None of Marcus Samuelsson鈥檚 childhood memories took place inside. Growing up in Gothenberg, Sweden, the acclaimed chef, who was born in Ethiopia, spent much of his time on the water fishing or in the forests foraging for mushrooms or lingonberries. His uncles, professional fishermen, would take him with them for their daily catch. Surrounded by a vibrant food culture, Samuelsson apprenticed in kitchens in Switzerland, Austria, and France before moving to New York City in the 1990s. He channeled his love of soccer into long runs through Central Park and beyond, exploring the culinary mecca mostly on foot. He ran and in-line skated his way through Manhattan, first as an apprentice at Aquavit, a Scandinavian restaurant in Midtown, and then as its executive chef. There, Samuelsson became the youngest chef to earn a three-star rating from The New York Times. Samuelsson, now 54, still runs through the city, often dreaming up dishes for his new restaurant, Marcus Addis, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

OUTSIDE: I hear you have a rule: no matter where you are in the world, you exercise four times a week. Often you run. How does a kid from Gothenburg become a lifelong runner?

I think it鈥檚 because I鈥檓 Ethiopian. I grew up watching sports, and . Like them, I found it easy to run. It was something in my veins that I enjoyed, and I鈥檓 light on my feet. I played a lot of soccer as a kid too, but as I grew up and started working in kitchens鈥攈aving less time for team sports鈥擨 started running just to run. Running gives you freedom. You start to think about your outside experience differently than when you鈥檙e playing on a team with a coach, refs, and so many moving parts. It was like skateboarding or biking as a kid鈥攁 sense of freedom and discovery that I really enjoyed.

How did running shape your relationship with New York City?

It became my way to explore. I like to , especially in the early morning, when there aren鈥檛 that many cars. There is a sense of discovery that you can鈥檛 get once a city is fully awake.

But one of my favorite ways to see the city was on Rollerblades. I鈥檇 skate from Midtown down to Chinatown to discover the best food stands, or find places where you can pick up international foods like galangal or different types of ginger that weren鈥檛 [available] in Midtown. The train or a cab was out of my budget, so Rollerblading or running became the ways I got down there.

What makes running in Central Park one of the best places in the world?

If you go for a run in Central Park on a weekend, you meet people from all over the world doing something鈥攎aking music, praying, screaming. Whatever it is, they鈥檙e doing it well. You run past iconic places, like where John Lennon lived. If you run downtown, you see beautiful historic buildings鈥攊t鈥檚 urbanism at its fullest.

How did you decide to run your first marathon? What did your training plan look like?

It was a challenge from my mom. Growing up, she pushed me constantly. She challenged me to open a restaurant in Harlem [Red Rooster, in 2010], and we were arguing about whether I was still an athlete. I鈥檝e always been naturally athletic鈥擨 could roll out of bed and play sports pretty well. But she said, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e not an athlete anymore.鈥� To prove her wrong, I ran my first in 2001鈥攚ithout any proper marathon training. I was only running maybe six miles at a time, and I never built up to twelve or eighteen miles. I paid dearly for it. I don鈥檛 recommend that to anybody.

You鈥檝e gotten involved with run clubs recently. How does running with other people change the experience for you?

I love running with young people. You get into new music, learn new slang and trends鈥攖hat鈥檚 exciting to me. It鈥檚 fun to share space with people who aren鈥檛 part of the chef community. I love that. And people [I meet at run clubs] are always excited to learn I鈥檓 Ethiopian鈥攂ut I鈥檓 probably the slowest Ethiopian you鈥檒l ever meet. I blame it on being Swedish.

Has running altered your relationship with food?

You know, it鈥檚 not just running鈥攊t鈥檚 spending time outdoors with my kids. When fall comes around and it鈥檚 time to pick apples or pumpkins, that鈥檚 such a great way to be outside with the family. Not only does it take them away from their iPads, but it鈥檚 also the kind of food-driven freedom I grew up with. I realized that Swedish freedom is a luxury, and I鈥檓 trying to give my kids that same sense of luxury.

Running is also a good time to meditate on my work. I鈥檇 come to understand umami while running鈥攖hinking about how I can improve my processes and recipes. A lot of that happens during the cerebral thinking process when you鈥檙e running.

Has running ever inspired a dish? Can you share one you came up with while on a run?

At Hav & Mar [his seafood restaurant in Chelsea], we have a dish called Addis York, which really balances New York City life with Addis Ababa. That鈥檚 not a dish I would have come up with in a kitchen. It popped into my head on a run, where I get space from the kitchen and have time to think deeply. I was wondering how to connect these two places and came up with the idea of placing a piece of Ethiopian-spiced fried chicken on top of injera with doro wot stew.

Do you find that running helps you find some zen?

When I travel for work, running takes over my thoughts. Right now, I鈥檓 in Miami for an event, and all I can think about is . Running is decompression time. A lot of people focus on the distance when they run, like it鈥檚 work. For me, it鈥檚 more about the excitement of looking at the ocean or exploring the city.

