NEW YORK, NY — New York Road Runners has named the 26 runners who make up Team Inspire for the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon, a group chosen for stories that reflect the reach and emotional pull of the race.
The announcement comes 26 days before Marathon Sunday, which will be held Nov. 1. Each runner represents one mile of the 26.2-mile course, a symbolic match that NYRR uses to spotlight the breadth of the field.
This year’s race will also mark the 50th anniversary of the five-borough course, first run in 1976. NYRR said the event continues to connect elite competitors, first-timers, charity runners, and longtime marathoners in one citywide celebration.
How Team Inspire reflects the marathon's scale and tradition
NYRR said Team Inspire is meant to capture the diversity of the marathon field, not just in running ability but in background, age, hometown, and motivation. The selected athletes include people from New York City neighborhoods, other parts of the United States, and abroad.
Among them are first-time marathoners, final finishers, runners returning after life-changing health events, and athletes who have been tied to NYRR programs for years. The lineup also includes people running for causes such as cancer care, domestic violence support, disability inclusion, mental health awareness, and adaptive sports access.
Rob Simmelkjaer, CEO of New York Road Runners, said the marathon often draws its deepest inspiration from everyday runners. He said their resilience and determination show that the race is about more than distance and time.
The marathon's milestone year and its place in New York City
The 2026 marathon arrives at a notable moment in the event’s history. The race first moved through all five boroughs in 1976, a change that helped define the modern version of the marathon and tied the event more closely to New York City itself.
NYRR said this year’s race is expected to again draw nearly 60,000 participants and more than 2 million spectators. Last year, the event set a record with 59,219 finishers, the largest total in marathon history at the time for the second year in a row.
The organization described the marathon as one of the most inclusive and accessible sporting events in the world. For many runners, the day is as much about shared experience and neighborhood energy as it is about personal achievement.
Charity fundraising remains a major part of Marathon Sunday
Alongside the race itself, NYRR is also using the 2026 marathon to advance its fundraising goals. The nonprofit is aiming to raise $100 million through its Official Charity Partner Program, which is marking its 20th anniversary this year.
Since the program began, runners have raised nearly $700 million for more than 1,000 nonprofits around the world. Team Inspire includes several athletes running to support specific causes, including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and the Endometriosis Foundation.
Other runners are using the race to support broader efforts such as disability rights, climate-related initiatives, and public health. NYRR said the charity program has become a central part of the marathon’s identity and reach.
Runners whose lives were changed by illness, injury, and loss
Several of the Team Inspire runners are returning to the marathon after major medical challenges. Among them is Alan Kaufman of Queens, who has continued racing after being diagnosed with stage IV melanoma in his brain and lungs.
Sarah Sleva of Pittsburgh is preparing for her first marathon after a diagnosis of stage IV endometriosis led to major surgeries. Kyle Stepp of Albuquerque, who lost his leg after a mountain biking accident following years of pain from osteosarcoma, will race while raising money for NYRR’s Team for Climate.
The list also includes Mildred Baker of the Bronx, who discovered NYRR Striders in her late seventies and will run her first marathon at age 80. For NYRR, these stories are part of what gives the marathon its enduring public appeal.
Stories of identity, family, and belonging shape this year's field
Other runners are taking on the marathon as a personal statement about identity and belonging. Brianna Messina of Long Island said this will be her first marathon since coming out as a transgender woman, and she is running to affirm that she is still herself through change.
Shaden Awad of Queens is running in a hijab to increase visibility for Muslim women, while Giovanni Kyle Sabio of Brooklyn says running has given him therapy, confidence, and community after growing up unhoused. Smita Rajgopal of New York is also using the race to challenge stigma around bipolar I disorder.
NYRR said the field includes runners whose stories speak to representation in the sport as much as to athletic preparation. Together, they reflect the wide range of experiences that come to the starting line each November.
From 1976 finishers to first-time marathoners, the list spans generations
Team Inspire also includes runners whose connection to the marathon stretches across generations. Fred Abramowitz of Fort Collins, Colo., first ran the New York City Marathon in 1976 and has since completed more than 100 marathons and ultramarathons.
Dave Obelkevich of New York is described by NYRR as the longest-running marathon streaker and the only person to have completed every New York City Marathon since the course expanded to all five boroughs in 1976. Others, such as Caleb Prewitt of Jacksonville, Fla., are preparing to make history of their own as firsts in their families and communities.
By spotlighting runners from childhood survivors to longtime veterans of the sport, NYRR is tying this year’s race to both memory and forward motion. The organization said the stories are meant to show how running can mark endurance, recovery, and personal change over time.
