November 1, 2015, Queens, NY In 1979, The Sugarhill Gang ushered hip-hop into the conscious awareness of “the many” with their hit song, “Rappers Delight.” Today in New York City, the TCS New York Marathon is a “Runners Delight.”
Geographically speaking, no sporting event in New York City is as large and inclusive as the New York City Marathon. Actor Ethan Hawke and former tennis player James Blake will join over 50,000 enthusiastic runners, many who are world class. This is the 45th running of the New York City Marathon, and each year, the event gets larger.
The NYC Marathon was the brainchild of Fred Lebow and Vince Chiapetta, and was held in Central Park. There were 127 participants (one woman), and only 55 of them finished the race. The budget was a whopping $1,000, and the entry fee was a buck.
As sponsorship support increased and more people participated, the race truly became borough wide in 1976. Forty-five years later we have seen world records established, a slew of champions from Kenya and Ethiopia, wheel-chair bound participants, expansive media coverage, millions in sponsorship dollars, an app that tracks runners’ progress, spectators on every corner of the race, a truly international/global body of runners from all walks of life, huge prize money, and a nation of volunteers.
Film producer, director, and writer, Spike Lee, is the Grand Marshal, and as such, is the first native New Yorker bestowed that title. He filmed a wonderful tribute to New York City, capturing the City’s magnificence with his trademark flair.
Women’s participation in the Marathon is robust and continues to rise. The first woman to participate didn’t finish the race back in 1970. Forty-five years later, women have times equal and better than many men.
There will be over a million live spectators and over 50,000 runners, and the economic impact for New York City according to Mayor Bill deBlasio is $415 million. When asked how New York City can shoulder two big events on the same day, deBlasio said, “First of all, we believe we’re the center of the universe, and now we have the proof. We have the greatest marathon in the world. We have the World Series [on] the same day, and we make it look easy.”
Professor Clifford Benton can reached at @cliffordbenton.