Manhattan teenager to run New York City Marathon on 18th birthday

Lucy Weld, a Manhattan high school senior from the Upper East Side, will run the New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 1. The New York Post reported that the race coincides with her 18th birthday, making her one of the youngest participants to ever complete the event. Race rules require all competitors to be at least 18 years old. [1]

Weld stated to the New York Post that running the five-borough race on her birthday felt like something she had to do. She described feeling excited and a little nervous about taking on the accomplishment as she reaches adulthood. [1]

The annual long-distance event courses through the five boroughs of New York City and is among the largest marathons in the world. The race had 59,135 finishers in 2025 and is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors alongside the Boston and Chicago marathons. [1][6]

Street closures for the marathon route begin on Saturday ahead of the race. The course finishes in Central Park in Manhattan. [3][4][5]