The New York City Marathon got underway on Oct. 17, 2020. This year, much like many other aspects of life in the City, the traditional route was forsaken for a virtual form. Runners were encouraged to register for any 26.2-mile route of their choosing and complete it within two weeks.
The New York Road Runners, the umbrella organization responsible for the annual marathon, reported that more than 28,000 runners from 130 countries and all 50 states signed up for the modified race this year. Close to 21% of those registered were based in New York’s metropolitan region.
Sunday, November 1, would have been the 50th anniversary of the New York City Marathon. While runners didn’t traverse the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, where the run usually gets underway, they could still run through the track down Fourth Avenue and Lafayette Avenue in Brooklyn, across the Queensboro Bridge, and through Manhattan and the Bronx to the “finish line” in Central Park.
There were no street closures, supportive crowds, or aid tents, but many fans of the marathon did put up encouraging signs to show their support.