Why was it important to you to open your restaurant in Addis Ababa?

I have a very strong heritage there: my half-siblings from my father鈥檚 side, my wife鈥檚 brother, and her mom all live there. We travel to Ethiopia often. I鈥檓 really excited about the restaurant because it鈥檚 connected to a school where Ethiopian students have a path to study hospitality, learn to problem-solve, and work together. It gives them a path to a job and a path to success. That makes me really happy.

Why is your work with World Central Kitchen so meaningful to you?

During the pandemic, Jos茅 Andr茅s and World Central Kitchen were among the first people to come to Harlem when we truly, truly needed help. With their support at Red Rooster, we served more than 1,000 people per day for several months.

We recently went to Altadena, California, to help after the fire, and the devastation was shocking. But it also brought out the best in people. In the worst of times, you see real people鈥擜mericans helping Americans. No one cares who鈥檚 a Republican or a Democrat. That makes me proud of the organization and proud to be an American, especially when that can feel challenging.

This piece first appeared in the summer 2025 print issue of 国产吃瓜黑料 Magazine. Subscribe now for early access to our most captivating storytelling, stunning photography, and deeply reported features on the biggest issues facing the outdoor world.

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I live in New York City, where it is a commonly held belief that people walking four abreast on a public sidewalk deserve summary execution. I also run in New York City, often alone but just as often with run clubs鈥攊n other words, in groups of as few as four or as many as a hundred, and on the same extremely crowded streets. And as run clubs grow in popularity, so does the potential for conflict or, at the very least, bad vibes.

Urban run clubs are easy to hate. Early on Saturdays and Sundays, when our fellow citizens are schlepping bleary-eyed in search of coffee, we are bright, fit, and in their faces, breaking the morning calm by shouting 鈥淗eads up!鈥� in our best coach voices. On weekday evenings we鈥檙e out in force as well, flaunting our energy levels and shaming the office workers desperately trying to get home or to a bar. Run clubs have themes that veer from the quotidian (neighborhood, ability, identity) to the easily mocked: Runs that end at a taqueria! Run clubs for singles! Run clubs that aren鈥檛 overtly for singles but are, tbh, really for singles! The group selfies for the 鈥榞ram, the branded merch, the giveaways of goos and gels, the after-parties鈥攊t鈥檚 all a bit much.

(Even I hate run clubs at times, and I run a run club! The Not Rockets, which, you will be pleased to learn, has no social media presence.)

A lot of the hate is simply about space. Any city worth living in doesn鈥檛 have enough of it, so anyone visibly occupying it becomes a target. One group of 50 runners on a riverside esplanade causes a brief bottleneck. Half a dozen such groups running simultaneously provokes outrage鈥攁nd not just because pedestrians are afraid they鈥檒l be trampled by Hokas. It鈥檚 also because, for as long as we runners are there, swarming around the non-runners, we are a hot, sweaty, unignorable sign that no one here has enough room to breathe.

No one expects this to change either radically or soon. After all, New York and other cities鈥攆rom London to San Francisco鈥攈ave always been experiments in density: How many people can you cram into tiny apartments and narrow streets before they start murdering one another? The answer, surprisingly, is 鈥渕illions and millions.鈥� It turns out, we like living this way. As crime rates have dropped nearly everywhere since the 1990s, it feels as if we鈥檝e learned that we can actually get along, despite our infinite differences, by (mostly) trying not to mess with people unnecessarily and also by trying (mostly) not to freak out too badly when someone messes with us unnecessarily.

One of the ways we manage this is by complaining: to friends, co-workers, whoever sees us for twenty-four seconds on their FYP. Run clubs are just the latest, trendiest subject to kvetch about, and it’s my contention that the loudest complainers in fact love run clubs for giving them such a meaty, persistent topic to post about鈥攋ust as runners themselves love to whine about double-wide strollers, lost tourists, and inattentive dog-walkers. It’s a release that allows us all to feel equally self-righteous, to feel that the city belongs to us, whoever we may be, if only for a moment. Because in the backs of our minds, we know who it truly belongs to, the common enemy at which we鈥攔unners and non-runners alike鈥攔eally should direct the full force of our ire, our anger, our hatred: cars.

This piece first appeared in the summer 2025 print issue of 国产吃瓜黑料 Magazine. Subscribe now for early access to our most captivating storytelling, stunning photography, and deeply reported features on the biggest issues facing the outdoor world.听听

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If you鈥檙e a regular traveler like me, you already know this: most airports are awful. You鈥檙e constantly rushing through a crowded terminal, competing with a harried mess of humanity, only to then cram yourself into a narrow seat for a few hours until you get to your next terminal purgatory鈥攎eanwhile, dragging your luggage the whole way. Germs waft through the air. Couples argue about holding each other up in the TSA line. As I write this, I鈥檓 sitting in the F concourse at Minneapolis Saint-Paul listening to a kid whine at NASCAR-engine levels about not getting soft serve ice cream and his Chick-fil-A nuggets.

