Zohran Mamdani isn’t afraid to be on his feet. During his successful campaign to become mayor of New York City, Mamdani walked the length of Manhattan and ran the New York City Marathon—twice—all while chatting with locals along the way.
Before he first ran NYC in 2022, Mamdani said he’d never been much of a runner. But after finishing in 6:04:52 on a warm day, he returned to the race in 2024, where he improved his personal best, running 5:38:10.
Now, Mamdani is bringing running back to the center of his platform. On Thursday morning, Mamdani will announce that he’s partnering with the New York Road Runners to launch 2K for 2-K, a two-kilometer race on June 7 to celebrate New York City’s new 2-K child care program.
Held in Fort Tryon Park in upper Manhattan, the 2K race (1.24 miles) will be free to enter, and there will be shorter races for younger children. The 2-K child care program will launch later this year with 2,000 seats for families in four initial communities, and then it will expand citywide over the next four years. Families in those communities must apply by June 26.
Courtesy Zohran Mamdani Office
Mamdani, along with New York Governor Kathy Hochul, first announced the 2-K program on January 8—on the eighth day of his administration.
“This January, we drew the starting line for universal child care,” Mamdani said in a press release on Thursday. “Later this summer, the first 2,000 families will receive life-changing offers for free, full-day, full-year child care for their 2-year-olds. But this work is a marathon, not a sprint. We are building a city where every family, no matter where they live or how much money they earn, has access to the care they need to build a life in New York City.”
“This race is about bringing families together to raise awareness about 2-K, and giving New York’s cutest the running start they deserve,” he continued.
Runner’s World spoke with Mamdani over email about the new 2K race, what he loves about running, and the moment his NYC Marathon took an unexpected turn. This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
Runner’s World: What was your favorite moment from running the NYC Marathon?
Zohran Mamdani: The marathon brings New York City together in a way few things can. You see New Yorkers from every borough lining the streets, cheering on complete strangers like they’re family. What stays with you is that feeling that when you cross the finish line, you do it with the entire city beside you.
How does running tie into child care policy?
You might think running is a solitary sport. Just like you might think raising a kid is one family’s job alone. But both things require community.
For far too long, government worked for the wealthy and well-connected while everyday New Yorkers had to struggle on their own. The movement that brought us to City Hall showed what is possible when people come together around a shared vision for this city.
Universal child care is part of that vision. Because every child deserves a running start. And every parent deserves the peace of mind that comes with knowing their child is cared for.
How much did you run while training for the NYC Marathon?
I trained for months with my friend Nikhal—I wasn’t great about doing my short runs during the week, but we’d always do a long run over the weekend. We’d head out around 6 or 7 a.m. and build distance each week, maxing out at 20 miles.
New York Road Runners//Getty Images
Mamdani raced both the 2022 and 2024 NYC Marathons in a shirt that said: “Eric Adams Raised My Rent!”
How much do you run now (if any)?
Sadly, barely. I’ve snuck in a couple miles every few weeks but nothing more.
What do you enjoy about running?
The rhythm, the repetition, and the time to think.
Do you know your running PRs? Mile, 5K, etc.
Just that they’re not that good … Only upside of being so slow is that PRing isn’t that tough.
When a guy in Greenpoint offered me a cigarette around 10 miles [into the NYC Marathon]. I’d had a pretty good race until that point (by my standards) but, for some reason, I decided to smoke for a moment as I ran by and the rest of the race went downhill pretty quickly.
What role does fitness/exercise/recreation play in your vision for the city? I know you recently rode the Five Boro Bike Tour and created a street soccer program.
A city should make it easy for people to be outside. That means safe streets, protected bike lanes, parks that are well maintained, and programming that brings communities together. As many people know, I have been an avid cyclist for years. Our administration has prioritized building the infrastructure so bikers, like me, can travel around our city safely and efficiently.
Programs like Soccer Streets are another way of reclaiming public space for people. Every kid deserves places they can play. Our job as a city is to make that possible.
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Theo Kahler is the senior news editor at Runner’s World. He’s a former all-conference collegiate runner at Winthrop University, and he received his master’s degree in liberal arts studies from Wake Forest University, where he was a member of one of the top distance-running teams in the NCAA. Kahler has reported on the ground at major events such as the Paris Olympics, U.S. Olympic Trials, New York City Marathon, and Boston Marathon. He’s run 14:20 in the 5K, 1:05:37 in the half marathon, and finished 40th at the 2025 New York City Marathon. He enjoys spotting tracks from the sky on airplanes. (Look for colorful ovals around football fields.)