NYC Marathon 2022
A Photo Essay by Lavina Melwani
A Celebration of New York Grit, Community and Caring
[dropcap]I[/dropcap] didn’t go to the NYC Marathon – it came to me! Right outside the street where I live, on 1st and 63rd, the world seemed to have gathered for the annual celebration of New York grit, can-do spirit and community. Over 50,000 runners participated in this 26.2 mile race through all five boroughs which finally ends in Central Park. Everywhere along the route, the streets were lined with family, friends, strangers and well-wishers, all rooting for the contestants. I was able to do my own parallel very mini-marathon, walking briskly from 63rd to 75th – my usual daily walk – and took pictures along the way.
What I saw were determined runners of every age and a community cheering them on with chants, claps, music, placards and their very presence. New York came alive as a caring community, a strong neighborhood and a fabric built of real people. Babies and dogs were everywhere and so were three generations of families, all cheering and clicking their phone cameras.
The side streets were closed to traffic so kids had the run of the space, playing ball and simply strolling about in a golden haze of childhood, with no traffic lights or cars to worry about. Cafes and bars had pulled out their outdoor tables and people enjoyed front row seats to the marathon with their side of pizza and beer. And when a light drizzle began to fall, spectators whipped out umbrellas and just kept on rooting and the runners – they just kept running.
A beautiful day of family, friends and fellowship. No one was a stranger even in this immense mass of strangers – and that is the unique quality of New York.