Airports are the worst.

Except鈥ot all of them. Around the world, there are a growing number of destinations that are making their airports, well, welcoming. A shocking idea, I know. I鈥檝e been to a handful of these miraculous creations (compared to the usual dreadfulness)鈥攊nternational airports like Vancouver, Zurich, and Munich. They鈥檙e clean, organized, and, best of all, have a place to get some fresh air before your next long-haul flight. With this new wave of amenities (and your travel sanity) in mind, here are the best airports in the world, from Asia and the Middle East to right here in North America, that offer incredible open-air areas to soothe your traveling stress.

Singapore Changi Airport, Singapore (SIN)

Don鈥檛 Miss: The Indoor Climbing Area

Changi Airport is a perennial winner of the , thanks to a seemingly never-ending list of Disneyland-like attractions, including a onsite, a on the roof of Terminal 1, and the , at seven stories high. There鈥檚 even an indoor forest, called , with walking paths and a glass walkway that rises 23 meters above the terminal floor, allowing you to trek amongst the treetops. (To see how impressive the full list of attractions is, you can scroll through it .)

For nature lovers, though, the true gem is Changi鈥檚 series of gardens, including Cactus Garden, Sunflower Garden, Enchanted Garden, Petal Garden, and Butterfly Garden. Together, they offer the most complete botanical adventure you鈥檒l get at any airport on earth. And even though some of the gardens are indoors, it鈥檚 hard to tell.

The , for example, is set in a large conservatory designed as a tropical forest, with an 18-foot high grotto waterfall. It鈥檚 home to over 1,000 butterflies from as many as 40 species and, on your way to your gate, you can stop by and stand amidst the flora as the butterflies flutter around you. For a splash of yellow, the is worth a quick stop if you have some time to kill in terminal 2, and the , also in Terminal 2, is designed to offer Shangri-La-like atmosphere, with the sounds of a forest pumped into is a large room dominated by four giant glass bouquet sculptures that are filled with a variety of flowers and ferns.

Perhaps most Zen of all, though, is the on the roof of Terminal 1, which features over 100 species of arid plants from Asia, Africa, and the Americas鈥攅verything from prickly pear cactus to giant ponytail palm trees. It also has a bar and shaded tables, so it may just be the best place to grab a local while you hope for another hour delay on your flight out.

Denver International Airport, Colorado (DEN)

Don鈥檛 Miss: The Ice-Skating Rink

This pick comes with a minor asterisk: the primary outdoor area is before you go through security, so you鈥檒l need to enjoy the al fresco offerings in advance of your flight, but the options are worth the early arrival. The space is called the , and it鈥檚 a large synthetic turf located between the Jeppesen Terminal and the Westin Hotel, underneath the airport鈥檚 famous faux mountain peaks.

In summer, the turf is set up with cornhole games and wooden benches for lounging, and there鈥檚 often live music or other events throughout the season (all of which are free to the public). In the winter months, typically from Thanksgiving to New Year鈥檚, the area features an open-air ice rink with free loaner skates.

Of course, don鈥檛 fret if you鈥檙e running on time and need to get through the TSA line: inside the airport there are three outdoor lounges with seating and fire pits, at Concourse A-West near gate A15; on Concourse B-West at gate B7; and at gate C67 on Concourse C-East.

Zurich Airport, Switzerland (ZRH)

Don鈥檛 Miss: The Outdoor Walking Paths

If you find yourself craving one last view of the Alps before your flight home, , the primary hub for Swiss International Airlines, has an executive lounge with an outdoor terrace that has impressive views of the mountains beyond. The at the Midfield Terminal is open to all travelers for a fee (roughly $50) and, in addition to the outdoor terrace views, you get access to all of the lounge鈥檚 food and drink options, and other amenities.

But the real reason Zurich Airport is on this list is because of its adjacent , a 20-acre park filled with forested walking paths and a modest hill with good views from up top. It鈥檚 a great place to unwind during a long layover or if you get caught waiting for a delayed flight. You鈥檒l need to leave the terminal to access it, but the short walk and fresh air are worth it. During much of the week, there are park rangers who will take you on a , explaining the flora and fauna and how it was designed for maximum relaxation (check the rangers鈥� in advance). There鈥檚 even a free cable car to whisk you into the park in the most Swiss way possible.

From the arrivals area, walk across the parking area to the Circle, the large building adjacent to the terminal that hosts restaurants, hotels, and stores. From there you can take the cable car into Der Park.

Vancouver International Airport, Canada (YVR)

Don鈥檛 Miss: The Digital Light Show

For most passengers headed through , their first introduction (or last farewell) to British Columbia is YVR鈥檚 Chester Johnson Park, located directly adjacent to (and underneath) the Canada Line train station. The park is designed to feel like an , with rock-lined paths, native trees, driftwood benches, and a large wooden sculpture鈥攖he Musqueam Welcome Figure鈥攃urving throughout its length. It鈥檚 also home to the Green Wall, a 17-meter-high vegetated art installation made up of, at last count, 27,391 individual plants.

