NYC Marathon brings out more than a million spectators, friends and family as runners support causes large and small

As more than 50,000 runners hit the pavement Sunday for the New York City Marathon, a slew of friends and family turned out to support them, as well as the myriad causes for which they ran. More than a million spectators from around the globe lined Gotham's streets to scream and hoot for the runners as they threaded their way through the five boroughs in the 26.2-mile race, which began near Staten Island's northeastern tip and ended near Central Park.

Among the cheering throngs were Cali Carpenter and Carol Rauschberg, who held signs for David Rauschberg, 45, and Trey Faulkner, 46 - who were both running to remember their deceased friend, former Navy fighter pilot John Hefti, who died in a car accident three years ago, Carpenter told The Post. The two founded a charity scholarship organization, Bag's Buddies, in Hefti's honor.

The winners - Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands and Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya - secured their victories after deploying late bursts of speed that separated them from the competition in the last few hundred yards. The first-time victors pulled through with incredible times: Nageeye finished at a blindingly fast 2 hours, 7 minutes and 39 seconds, while Chepkirui crossed the finish line in 2 hours, 24 minutes and 35 seconds.

Read at New York Post