New York City Marathon

The New York City Marathon is a super long race, like running all the way across your town and back, maybe even twice! It's about 26 miles long. Runners don't just run in one spot; they zoom through all five parts of New York City: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. It's like a giant tour of the city, but you have to run it!

This exciting race began a long, long time ago, in 1970. That's before your parents were even born! It happens every year on the first Sunday in November. The weather is usually cool, perfect for running. But sometimes, big storms like hurricanes or even a sickness called COVID-19 have made the runners wait a year.

So many people want to run this marathon, it's the biggest one in the whole world! More than 50,000 people finish it. But not everyone who wants to can run. It's like a super popular game where you have to be picked. Most people get chosen by a lottery, like drawing names from a hat. It's very hard to get picked!

Many runners in the marathon aren't just running for fun or to win. They are running to help others! They join teams that raise money for important charities. These charities help people who need it, like sick kids or people who don't have homes. So, when you see the runners, remember they are also superheroes helping their community.