As for inside the airport itself, there鈥檚 a new 47-foot-high open-air atrium in the international terminal, with three full-grown hemlock trees in the center. Until recently, the glassed-in atrium was only visible to passengers as they commuted past, like looking into a giant terrarium, but you can now open a door and walk out into the atrium for a breath of fresh air. At night, the trees and rock landscape are lit up by digital light projections鈥攆aux waves crashing over the rocks, for example鈥攁nd a corresponding soundscape. The whole experience is designed to showcase the sights and sounds of B.C., and it does just that and more. It may be the most successful attempt of any airport in the world to bring a little bit of the region鈥檚 natural landscape into the airport itself.

Incheon International Airport, South Korea (ICN)

Don鈥檛 Miss: The Indoor Gardens

Among the many attractions for passengers flying into or through South Korea鈥檚 鈥攖he country鈥檚 main international gateway and one of the busiest airports in the world鈥攊s a sprawling, in Terminal 2.

The green features are spread throughout much of the large space, with a mix of flowers, trees, ferns, and bamboo growing from planters situated throughout鈥攊n the floors, dividing walls, large garden spaces, and above kiosks鈥� ceilings, with strands hanging down. Smaller water, rock, cactus, and pine gardens are strategically located across the airport campus, too. Technically, none of these areas are outdoors, but the enormous roof above the main area, with translucent panels in the center, makes it feels as such, which is why we鈥檙e including it on this list.

We鈥檙e also including Incheon because of the airport鈥檚 ongoing plans to add even more green spaces that utilize a variety of plants to create a living, breathing indoor space with healthier air for all visitors. As part of its , the airport also plans to add a terrace with an outdoor garden, so passengers can decompress before their (likely long) overseas flight.

Long Beach Airport, California (LGB)

Don鈥檛 Miss: The Palm Treed Courtyard

, bills itself as 鈥淎merica鈥檚 coolest airport,鈥� and while that moniker is a bit of a stretch, it does have an impressive courtyard with a series of tall palm trees and a drought-tolerant garden. The airport, one of the five major commercial airfields serving the greater Los Angeles metroplex, is the second smallest, with just 11 gates. In such a tiny airport, the 4,200-square-foot courtyard is definitely a unique amenity, one that punches well above its weight.

The courtyard is also ringed by dining options from local establishments, so it鈥檚 an excellent place to grab a bite to eat while you wait for your flight out. For those heading to this side of L.A. or points south along the coastline, LGB is definitely a good choice over LAX (see below).

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

Don鈥檛 Miss: The Private Lounges

For anyone who has traveled through recently, you know it鈥檚 a mess, thanks to a $30 billion overhaul one of the world鈥檚 busiest airports is getting ahead of the , in L.A. By the time construction is done, it will almost be a brand new airport, with new terminals, an elevated train, and an on-site rental-car facility to help eliminate the shuttles current clogging up the passenger pickup/drop-off areas. Already some of the upgrades are beginning to appear, including a series of new lounges with outdoor terraces.

The in Tom Bradley International Terminal (Terminal B) has a large outdoor deck with fire pits, trees, running water, and great views of the Hollywood Hills in the distance ($75 for standard access). The United Club in Terminal 7 is much smaller鈥攎ore a balcony than a lounge鈥攂ut it鈥檚 spacious enough to get some fresh air and does have good views of the tarmac ($59 for a single-entry pass).

The new , which is open to Delta customers traveling with a Delta One ticket, is the company鈥檚 premium lounge, with table service at every seat, a sushi bar, and eight relaxation pods. It also has a large private Sky Deck on the roof, with a landscaped terrace full of chairs, sofas, and enough plants to keep it feeling like a lounge, rather than an extension of the tarmac.

LAX will remain a very urban airport, but with a few spots to sneak in some last-minute SoCal sun, these lounges are worth it, if you can afford them.

Hamad International Airport, Qatar (DOH)

Don鈥檛 Miss: The Indoor Tropical Garden

Yes, this is another entry highlighting a space that is not, technically, outdoors, and yet we promise that visiting 鈥檚 鈥淭he Orchard鈥� will feel more like being in nature than just about any of the other places on this list.

It鈥檚 a massive, 64,000-square-foot set beneath a soaring, translucent roof shaped like the inside of a shell. More than were sourced from around the world to create the indoor garden, and at its center is a 鈥渨ater feature鈥� that is best described as a spiraling waterfall emerging from a slanted halo. At points the faux forest is so lush that you almost forget that you鈥檙e surrounded by roughly five dozen shops, lounges, and restaurants, with hundreds of rushing bodies scrambling to catch their flights. It鈥檚 almost worth a trip to Doha just to see it鈥攐r at least a long layover.

Munich International Airport, Germany (MUC)

Don鈥檛 Miss: The Next-Door Surf Park

This wouldn鈥檛 be Bavaria without beer, so it鈥檚 fitting that not only does have a beer garden onsite, it鈥檚 also an open-air one, with a covered glass roof. Called the, it鈥檚 the first brewery in an airport on earth. It has an indoor tavern for drinking, but the patio offers both fresh air, protection from the occasional rain shower, and food and beers, like the Fliegerquell Lager and the Kumulous Wheat.

