Every year, the New York City Marathon feels like a deep, collective exhale. A reminder that humanity still exists. And this year, in the middle of pivotal elections and a government shutdown leaving thousands of federal workers and SNAP recipients wondering how they’ll make ends meet, the sight of hundreds of people running and cheering across all five boroughs felt like a glimmer of hope in a heavy moment.
Amid the countless stories of endurance and heart, one Black woman etched her name into the history of one of the world’s most challenging marathons. Kenyan runner and three-time Olympic medalist Hellen Obiri not only won the women’s division of the 2025 New York City Marathon but shattered a 22-year record in the process. Obiri crossed the finish line in 2:19, becoming the first woman ever to run the NYC course in under 2 hours and 20 minutes.
“I feel so great…[I] actually didn’t know it was a course record until the finish line and they [said] that,” said Obiri in a press release. “I’m so happy to break the course record…My mind was there … for [a] win or to be a podium.”
But that’s the beauty about the NYC Marathon, it’s never just about who wins. From the first person to the last, there’s always a crowd waiting, cheering, crying, believing. Every year, thousands of people, from elite athletes to everyday runners, from able-bodied individuals to those with disabilities, take on those 26.2 miles, each with their own story of why they participate.
Every year thousands of people from athletes to celebrities to able bodied and disabled people embark on the mission to run 26 miles across all five bouroughs of New York City.
And every year social media feeds overflow with those emotional moments, faces breaking into tears, bodies collapsing into hugs, reminding everyone of the power of perseverance.
See Obiri cross the finish line below:
