2026 TCS NYC MARATHON

The NYC Marathon is always a spectacle, but this year I went looking for a slightly different story.

Rather than focusing on the runners, I found myself drawn to the people who came out to support them. The families, friends, strangers cheering each other on, and an increasingly impressive number of four-legged spectators.

There were so many spontaneous moments of connection, humor, and joy. Things that might be easy to overlook when the focus is on the race itself.

With so much anxiety and uncertainty in the air as we head into the midterm elections, it felt good to spend a day looking for reminders of what brings us together.

Sometimes the story isn't where you expect to find it. You just have to pay attention.

Here are a few moments I captured around mile 13 in Long Island City.