The New York City Marathon attracts athletes, their supporters and spectators from all over the world.  Encompassing all five boroughs, the 26-mile marathon is a symphony of inspiration and diversity.

Zoom NYC sent reporters to every corner of the course to find some of the stories behind the race. From Staten Island to the Bronx to the finish line in Central Park, we spoke to volunteers, family members and the athletes themselves to find out what makes this city’s marathon a truly New York experience.

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Mile One: Bay Ridge Bandits
At the 10-minute countdown on race day, marathoner Tim Muckell is not at the starting line. Instead Muckell sits at the bar-counter of a Bay Ridge café, clad in red, white and blue American flag short-shorts and a 2008 ING New York City souvenir shirt — ready to jump into the race. Kelly Koopmans reports.

Mile 7: Spattered with Gatorade, Marathon Volunteers Keep Beaming
Hundreds of volunteers braced themselves, grabbing as many cups as they could carry with cries of “Here they come,” as the first wave of runners arrived at mile 7 of the New York City Marathon. Yepoka Yeebo reports from Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. Also view a slideshow of this event.

Mile 13: Bringing a Smile to the Big Apple, One Banana at a Time
The 12-mile mark of Greenpoint and the 13.1 mile mark of Williamsburg, which leads runners over the Pulaski Bridge into Queens, officially signifies the halfway point in the race.  For marathoners, every bit of support and encouragement from spectators helps. Ann Chang reports.

Mile 14:  Running to the Tune of a Marching Band
The sound of music filled a cold and windy Courthouse Square Sunday afternoon as members of the William C. Bryant High School Concert Band encouraged an extra pep in marathon runners’ steps as they raced along the race’s fourteenth mile in Long Island City. Brandon Walker reports.

Mile 15: Queens Kids Summon Pep for the NYC Marathon
The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation hosted a lock-in for 20 sleepy-looking kids who pitched tents, ate tacos, and made signs for the race – and then woke at 6:45 a.m. for the Marathon. Aaron Lee reports.

Mile 16: A Little Spirit to Keep The Runners Moving
The Queensboro Bridge is the first point of entry into Manhattan for New York City Marathon runners. Reporters Rory Kress and Tammy Mutasa report from the longest uphill stretch of the race.

Mile 17: Looking for a Loved One in a Sea of Faces
Few things test the human body quite like the New York Marathon. For most of the athletes their day consists of 26.2 miles of pain, suffering and willpower. Those who come to watch and support the runners may not be put through their physical paces, but their nervous systems are strained and fingernails chewed as they wait for a glimpse of their loved one.  James de Mellow reports.

Mile 20: Clearing the Brick Wall in the Bronx
Marathon runners have a name for the 20th mile of the race. They call it the brick wall. It is the point when their body shuts down and their spirit quits. But this year, the runners in the ING New York City Marathon got an enthusiastic welcome as they chugged over the Willis Avenue Bridge from Manhattan into the South Bronx. Abigail Wendle reports.

Mile 22: Music, Whistles and Bells
As more than 40,000 runners made their way down Fifth Avenue in Harlem, they were met with met with wave after wave of every kind of music you could think of, from hip hop to blues. In the long-distance foot race made to test human endurance, Fifth Avenue in Harlem became a crucial point for entertainment. And the runners got plenty of it. Gisela Perez-Mauri reports.

Mile 23: Continental Mile
For 364 days of the year, the stretch along 5th Avenue that begins on 82nd Street and ends on 104th Street is known the world over as Museum Mile. But to runners in the New York City Marathon, this stretch is known as Continental Mile. Dan Fastenberg reports.

Mile 26: A Strong (and Inspiring) Finish
Reporter Dan Lieberman talks to a participant from the “Freedom Team,” a program run by Achilles International, a non-profit organization that brings together disabled athletes from around the world for organized sporting events.

Mile 26:  At the End of an Odyssey–Tired but Happy
Eduardo Hernandez was only one of the more than 40,000 racers who crossed the finish line in Central Park — and he made it to the end of the race in a wheelchair, in three hours, 30 minutes and 34 seconds. Yasmine Guerda reports from the finish line.

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