The New York City Marathon’s real heroes finish after dark

July 4, 2025

A new short film turns the focus on the everyday runners at the back of the New York City Marathon pack – the underdogs who finish in darkness but still change their lives.

Many hours after the winners cross the line each year, the sun goes down over Central Park, the crowds thin, and race organizers start to hand out glow sticks. Those still out on the course, working their way through the last few grueling miles in the dark, are drawn in by the hum of a party at the finish.

Turning away from record breakers and podium chasers, the film celebrates everyday runners: those more likely to dwell on whether, rather than when, they will finish 26.2 miles. Extraordinary stories are not exclusively found at the front of the pack. The Guardian