"New Yorkers will cheer for anyone running 26.2 miles, but they'll roast you a little while doing it. The 2025 TCS New York City Marathon brought out more than 59,000 runners and two million spectators, and while the pros put on a masterclass-Hellen Obiri shattered a 22-year-old course record, Benson Kipruto won by a blink and Marcel Hug and Susannah Scaroni continued their wheelchair-division dominance-the sidelines delivered their own kind of glory. Because, here, marathon day isn't just about split times and mile-markers."
"It's also about unhinged encouragement printed on neon poster boards. By mile three, runners were greeted with the kind of pep talks that sound suspiciously like taunts; by mile 20, hydration was optional, but sarcasm was in endless supply. This city trains all year for the spectator-sign-Olympics and, in 2025, creativity did not disappoint. Think jokes about exes, signs bargaining with carbs, earnest support that turned slightly feral and at least one poster politely reminding runners that "you paid to do this.""
More than 59,000 runners and two million spectators made the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon a showcase of athletic excellence and crowd-driven comedy. Elite athletes produced standout moments, including a 22-year course record, a narrow winning margin, and continued wheelchair-division dominance. Spectators supplied neon poster-board signs that mixed earnest encouragement, feral sarcasm, and roast-like pep talks across the course. Humor ranged from jokes about exes to bargaining with carbs, with at least one sign reminding runners that "you paid to do this." The crowd's creativity amplified the race-day atmosphere citywide.
Read at Time Out New York
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]