Munich Airport also has a 900-square-meter , with seating and binoculars to take in the alpine views on clear days. Across from Terminal 1 is , an extensive outdoor area with grass lawns and trails, a playground area, interactive exhibits, benches for sitting, and a 90-foot-high hill overlooking the area. It鈥檚 an excellent place to stretch the legs before a long flight or burn off some of the kids鈥� energy before boarding.

Oh, and just in case you have half a day to kill, there鈥檚 a brand-new surf park, , just around the corner from the airport. It鈥檚 Germany鈥檚 first wave pool and the largest in Europe, at over 215,000 square feet, capable of churning out waves .听 Getting there is a cinch: it鈥檚 just a five-mute car ride away, literally in the shadow of landing flights.

Bonus Picks: Other Noteworthy Outdoor Areas in North American Airports听

While these airports do have notable outdoor areas, they really can’t compare with our picks for the best airports in the world featured above. That said, they’re still worth calling out on honorable mentions鈥攅specially for domestic travelers鈥攆or these specific reasons.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Texas (AUS)

The accessible to Sapphire Reserve cardmembers, has a large outdoor terrace with seating overlooking the tarmac and Hill Country beyond. The Delta Sky Club, directly adjacent to the Sapphire Lounge, also has outdoor seating, and more outdoor areas are in the works as part of the airport鈥檚 multi-billion-dollar expansion.

San Francisco International Airport, California (SFO)

For ticketed passengers, there鈥檚 a free in the international terminal with seating and excellent views of the airfield and beyond. Three bronze sculptures by local artist Woody Othello decorate the space, at the end of Boarding Area G. For plane-watching, there鈥檚 also the , located atop Terminal 2. It鈥檚 a good, free place for the public to come (no ticket necessary) to see some of the largest aircraft serving SFO. The SkyTerrace is open Friday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Georgia (ATL)

The in Concourse F has an outdoor deck for its club members, with seating for roughly 40 guests and a free bar. As with all of Delta鈥檚 clubs, there鈥檚 free food and drinks, as well as WiFi.

John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York (JFK)

For travels heading through JetBlue鈥檚 Terminal, there鈥檚 a roughly 4,000-square-foot post-security rooftop lounge with green spaces, seating, a children鈥檚 play area, and even a dog-walk area. The rooftop lounge also offers passengers views of the Manhattan skyline and of the iconic TWA terminal, which is now the . The , as it鈥檚 called, is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and the entrance is across from Gate 28.

Ryan Krogh is a freelance writer and editor based in Austin, Texas. He mostly covers the subjects of travel and the outdoors, and is always looking for a way to get some fresh air in airports worldwide.听听

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When I鈥檓 standing in the Meadow in Yosemite, adjusting the telescopes that point to El Capitan, tourists of all ages often ask me how I got started in climbing and how they could try it out. I tell them the truth: I started in a climbing gym.

When they ask how much it costs, I鈥檓 still honest: Depending on where they live, it could be as low as $60 per month, or as high as $150, but for me, it鈥檚 usually been around $90 per month.

That鈥檚 when their faces fall.

It鈥檚 another daily reminder that climbing, as a sport, is knee deep in an economic identity crisis. In campgrounds and wilderness areas, my friends and I sleep in our cars and forego the common luxuries of showers and kitchens in order to climb as much as possible. On my feed, videos of shredded boulderers in action suggest an ascetic freedom鈥揺mpty hands, lone chalk bag. But for most climbers, the opportunity to climb outside only unlocks after they hone their skills in the gym鈥揳nd even dirtbags only rarely escape that fact. It was in the gym that I learned to belay, lead climb, and practice cleaning anchors until I could bet my life that I had it right. While outdoor climbing still looks and feels like an anti-materialistic pursuit, its common prerequisite, indoor climbing, has quietly followed skiing into the category of high-income, elitist sports.

Fortunately, the American Alpine Club (AAC) has noticed. On July 12, the AAC announced via email that high gym membership prices are officially an access issue.

鈥淢any climbers are introduced to the sport through a gym, and therefore a holistic approach to climbing access requires us to consider challenges across the climbing spectrum, including indoor climbing,鈥� they wrote.

To solve this problem, the AAC says, climbing gyms can start offering discounted pricing for lower-income climbers, also known as a Pay What You Can (PWYC) pricing model.

鈥淎ddressing equity issues in climbing is not mutually exclusive from best business practices,鈥� wrote the AAC, noting that 鈥渟ustainable PWYC models鈥� often come with 鈥渢he added benefit of increasing these gyms鈥檚 memberships.鈥�

The AAC followed up that suggestion by publishing a free, 26-page Pay What You Can for gym owners. The toolkit analyzes nine different components of PWYC programs, asking questions like 鈥淗onor System or Proof of Need?鈥� and 鈥淪elf Funded or Community Funded?鈥� It then concludes with specific recommendations for each component based on real PWYC gyms.

