There are days when New York feels like New York.
And then there are days when New York feels like something else entirely.
Sunday was one of those days.
Walking up and down First Avenue during the TCS New York City Marathon, I kept having the strangest thought: This feels like Christmas.
Not the commercial Christmas. Not the department-store Christmas. Not the Christmas where you’re running around trying to remember whether you bought Aunt Linda’s gift.
I mean the feeling of Christmas.
That rare New York moment when people seem genuinely happy to be together.
Strangers cheering for strangers.
People laughing.
People waving.
People screaming encouragement at runners whose names they had never heard before and would probably never hear again.
And somehow, for one Sunday, one of the toughest cities in the world felt incredibly soft.
New York, We Needed This
Let’s be honest.
New York is not always gentle.
This is a city that demands something from you.
You hustle. You work. You commute. You squeeze onto trains. You navigate crowded sidewalks. You pay New York rent. You figure things out. You keep moving because stopping isn’t always an option.
There is a toughness that comes with being a New Yorker.
So watching that toughness transform into encouragement was something special.
The marathon gave New Yorkers permission to celebrate one another.
And we took full advantage of it.
By the time I was walking along First Avenue, the energy was already building. The crowds were getting larger. The cheering was getting louder. And the longer the race continued, the more the street began to feel like one enormous celebration.
The First Runners Changed the Mood
One of the most moving parts of the day came early, when adaptive athletes began making their way through the course.
Some competitors weren’t running in the traditional sense.
They were using handcycles and adaptive equipment, powering themselves forward with their arms.
Think about that for a moment.
The same marathon.
The same 26.2 miles.
The same streets.
But a completely different physical challenge.
And the crowd understood what it was witnessing.
People weren’t simply watching a race.
They were watching determination.
You could hear it in the cheering.
You could feel it in the way people responded as each athlete came through.
There was something deeply human about watching someone use everything they had to keep moving forward.
And perhaps that is why the marathon resonates so deeply with New Yorkers.
Because New Yorkers understand what it means to keep moving.
The Crowd Became Part of the Race
As the hours passed, something remarkable happened.
The crowd grew.
You would think that after watching runners for hours, people would get tired and go home.
But somehow, the opposite happened.
More people appeared.
More families came out.
More people stood along the barricades.
More music, more shouting, more signs, more laughter.
And the race just kept coming.
I had been outside since around 10 in the morning, and by six o’clock, the marathon was still part of the day’s conversation.
That’s a long time.
Twenty-six point two miles is a long way.
But there is something about watching people pursue something difficult that makes you want to stay.
You start out cheering for the runners.
Then you’re cheering for the city.
Then you’re cheering because everybody else is cheering.
And before you know it, you’re emotionally invested in a stranger wearing bib number 37,421.
That’s New York.
East Harlem Was Watching
Our offices are on First Avenue, so the marathon literally came through our neighborhood.
And that gave me an opportunity to watch something I think we don’t talk about enough: the effect of major events on East Harlem’s community spirit.
People were outside.
Businesses were open.
Neighbors were watching.
Visitors were moving through the neighborhood.
And East Harlem became part of one of the world’s most recognizable sporting events.
That matters.
Because tourism isn’t only about monuments and museums.
Sometimes tourism is about being exactly where something extraordinary is happening.
And on Sunday, something extraordinary was happening right here.
The Marathon’s Real Finish Line
The official finish line may have been in Central Park.
But the emotional finish line belonged to the entire city.
It belonged to the runner who had trained for months.
The person cheering for a stranger.
The police officer keeping everyone safe.
The medical team standing ready.
The volunteers handing out water.
The businesses serving customers.
The family waiting behind the barricades.
The adaptive athlete pushing forward with every ounce of strength.
And the New Yorker who simply stepped outside and decided to cheer.
That’s what made Marathon Sunday feel different.
For one day, New York wasn’t asking what you did for a living.
It wasn’t asking how much money you made.
It wasn’t asking what neighborhood you came from.
It wasn’t asking whether you were a visitor or a lifelong New Yorker.
It simply gave everyone something to cheer about.
And maybe that’s why it felt a little like Christmas.
Because every once in a while, this city reminds us that beneath all the hustle, ambition, noise and toughness, New York still knows how to come together.
Question of the Day
What New York event makes you stop, look around and remember why you love living here?
Stay in the Mood
New York can be tough.
But maybe that’s exactly why moments like Marathon Sunday matter so much.
They remind us that toughness isn’t the only thing that makes this city great.
We can be tough and generous.
Ambitious and joyful.
Independent and connected.
For one Sunday, thousands of strangers gave each other something completely free:
encouragement.
And maybe we could use a little more of that every day.
Because sometimes the person running beside you isn’t your competition.
They’re your reminder that somebody else is still moving forward, too.
