New York — Fans Pack First Avenue Near NYC Marathon's Mile 15

Fans crowded the sidewalks of Manhattan's First Avenue on Sunday as the New York City Marathon field, which organizers put at roughly 60,000 runners, passed through a stretch adjacent to the race's notoriously quiet mile 15, according to the New York Post.

Why Is Mile 15 Called the Marathon's Loneliest Stretch?

Mile 15 of the 26.2-mile course falls on the Queensboro Bridge, a mile-long span that carries runners from Queens into Manhattan without street-level crowds, the Post reported. Fatigue tends to set in during that section, making the noise that greets runners once they turn onto First Avenue in Manhattan especially pronounced, according to the outlet.

Who Gathered on First Avenue to Cheer Runners?

The Post described the avenue, lined with bars and restaurants, as the site of the loudest cheering of the race this year. Among the crowd were Alexa Little, 33, of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Kylie Little, both dressed in pink alongside roughly 20 family members, the outlet reported.

What Motivated the Group Supporting Emily Kellog?

The group had turned out for Emily Kellog, a 29-year-old runner with stage-four breast cancer who trained through chemotherapy to compete, Alexa Little told the Post. "She trained all through her chemotherapy in order to run here today," Little said, according to the outlet. "This is her first marathon, and she's running it with her sister who's also running for the first time. The whole family will be here wearing pink — about 20 of them. She's incredibly determined. This is her dream."

How Did Four Delaware Students Surprise Their Coach?

Four high school track athletes from Delaware — Alexander Ortega, Alexis Haase, Sophia Harrison and Liam Harrington — drove to New York and arrived before dawn to surprise their cross-country coach, Katrina Holloway, 50, the Post reported. Holloway was running the marathon to raise money for cystic fibrosis research, according to the outlet.

Harrison, 18, a student at Conrad Schools of Science in Wilmington, carried a sign signed by the full team. "She doesn't know we're here, but she's definitely going to spot us," Harrison said, per the Post. The students said they planned to shout back the encouragement Holloway had given them during the team's Champions season, the outlet reported.

What Do the Numbers Show About This Year's Field?

• Field size: approximately 60,000 runners, described by the Post as a record for the race.
• Mile marker: mile 15 falls on the Queensboro Bridge, the course's longest stretch without spectators.
• Wake-up call: the Delaware group left home at 3 a.m. to reach the course in time, according to the outlet.

The Post did not report official finishing times or winners in the portion of its account covering the First Avenue crowd, and HTT News could not independently verify crowd-size estimates beyond what the outlet published.

Timeline of the Morning

• Early hours: the four Delaware students depart at 3 a.m. for the drive to New York, per the Post.
• Race morning: roughly 60,000 runners start the marathon across the five boroughs.
• Mile 15: runners cross the Queensboro Bridge in relative quiet, fatigue building, according to the outlet.
• First Avenue: runners are met with the race's loudest cheering section, including Kellog's family in pink and Holloway's surprised students, the Post reported.