The AAC (a nonprofit) has added a carrot to these recommendations by announcing that, in partnership with The North Face, they will offer $1,000-4,000 grants for gyms who need the extra boost to start PWYC programs of their own. Applications are due August 31.

But Wait, Is Climbing Really 鈥淭oo Expensive鈥�?

By the numbers, yes. Climbing gyms, today, regularly charge more than $100 per month and $1,000 per year (with a discount for paying annually) for membership鈥攆ar more than most Americans are able or willing to pay.

For example, in Denver, one can get a monthly pass to Movement ($102), the Spot ($115), 脺bergrippen ($98), or G1 Climbing ($91). In Atlanta, where the cost of living is 11% cheaper than Denver, the average price dips slightly鈥擟entral Rock Gym ($80), Wall Crawler Climbing ($79), and Overlook ($1o7)鈥攂ut in New York City, where the cost of living is 47% higher than Denver, gyms such as MetroRock ($125), Brooklyn Boulders ($129), Central Rock Gym ($135), Movement ($135), Bouldering Project ($120), and VITAL Brooklyn ($145) have much steeper fees.

According to the Aspen Institute, American families making $100,000 or more (the top 33% of households) spend an average of $1,099 per child on sports鈥揺nough, if barely, to afford most annual climbing gym memberships鈥揵ut the average family making $50,000 or less only pays $476 per year鈥搘hich means they鈥檙e firmly priced out of today鈥檚 climbing gyms. (This is one reason, by the way, that work in gyms for minimum wage: even low-paid employees get free memberships.)

For adults, the numbers are even more dire. The average American spends just $33.89 per month to work out, which falls about $67 short of a $100 climbing membership. Indeed, only 15 percent of American adults are currently accustomed to spending more than $100 per month on gym memberships.

For gym owners who hope to grow their membership base, finding creative ways to lower their prices could help drastically open up their audience.

Option 1: Volunteer Memberships听

The most famously progressive gym in the country, Memphis Rox, opened in March 2018 with financial inclusion as a founding principle. 鈥淲e exclude no one, regardless of ability to pay,鈥� says their mission statement.

Memphis Rox, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, lets members exchange five hours of volunteering for a 4-week membership. The gym鈥檚 32,000-square foot campus houses a community closet, food bank, and food garden, and volunteers support those programs. Since 2018, members have performed at least 2,000 hours of community service.

Despite their zero-dollar option, Memphis Rox鈥攍ocated in Memphis, where the cost of living is 16.6% lower than Denver鈥攃harges just $55 per month and $630 per year for traditional adult memberships.

Some for-profit gyms have also tried volunteer membership. The Pad Climbing, which operates four gyms across California, Nevada, and New York, charges $85 per month for traditional adult memberships. Yet their PWYC program allows members to set their own price, with special requirements鈥攙olunteering, caregiving for a relative, or showing evidence of financial need鈥攆or those who choose to pay under $50 per month. Some pay as little as $1.

Did offering such cheap membership options bankrupt the gym? Surprisingly, no. In 2023, the Pad supported reduced-price memberships for 527 people out of 860 applicants. On their website, the Pad announced that fundraiser events, optional premium-price member support, and contributions from the gym itself had allowed them to 鈥減ay for鈥� the full $16,781 value of the program鈥攚ith more than $300 left over to re-invest into this year鈥檚 program.

The downside? In its compare-contrast analysis, the AAC noted that volunteerism-based programs, compared to discount-only programs, typically increase the burden on staff to track hours and manage scheduling.

The Popular Alternative: Sliding Scale or Tiered Membership

Among for-profit gyms looking for a quick-and-easy PWYC system, the most popular setups so far are sliding scale or tiered discount memberships. For example, the Spot, which operates five gyms around Denver and Boulder, charges $115 for one month鈥檚 membership but offers three lower price tiers: $62, $42, and $32.

In 2022, the Spot awarded 450 of these lower-tiered memberships. Had the affected members all paid full price, the gym would have earned $22,000 more鈥攂ut the Spot doesn鈥檛 consider this a loss.

鈥�$22,000 in membership dollars saved,鈥� reads their proud announcement in Climbing Business Journal.

Other gyms offer only one discount level, most likely because the accounting is simpler for the gym and its staff. Movement Englewood, for example, offers the TEAL membership for the flat rate of $31 per month, or 70% off the standard $102 rate. Launched in April 2024, the TEAL program currently has 516 members across all 30 Movement gyms.

The AAC notes that sliding scale models offer the most flexibility to a participant鈥檚 financial situation, but tiered prices are typically easier to integrate into gym check-in software.

For PWYCs to Work, Gyms Need to Rethink Cost and Profit

A standout section of the AAC鈥檚 report was the firm reminder鈥攄emonstrated by the owners of The Spot鈥攖hat PWYC programs shouldn鈥檛 necessarily be tracked as gym expenses, and that owners shouldn鈥檛 necessarily worry about finding alternate sources of funding to offset what they supposedly would have made if their PWYC participants were also paying full price.

