Champion runners join NYRR’s Team Inspire

October 26, 2026

In 1976, when Dave Obelkevich participated in the New York City Marathon, it was a novel experience, especially for Staten Island, which felt like a new frontier. This was the first time the race extended beyond Central Park, introducing runners to neighborhoods and vibrant crowds that were completely unfamiliar to him.

Fast forward 50 years, and he’s still at it—now at the age of 83.

Obelkevich has faced significant challenges along the way, including a broken rib sustained in a cycling accident, emergency surgery due to a leg-threatening aneurysm, and more recently, some unexplained balance issues.

Still, on November 1, he plans to complete his 50th NYC Marathon, holding an unmatched record of finishing every five-borough edition since its inception, despite cancellations in 2012 and 2020.

“It’s hard to imagine a November without the race,” he shared, recalling his best time of 2 hours and 40 minutes in 1982.

Now, 50 years after his first five-borough run, Obelkevich has been named one of 26 runners—one for each mile of the marathon—for the New York Road Runners Team Inspire, which celebrates remarkable personal stories in this year’s event. His fellow participants are running for reasons that include honoring lost family members or facing personal challenges they once thought insurmountable.

The retired music teacher has witnessed the marathon evolve from a small event in Central Park to a worldwide sensation. The race’s first year in 1970 saw only 55 finishers and an entry fee of just $1, while the established five-borough course debuted in 1976, initially conceived as a one-off for America’s Bicentennial, attracting 2,090 runners.

Securing tremendous growth, last year’s marathon welcomed over 59,000 finishers, while more than 240,000 applicants from over 160 nations vied for entry into the 2026 race—though just around 1% gained access through the lottery.

Obelkevich has completed 115 marathons and over 200 ultramarathons nationwide, noting significant changes over the years, particularly the marked increase in female participants—from just 62 women finishing in 1976 to more than 27,000 last year, according to Rob Simmelkjaer, CEO of NYRR. Neighborhoods that were once quiet have now become vibrant with enthusiastic supporters.

Throughout all the changes, the core spirit of determination among runners endures. Obelkevich understands this deeply; in 1997, just weeks before the marathon, he broke his ribs but still managed to adjust his running pace and finish in 4 hours and 9 minutes. In 2020, a serious aneurysm led to emergency surgery, resulting in months of rehabilitation.

Even with these setbacks, he returned to running, albeit with a different approach. “After my injury, I couldn’t train like before and had to slow my pace, which made each finish even sweeter,” he reflected.

In 2023, he started competing as an athlete with a disability due to his unidentified balance problems. His stepdaughter, Maria T. Finch, ran her first two NYC Marathons with him in earlier years, and since 2024, she has been by his side as his guide. This year, his plan is to take it slower, focusing more on walking the course, aiming to finish within eight hours.

“It would take something monumental to stop me from running,” he quipped in a past interview, and nearly a decade later, he continues to show that commitment.

For Julianna Mangano, this marathon represents a different, more personal connection related to loss rather than tradition in running. The 26-year-old’s roots in the starting borough run deep; her grandparents immigrated from Italy and settled in Staten Island, near where the race kicks off.

Among her closest relatives was her cousin Bernard Frank Veneziano, who was athletic and devoted to his family. Tragically, Bernard passed away from a cardiac arrest during a jog at just 23 years old in November 2020.

Just days after his passing, Mangano took to running as a way of connecting with him, reflecting on one of his favorite phrases about life’s unpredictability. This year, she’ll be running her first marathon on the same five-borough route in honor of Bernard, aiming to complete what he could not.

“No race or medal could truly capture who he was,” she noted, “but I know he would have loved this part of the journey.”

On race day, with the support of her family, she anticipates a mix of emotions, looking back on both the struggles and achievements that will flow through her as she wears that medal, symbolizing both of their journeys.

For some runners, like Dennis LeVasseur, the marathon is a tribute to memories and experiences tied to the past. A retired fire chief from Massachusetts, LeVasseur arrived in New York with a rescue team following the 9/11 attacks, witnessing the tragic scene and memory that transformed the city.

This will be his first New York marathon, marking a significant moment as he also aims to raise funds for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

Having visited Manhattan many times since that tragic day, he looks forward to experiencing its vibrancy alongside countless supporters cheering along the marathon route.

Then there’s Jaclyn “Jackie” Corin, a survivor of the Parkland school shooting and an advocate against gun violence. After discovering running while studying for her master’s in public policy, she realized it offered her a much-needed escape from her advocacy work. This November, she’ll run with a team from March For Our Lives, the organization she co-founded.

Although she grew up in Parkland, her New Yorker roots run deep through her late father. As she takes on the marathon, she wishes he could be there to share in the experience, hoping to remember his spirit throughout the race.

“I don’t care what my finish time is,” she asserted. “I just want to savor running through New York City and making some memories.”