Mile 15 of the New York City Marathon, a stretch that includes the Queensboro Bridge, is known for its quiet isolation. However, on Sunday, this segment leading onto Manhattan's First Avenue transformed into a vibrant celebration as thousands of fans gathered to support the approximately 60,000 runners participating in the event.
Among the spectators were Alexa Little and Kylie Little, who were there to cheer on their friend Emily Kellog, a 29-year-old battling stage-four breast cancer. "She trained all through her chemotherapy in order to run here today," Little said. "This is her first marathon, and she’s running it with her sister who’s also running for the first time. The whole family will be here wearing pink about 20 of them. She’s incredibly determined. This is her dream."
Four high school track stars from Delaware also made the early morning trip to surprise their coach, Katrina Holloway, 50. "She doesn’t know we’re here, but she’s definitely going to spot us," said Sophia Harrison, 18. Holloway was running to raise money for cystic fibrosis. Her students held a sign with signatures from their team and planned to shout inspirational phrases Holloway often uses.
Physical therapist Cristina Fuentes, 29, and her soon-to-be mother-in-law Lane Pandrok, 59, held up large cutouts of Jake Pandrok, 28, Fuentes' fiancé. "Jake has six family members coming today, three of them from Arizona," Fuentes explained. "They’ve been coming to this spot, it’s kind of like a family spot when anyone runs the marathon in the family. It’s a great spot. And the [print-out] heads are just funny, and they work!"
The group also wore shirts that read, "Run Jake, Run! New York Marathon 2026." Fuentes noted the location's energy as runners emerged from the Queensboro Bridge.
The marathon route continued through the five boroughs before concluding in Central Park.