscrapers.

The marathon is 26.2 miles, or 42.2 kilometers, long and its course expands through all five boroughs of New York City. At about 8 a.m. the race begins at Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island, and the last runners cross the finish line at Central Park around 8:30 p.m.

A female wearing a long, white poncho and blue gloves hands a blue cup to a runner who wears black shorts, a gray shirt and a blue cap.

“I’ve been here for about eight months, and I love New York and want to be a part of the city,” Clémence Nayral, a volunteer at mile 24, said. “I also love running, so I’m doing this because of my love for the country and helping people. Everyone is so happy to run and the atmosphere is just so great.”

A concrete road that has a blue poster on the ground that reads in white colored font “2022.” Multiple people are running on the road and poster, and two males hold their hands up as they run.

In its history, the marathon has only been canceled twice — first in 2012 because of Hurricane Sandy and again in 2020 because of COVID-19. In 2021, the competition was limited to 33,000 runners and 25,020 finished the race. This year, the marathon is slowly recovering after the pandemic and there were 47,840 runners who finished.

A big crowd of runners running on a concrete road. Most runners have orange colored shirts. To both sides of the runners are green trees, and some that have orange leaves.

The beauty of the marathon itself is that it brings people from all across the city and around the world together, and strangers cheer each other on as they pass marathon milestones in places such as Central Park. There were 12,446 runners from the city boroughs and 35,394 runners who were not from New York City.

A male wearing a black shirt smiles as he holds a gray metal instrument. Behind him, people stand in line as runners pass by to the left. In the background there are green trees. Some of the New York City skyline is visible in the background.

A female wearing a blue long-sleeve shirt and a blue scarf in her neck holds a green poster that reads in black colored font: “Go!! Random Stranger.”

The average runner’s pace for the marathon is about four hours and 30 minutes, and the professionals finish it in approximately two hours.

Runners wear blue, black and white shirts, and behind them is a clock that reads “7:44:34” in red text. Next to this clock, an arched sign reads “40 K”.

Every November, the marathon unites volunteers, organizers, spectators and runners. In a city that can often feel disconnected, this event creates a sense of community and pure joy.

The back of a female wearing a khaki cap, and white poncho that reads “T.C.S New York City Marathon” in blue text, while she extends her right arm. In the background, there are runners wearing gray, white and red shirts.

Contact Camila Ceballos at [email protected]

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