ABC News Video Shows Volunteers Who Keep NYC Marathon Running

Thousands of volunteers worked the sidelines of the New York City Marathon this year so that nearly 60,000 runners could finish the course, according to a video report published by ABC News on October 31, 2026.

What does the ABC News video show?

The ABC News report focuses on the people standing off to the side while runners pass by. The network's description of the video states plainly that the nearly 60,000 people running the race "would not be there without the help of thousands of volunteers on the sidelines," according to ABC News.

How many runners took part this year?

ABC News reports the field was close to 60,000 runners. That figure covers everyone who started the race course, from elite competitors to first-time finishers. The network did not break the number down by category, age, or home country in the published material.

How many volunteers helped, and where?

The ABC News video describes the volunteer corps only as "thousands" of people stationed along the sidelines. The report does not specify exact headcounts for water stations, medical tents, or finish-line crews, nor does it name specific cross streets or boroughs where volunteers were posted. Readers looking for station-by-station detail will need to watch the full video segment at the source link above.

Why does a marathon need that many volunteers?

"They would not be there without the help of thousands of volunteers on the sidelines."

That line, drawn directly from the ABC News video description, is the core claim of the report. It frames volunteer labor as a condition for the race happening at all, not just a nice extra. The video itself, rather than a written transcript, carries the specifics of what those volunteers were doing on course.

What should readers watch for next?

• Watch the full ABC News segment for footage of volunteers at work along the route: abcnews.com/video/137733772.
• Compare this year's nearly 60,000-runner field to past New York City Marathon turnout once official results are posted by race organizers.
• Look for follow-up local coverage naming specific volunteer stations, since the ABC News report does not break that down.
• Check whether any volunteer organizations issue their own participation numbers in the days after the race.

Where can people watch the video?

The clip is hosted on ABC News' video platform and was published October 31, 2026, the day before marathon weekend coverage ramped up across the network's other segments, including unrelated race-week pieces such as a runner's 50th consecutive New York City Marathon, per ABC News. That separate story is not about volunteers and was not the subject of this report.

For now, the volunteer count itself remains described only in general terms. Anyone wanting hard numbers on staffing levels, station locations, or shift lengths will need to wait for marathon organizers or ABC News to publish additional detail beyond the October 31 video.