The blue line guiding thousands of runners through New York City’s five boroughs took shape Wednesday as New York Road Runners (NYRR) marked the 50th anniversary of the TCS New York City Marathon with a ceremonial painting along Central Park West and 67th Street.
The ceremony comes as more than 60,000 runners prepare to tackle the 26.2-mile course, and reports say an anticipated 2.2 million spectators will line the streets. To honor the momentous occasion, city officials, race organizers, and descendants of the marathon’s founders gathered on Oct. 28 to paint the blue line, the iconic strip that marks their journey to the finish line and represents five decades of a New York tradition built on community, collaboration, and the determination to bring an ambitious idea to life.
For 2026 TCS New York City Marathon Honorary Grand Marshal George Hirsch, the anniversary is a chance to reflect on the New Yorkers who transformed a local running event into one of the world’s most recognizable sporting traditions.
“This is a New York story: how a group of New Yorkers came together to create something incredible, driven by vision, talent, and determination,” Hirsch said, recalling the contributions of founding New York Road Runners president Ted Corbitt, race co-founder Fred Lebow, political activist George Spitz, and former Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton.
Hirsch grinned as he recalled Corbitt, a soft-spoken Olympic marathoner and respected figure in the running community, and said Lebow brought his organizational and promotional talents to a sport he initially embraced to improve his tennis game. Spitz drew on his extensive network and persistence to champion the race and help secure Sutton’s support. Meanwhile, the former Manhattan Borough President, Sutton, came up with the idea of starting the race in Staten Island.
According to Hirsch, Sutton, a Tuskegee Airman, civil rights activist and attorney for Malcolm X, helped obtain $25,000 from real estate developers Jack and Lou Rudin to bring the vision closer to reality. He also helped secure support from the city’s borough presidents and mayor, and advocated for a course beginning on Staten Island.
The TCS New York City Marathon marked its 50th anniversary with the ceremonial blue-line painting.Photo by Amanda Moses
Fifty years later, Hirsch said returning to witness the marathon’s growth has been a privilege.
“For me, 50 years after the first marathon, and to come back and see this excitement, the energy and what it means to the city now, I feel really privileged to have been part of it,” he told amNewYork. “Enjoy the day, that’s the main thing. Live off the crowds and let the spectators lift you.”
The anniversary also carries personal significance for the founders’ families, including honorary grand marshal Keisha Sutton-James, Percy Sutton’s granddaughter.
Wearing a pink ribbon commemorating 10 years as a breast cancer survivor, Sutton-James recalled receiving a photograph from an NYRR archivist shortly before undergoing surgery in November 2016. The image showed her grandfather reaching for her hand at the marathon’s starting line when she was approximately 5 or 6 years old.
“I knew he was holding me dear right before I went into surgery, and that was all I needed to see,” Sutton-James said.
The photograph arrived at a pivotal moment, offering comfort as she prepared for treatment. Nearly a decade later, the marathon remains deeply intertwined with her family’s history and her own.
“He raised the first $25,000, without which it would not have come to fruition,” she said of her grandfather’s role in establishing the five-borough race. “He’s the person who came up with the idea to start on Staten Island, which even Fred Lebow thought was an insane idea.”
Sutton-James welcomed the recognition of her grandfather’s contributions as he is inducted into the NYRR Hall of Fame, adding that she was delighted to serve as honorary grand marshal in his honor.
For NYRR CEO Rob Simmelkjaer, the anniversary underscores how the marathon has evolved alongside the city it represents.
The TCS New York City Marathon marked its 50th anniversary with the ceremonial blue-line painting.Photo by Amanda Moses
He stated that 50 years ago, New York was grappling with a financial crisis, making the prospect of closing streets across all five boroughs for a marathon seem improbable. What began in 1976 as an ambitious effort to celebrate the nation’s Bicentennial has since become an international sporting event with a significant local impact.
He says the marathon generates nearly $700 million in economic activity for New York City today. Its charitable impact has also grown, marking the 20th anniversary of NYRR’s official charity partner program; organizers announced that fundraising had surpassed $100 million for the first time, supporting more than 670 causes worldwide.
“The Five Borough Marathon didn’t just transform running; it helped uplift New York City, showing the world what is possible when the five boroughs come together as one,” Simmelkjaer said.
That spirit of cooperation remains central to organizing the race, said Ted Metellus, NYRR’s chief event production officer and marathon race director. From coordinating with transportation and public safety agencies to working with community organizations, sponsors and thousands of volunteers, the event depends on partnerships across the city.
Metellus also highlighted a course adjustment in the Bronx, the first in 15 years, developed with city partners to improve the race experience while managing its impact on surrounding communities.
The ceremony’s speeches culminated in citations presented by borough presidents and city officials, with honorees painting multicolored lines near the finish line.