New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani played the role of a marathon volunteer on Sunday, wearing a green vest over his rolled-up suit sleeves. He handed out water to runners and cheered them on during the 2026 New York City Marathon.
According to reports, Mamdani was stationed near the 13-mile mark in Long Island City, where he handed out water and high-fived runners. He has participated in the marathon before, running in 2022 and 2024. Last year, he wore a T-shirt drawing attention to the city’s housing and rent crisis. This time, he wore a black cap bearing the words “Faster government.”
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New York City hosts one of the world’s biggest marathons each year, drawing tens of thousands of runners. The 2026 edition marked the 50th anniversary of the race. The course took runners through Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan before finishing in Central Park. Nearly 60,000 people took part this year.
The New York City Marathon began in 1970. For its first six years, the race was held entirely in Central Park, with runners completing multiple loops. In 1976, the course was expanded beyond the park to mark the U.S. bicentennial and help lift the city’s spirits during a difficult period. The race eventually became one of New York City’s marquee events.
The 2026 edition also featured a route change for the first time in 15 years. At Mile 20, where the race entered the Bronx, organizers reduced the number of turns from seven to five to ease street closures in the borough.
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Sweden’s Andreas Almgren won the men’s race in his debut, while Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui won the women’s race for the second time.
Mamdani’s involvement in the marathon drew praise on social media. One user on X called him the “Best mayor ever.”
“Dude is out there at the marathon handing out water and when runners realize amazing things happen … how can you hate this guy,” another X user wrote.
“Now I need to go and see who the mayor is in my city is, because I haven’t seen them in a while. Meanwhile I see @mayormamdani more than I see ours. Let me go vote,” an Instagram user said.