鈥淲e found this was oftentimes a perception issue rather than a true financial concern,鈥� writes the AAC in their report.

鈥淔or example, 鈥榃e have 30 members who are paying $40/month on an $80 membership; we鈥檙e losing $1,200/month through this program!鈥� could alternatively be viewed as, 鈥榃e added 30 members to our gym who are paying $40/month who can鈥檛 afford an $80 membership; we have increased our monthly revenue by $1,200,鈥� the report said.

But whether a gym is truly winning over new members in a lower-income tier depends on how the PWYC program is being marketed. If a gym wants to attract new members with discount prices, the AAC warns against simply advertising 鈥渋n the gym鈥檚 physical and digital spaces.鈥� Instead, the report recommends advertising PWYC programs 鈥渢hrough local non-profits, school programs, or other community outreach,鈥� to ensure that each new member is indeed a new source of revenue.

Let鈥檚 Not Be Like Skiing

As the high-income recreational sports market becomes more saturated, climbing gyms may choose to grow in the direction of supporting underprivileged participants. If they don鈥檛, climbing will be even more restricted to an activity for the rich. For those of you who argue that it already is, remember that it can get even worse. Just look at what鈥檚 happened with skiing, where the vast majority of resorts do not prioritize equitable access or offer reduced pricing for lower-income athletes. The result is a sport with rampant inclusion issues: 88% of ski visits are made by white people, and more than half of skiers make two times the national average salary.

Despite attracting participants with plenty of cash to spare, ski resorts have not succeeded in building wealth for their local communities, and staggering income inequality has become a predictable component in each one. In fact, Teton County, home to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, has the highest income inequality of any county in the U.S. Yet climbing isn鈥檛 that much cheaper. While renting ski equipment (at least $30 per day) costs far more than renting a pair of climbing shoes (typically $5-6 per day), and the average day pass at ski resorts like Vail ($259) and Breckenridge ($241) are nothing short of exorbitant, most annual climbing memberships in the Denver area actually cost more than an IKON base pass ($969).

And while climbing gyms do not tend to highly skew the cost of living in otherwise remote rural towns, as ski areas do, climbing gyms are already markers of gentrification in many cities鈥攁nd their proliferation in places like Brooklyn鈥檚 and Los Angeles鈥� , have coincided with severe housing crises in . Pay What You Can programs give climbing gyms a chance to build in the opposite direction: toward inclusion.

If we care about stopping climbing鈥檚 acceleration toward elitism, then we should all take the AAC鈥檚 advice to our local gyms and push them to apply for the North Face grant before August 31. And when they miss the grant deadline, let鈥檚 push them to create a PWYC program anyway. We need to close the climbing wealth gap while we still can.

I want to live in a world where inclusive pricing is so common that, when Yosemite visitors ask me in the Meadow what joining a climbing gym costs, the answer won鈥檛 make them grimace at their shoes. Instead they鈥檒l nod with excitement, squint up at El Capitan鈥攁nd maybe, for the first time, see themselves up there.

Four Main Takeaways from the AAC鈥檚 Toolkit

• Across the 47 gyms with Pay What You Can programs in the study, the 鈥渧ast majority鈥� had 鈥渘et positive鈥� but 鈥渘ot substantial鈥� effects on their revenue鈥攚hich means that, while it鈥檚 good business, it鈥檚 not something that most gyms will be able to structure their entire business model around.
• Most PWYC programs require 1-4 hours per week of staff time to maintain, so they can be managed as an additional duty by one staff member
• Most PWYC programs operate successfully on an honor system rather than requiring proof of need. The incidents of members lying about their financial situation for lower rates were, on average, 鈥渓ess than one member per gym鈥� with 鈥渘egligible鈥� economic consequences.
• One case study gym, which introduced a PWYC program with two tiers鈥�30% and 75% off a full membership鈥攕aw their membership increase by 8%

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Learn how humbly launched in a simple search for running companions. The growth of the now-thriving, international club is a testament to its inclusive nature. It鈥檚 also changed Kilmer鈥檚 perspective on running鈥檚 ability to connect and inspire in a dynamic city that often isolates individuals.

Independent since 1906,听听empowers people through sport and craftsmanship to create positive change in communities around the world.

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There鈥檚 no place like New York City, especially if you鈥檙e a runner. Whether you鈥檝e raced multiple marathons or you prefer a mellower pace, you鈥檒l always have a new route to explore, a run club to meet up with, or an event to sign up for.

鈥淎ny kind of running experience you want to have, you can have here,鈥� says Dave Hashim, a New York City鈥揵ased who recently completed the , where he ran around the borders of all five boroughs.

For Caitlin Papageorge, president of , part of the city鈥檚 love affair with running stems from the way its citizens normally get around.

