When George Hirsch helped found the first New York City Marathon in 1970, he wasn’t thinking of a second run. Only 127 runners took part in its first sprint, a four lap trek around Central Park. Today, the marathon stretches across the five boroughs, with a runner count surpassing 50,000.
“The New York City Marathon: The Great Race” at the Museum of the City of New York captures the marathon and its history through 120-plus photographs and mementos.
“More than a million people have run the marathon at this point; it’s a day that is a part of the fabric of NYC,” said exhibition curator Sean Corcoran. The museum collaborated with media outlets and New York Road Runners in putting the exhibition together.
Both amateur and professional photographers submitted images for the show.
