It started with the barista and spread throughout the branch of Starbucks on Manhattan’s Upper East Side: applause, hollers and cheers.It happened at the bakery across the street and on the subway, too. It happened to me and to 60,000 others who, by Sunday evening, were hobbling around, wearing little more than a medal and a fluorescent orange poncho.Wherever we went, passers by made sure to say congratulations. As a first-timer, it became slightly awkward. But it had been that way for almost every step of the 26.2 miles that carried 61,000 runners from Staten Island to Central Park. Through five boroughs and 50 years of history.How to describe running the New York City Marathon, those rolling hills and that rollercoaster of emotions? The best day of the year in the world’s greatest city. A privilege. A punishing test of body and mind that plunges every runner – at some point – toward a dark and lonely place. But also a useful reminder of the best of America. Every couple of years for the past four decades, the marathon has almost always fallen in the shadow of election day. More than 60,000 runners took part in the 2026 New York City Marathon on Sunday More than two million New Yorkers lined the streets of the city’s five boroughs to cheer them The race began shortly after sunrise and lasted until after sunset in New York City The Daily Mail’s Daniel MatthewsJust 48 hours before Americans head to the polls, thousands of people climb up the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge before dropping into Brooklyn to begin the run of a lifetime. Rarely has America been so polarized. Rarely have the politics of this country felt so grubby and bitter. So it felt extra special that on Sunday, New Yorkers put on a celebration of unity and strength and generosity and hope. For one day at least, all of the noise was drowned out by a ‘Wall Of Sound.’That is what runners meet once they reach the crest of the Queensboro Bridge. Around 15 miles in, silence slowly gives way to bedlam. The decibel levels keep climbing until the route bends back on to First Avenue where the crowds are perhaps ten deep and – as with everywhere in New York – the signs tell the story of this race.One offered runners the chance to ‘Punch Trump.’ There were a couple of references to the plight of Palestine. Beyond that, though? Politics was nowhere to be seen. Instead? Supporters offered useful tips about the dangers of passing wind past mile 15. They held up references to the Knicks’ NBA championship win and personal messages to their loved ones. Dozens of signs carried the face of Elizabeth Holmes and adapted quotes from Nathan Fielder’s new documentary, You Can See Everything. Mayor Zohran Mamdani did make an appearance – handing out bottles of water to passing runners – but it felt fitting that he disguised himself with a high-vis jacket and a cap pulled low. Mamdani went undercover at the New York City marathon passing out water and congratulating runners on the route.This may seem harmless but it is actually an extension of the practices of the fifth leader of the Abbasid caliphate Harun al-Rashid (786–809 CE) who would go into… pic.twitter.com/guCiBVm26Y— Murtaza Hussain (@MazMHussain) November 2, 2026 Volunteers manned drinks stations throughout the 26.2-mile course around all five boroughs Yankees star Aaron Judge was on dad duty while his wife, Samantha, ran the NYC MarathonBecause the real heroes on Sunday were the volunteers, who manned every gate, corral and drinks station, and two million ordinary New Yorkers who lined the streets. Some dipped into their pockets to hand out water or bananas or candy. Some put on live musical performances. Some brought their dogs to offer free pets. Some young patients – bound to a wheelchair – were helped out of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to watch. They all screamed themselves hoarse. Every borough put on a party that told you more about its people and its culture than any campaign advertisement ever could. Even for those of us who call this place home, it was a long, glorious lesson. About New York. About America. About what really counts.