There are plenty of ways to experience Marathon Sunday in New York City.
You can run 26.2 miles.
You can stand on the sidelines cheering until your voice disappears.
You can volunteer, provide medical support, direct traffic, keep the streets moving or simply become part of the enormous human energy that takes over New York every marathon weekend.
And then there are the people making sure everyone has something to eat.
Mood caught up with the team from Mush, who were out on the marathon route handing out Mush protein bars to spectators, volunteers, police officers, medical teams, and, of course, the runners.
“What are you doing out here?” we asked.
The answer was simple: supporting the people supporting the marathon.
They were passing out Mush bars to practically everyone helping make Marathon Sunday happen, from the medical teams to law enforcement to volunteers and spectators.
Because while the runners may be the stars of the day, it takes an entire city to put on the show.
More Than a Snack
Mush is a protein-focused food brand that has found a particularly natural audience among people who are constantly on the move.
And marathon weekend is basically one giant test of that theory.
Runners need fuel. Volunteers need fuel. Spectators who have been standing on the street for hours need fuel. And apparently, even the people making sure everyone else is fueled need a little fuel themselves.
But the story behind Mush goes deeper than simply creating something convenient to eat.
According to the brand ambassadors we spoke with, Mush was created by a woman who was looking for a solution for her sister, who had type 2 diabetes.
Her sister needed food options that wouldn’t cause her blood sugar to spike, while the founder herself was also a runner.
Two needs came together.
The result was Mush.
It is an interesting reminder that some of the best products don’t begin in a corporate boardroom with a marketing strategy.
Sometimes they begin at home.
Sometimes they begin with a family member asking, “Why can’t I eat this?”
And sometimes they begin with someone realizing that the solution they need might be useful to thousands of other people, too.
Women Behind the Brand
There was another detail that caught our attention.
Mush is a women-owned brand.
The women we met on Marathon Sunday weren’t the owners themselves. They described their roles as managers and brand ambassadors, representing the brand and getting the product into the hands of the people who needed it.
And that matters.
Because when we talk about women-owned businesses, the conversation shouldn’t stop with the founder.
There is an entire ecosystem of women working behind the scenes to build brands, manage operations, represent products, create relationships and get those products into the marketplace.
The woman who creates the company.
The woman who manages it.
The woman who represents it.
The woman who tells the story.
The woman who puts the product into your hand on a cold Marathon Sunday morning.
All of them are part of the story.
Where Can You Find Mush?
Of course, after tasting something on the street, the next question is always:
Where can I get this?
Mush has a store locator on its website where customers can enter their ZIP code and find nearby retailers.
And because availability can vary from store to store, the locator can also help shoppers determine which products are actually carried at a particular location.
Mush products are available through major retailers including Whole Foods, Target and Sprouts, as well as stores nationwide.
So if your Marathon Sunday discovery turned into a “Wait, where can I buy these?” moment, there is a way to find the closest location carrying them.
And yes, you can shop online, too.
From Family Need to Runner Fuel
What makes the Mush story particularly fitting for Marathon Sunday is the connection between health, movement and real life.
The founder wasn’t simply creating a product because protein bars sounded like a good business idea.
She was responding to a need within her own family while also drawing from her own experience as a runner.
That combination of personal experience and entrepreneurship is often where meaningful products begin.
And it is especially fitting to see Mush on a marathon route.
The New York City Marathon is about endurance, but endurance isn’t only about the person crossing the finish line.
It is about preparation.
It is about knowing what your body needs.
It is about finding the energy to keep going when the excitement wears off and the miles start adding up.
And sometimes, it’s about having somebody standing on the side of the road saying, essentially:
Here. Eat this. Keep going.
The Marathon Is a Citywide Team Sport
One of the most interesting things about Marathon Sunday is how many people have to participate for one person to run.
There are runners.
There are coaches.
There are families.
There are spectators.
There are police officers.
There are medical professionals.
There are volunteers.
There are vendors.
There are brand ambassadors.
There are businesses.
And there are countless New Yorkers who simply wake up and decide to help make the day happen.
That’s what makes the marathon feel less like an individual sporting event and more like a citywide cultural experience.
Everyone has a role.
Mush found theirs by showing up with fuel.
And honestly, that’s not a bad role to have.
Question of the Day
What is the one thing you need to keep you going when you’re chasing a big goal: motivation, community, discipline, or simply the right fuel?
Stay in the Mood
Sometimes we think the big moments are powered by the people in the spotlight.
But look closer.
They’re powered by the people handing out water.
The people directing traffic.
The people treating an injury.
The people cheering from the sidewalk.
The people passing out a protein bar.
The people saying, “Keep going.”
That’s the Mood lesson from Marathon Sunday: you don’t always have to be the person crossing the finish line to help someone else reach theirs.
Sometimes your job is simply to show up with what somebody else needs.
And that’s pretty powerful fuel.
