The TCS New York City Marathon officially closes its course at 10 p.m., but for a dedicated group of runners, the race continues well past dark, sometimes into the late hours of the night. These participants, who often face significant personal hurdles, embody a unique spirit of perseverance as they push towards the finish line, long after most spectators have departed and the city begins to reopen streets.
Teresa Hui, a 45-year-old actor and singer, exemplifies this determination. Having completed 18 New York City Marathons since her 2006 debut, the race has become an annual anchor for her. Despite battling chronic pain from fibromyalgia and severe osteoarthritis, Hui ran the 2025 marathon with the aid of a cane, ultimately crossing the finish line just before midnight, approximately 15 hours after starting. She described the experience of being one of the last runners as surprisingly vibrant, with remaining staff and volunteers cheering her on. "Your goal is never to be a final finisher… but anything can happen," Hui told The Post. She plans to return, aiming to finish before the official 10 p.m. cutoff, but is committed to finishing regardless of the challenges.
Danielle Grimley, a 43-year-old human resources executive from Boulder, Colorado, faced a different kind of adversity during the 2024 marathon. Despite being diagnosed with autoimmune disorders during her training, she was cleared to run. However, within the first mile, she experienced significant pain in her hip. By mile 20, she could no longer bear weight on her leg. Medical personnel advised her to stop, but Grimley, determined to complete her first marathon, borrowed crutches and continued the remaining six miles. She finished last, 10 and a half hours after starting, with a broken hip. She underwent surgery the following day and is considering returning for the 2027 marathon.
Fredilyn Bangwa, a civil engineer from New Jersey, experienced a DNF (Did Not Finish) in her fifth NYC Marathon in 2019 due to dizziness near mile 18. Unwilling to accept the unfinished race, she ran the remaining distance two weeks later on her own. In the 2021 marathon, she found a fellow struggling runner, Mario Diurno. They ran together for miles, providing each other with companionship and motivation. As they neared the park, Diurno found a second wind and surged ahead. Bangwa, embracing the spirit of the race, let him go, ultimately finishing with a time of 10 hours and 54 seconds, becoming the last official finisher. She and Diurno remain in contact.
For Shellie Warren, a 66-year-old family therapist, running the 2019 marathon was a deeply personal pilgrimage. Five years after her son Brett died by suicide, she decided to honor his qualifying spot in the race. Brett had been a record-setting high school runner, and Warren, who had not previously considered herself an athlete, took up walking as a form of emotional healing. The marathon became an essential journey of grief and remembrance. Despite experiencing severe back spasms, fatigue, and blisters, and finding emotional resonance with each bridge crossing—particularly the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, where her son had taken his life—Warren persevered. She crossed the finish line around 11:15 p.m., over 12 hours after starting, embracing the title of last-place finisher as a testament to resilience.
