NYC Marathon Walk

by Laury Clark, Bridget Stark-Merklein and Maureen Barodin

Nearly 50,000 runners and walkers spent the first Sunday in November pounding the pavement from Staten Island to Central Park in the NYC Marathon—but for many people, covering 26.2 miles in a single day seems a distant dream. Still, every one of those local heroes began with a walk or jog around the block—and walking or running along the streets of this city are a wonderful way to claim it for your own!

A runner who took twice as long as the 2022 winners to cover the marathon distance put it this way, “I’m a running tourist—I love running through all the different neighborhoods and getting to know the city I call home.” The good news is, you don’t have to cover 26 miles in one day or even in a week to experience the same kind of emotional high and appreciation for the sights, sounds, and smells of New York City.

With Shorewalkers, you can travel nearly every bridge in the 5 boroughs (except the Verrazano, open to pedestrians only on Marathon day); you can stroll the highs (Sunset Park) and lows (City Island), amble through renowned parks and hidden gems, and hear hike leaders share how the history of New York has unfolded along its streets and waterways for centuries.

You may not be eligible for a Marathon medal, but you could get a cool hat, a sturdy backpack, or a colorful T-shirt for joining the Great Saunter or the Fall Saunter Challenge. Sign up today to join a walk along the Hudson or a jaunt through Staten Island’s Greenbelt—and discover what so many others have: that the best way to own this town is to walk it, street by street, and mile by mile.