NEW YORK CITY (WABC) — Our Eyewitness News anchors Liz Cho and Mike Marza successfully completed the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday.
Mike finished in 3:50:39. While it was Mike’s second marathon, it was Liz’s first. She finished in 4:15:07.
Both Liz and Mike were running in support of the Alzheimer’s Association to honor their beloved friend and colleague Bill Ritter.
Bill announced he was stepping away from the anchor desk in June 2026 after his diagnosis with early stage Alzheimer’s. Since then, Bill has made it his mission to report on the disease while living with it in his “Living with Alzheimer’s” series.
It was an emotional reunion with Bill as Liz and Mike crossed the finish line in Central Park.
Liz told Bill that the experience was “spectacular” and she saw “so much joy” out on the race track.
“Every time I thought I was getting really low, I saw Kemberly, I saw Pedro, then I saw Dani. It just fueled me,” Liz said. ” I saw my mom and Lulu (Liz’s daughter) at mile eight and it was just the most spectacular experience.”
Mike told Bill that it was an “incredible day,” for Liz, Bill, himself and the Alzheimer’s Association.
“It was so courageous and brave when you announced that you (Bill) were battling Alzheimer’s,” Mike told Bill. “You give so much to so many people, including me. If I could give an ounce of grit that you showcase…that’s what I’m trying to do.”
“You’ve just done it… getting Alzheimer’s out in the public,” Bill told Mike.
Since announcing their participation in September, Mike and Liz spent time preparing for the marathon and raising funds for the Alzheimer’s Association. Over the past few weeks, Liz was battling an injury, but pushed through and finished strong.
Congratulations to Liz and Mike on an incredible accomplishment. All of us at Eyewitness News are proud of the commitment, perseverance and countless hours of training they put in for a remarkable race.
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To learn more about the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon, click here. Find more coverage from Eyewitness News at abc7ny.com/nycmarathon.
ABC 7 / WABC-TV and ESPN2 have been home to the award-winning TCS New York City Marathon broadcast since 2013.
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