鈥淣ew York is such a pedestrian city,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 think for that very reason, it sets New York up really well for a great running scene.鈥�

Ready to experience what New York has to offer? Here鈥檚 your quickest path to connection with the city鈥檚 broad and diverse running community.

Routes

: No trip to New York is complete without a jog through Central Park. Hashim recommends following the main paved path for a seven-mile loop, but make sure to lap the Harlem Meer, in the park鈥檚 northeast corner鈥攊t鈥檚 an often overlooked but especially beautiful area.

: Stretching 12.5 miles from Battery Park all the way up to Inwood Hill Park at the northern tip of Manhattan, the Hudson River Greenway offers superb views of the Hudson River and nearby parks all along its length.

: Get off the beaten path with a four-mile run around Roosevelt Island in the East River. Both Hashim and Papageorge recommend it for its quiet atmosphere (there鈥檚 very little traffic), interesting architecture (like an abandoned smallpox hospital), and panoramic vistas of the Manhattan skyline.

: Brooklyn鈥檚 McCarren Park is a popular spot for runners thanks to its public track. Head here for a sprint workout or a warm-up lap before a longer run鈥攋ust keep an eye out for obstacles like wayward soccer balls or the occasional ice cream cart cruising around in lane one.

Events

: The 5th Avenue Mile proves that short distances can attract stiff competition. Elite sprinters battle here each year, and the course itself is a star: Competitors race from 80th Street to 60th Street, passing distinguished institutions like the Frick Collection art museum.

: This 13.1-mile spring classic has become a destination race for good reason, providing a scenic tour of two boroughs packed with iconic landmarks. Join 25,000 racers on closed NYC streets, from a Brooklyn start, across the Manhattan Bridge, heading up through Times Square, to a home stretch in Central Park.

: This race takes place in Prospect Park, Brooklyn鈥檚 answer to Central Park, and honors Al Gordon, a New Yorker who began running marathons in his 80s. While the distance is short, the course showcases the park鈥檚 beautiful scenery and includes some hilly terrain for an extra challenge. 鈥淚 just love being there,鈥� says Papageorge. 鈥淚t’s underrated.鈥�

Resources

Clubs

: Looking for someone to run with? Take a tip from , a seasoned marathoner who started this club to help runners of all experience levels find community in the sport. The beginner-friendly groups gather every Saturday morning.

: This nationwide running group has a strong presence in New York City. While the group runs every Monday are a big draw, joining Endorphins also gets you access to online resources like Q&As with running coaches and physical therapists.

: This club鈥檚 mission is twofold: Increase AAPI representation in running and get New Yorkers onto the dirt. If you鈥檙e itching for trails, join one of the club鈥檚 all-are-welcome group runs, which explore the wealth of wilderness areas just a short train ride outside the city.

: Front Runners is where New York鈥檚 LGBTQ+ and running communities overlap, and the group creates a positive, inclusive atmosphere at its weekly Fun Runs. If you become a member, you can also join the group鈥檚 coached workouts and triathlon training sessions.

: Why not start the weekend a little early? Almost Friday is the group to do it with: this friendly club meets every Thursday morning on the Hudson River Greenway for a chill run by the water. It鈥檚 the perfect midweek pick-me-up.

Stores

: New Balance鈥檚 Upper West Side location鈥攋ust a few strides from Central Park鈥攚ill be your go-to spot for running shoes, gear, and advice. Key highlight: The store is equipped with a 3D foot scanner to help you get the perfect fit in your next pair of shoes.

Independent since 1906,听听empowers people through sport and craftsmanship to create positive change in communities around the world.

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We think of New York as having a rat problem, but cats are doing just as much damage. They hunt staggering numbers of birds, they carry parasites that cause birth defects, they spread diseases that wash into the ocean and kill sea otters and seals. NYC鈥檚 cat population is exploding. Reporter Meg Duff investigates what, if anything, might be done about that.

The post On the Front Lines of NYC鈥檚 鈥楰ittenpocalypse鈥� appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Flaco is dead. Long live Flaco.

In case you were unaware, one of the most whimsical and curious stories in the recent memory of New Yorkers came to an abrupt and sad end last Friday, February 23. A building superintendent on Manhattan鈥檚 Upper West Side , a massive Eurasian eagle owl who had escaped from the Central Park Zoo in early 2023 and then spent more than a year roaming the city, well, free as a bird. Officials performed an initial necropsy on the deceased owl, which showed it , likely the result of flying into a building. Additional testing for the presence of rodenticides, other toxins, or diseases is still being performed.

Flaco had been been raised in captivity and he was freed by a brazen act of vandalism鈥攕omeone had intentionally shredded the protective zoo netting of his enclosure. The crime generated a handful of news stories, including The New York Times.听What happened next seemed to catch everyone鈥攊ncluding听Times writers鈥攐ff guard. Flaco set up residence in Central Park, and curious New Yorkers adopted him as an unofficial mascot of the city. Crowds formed whenever Flaco perched in a tree. Photos of him napping on fire escapes or rooftops flooded social media. News outlets covered his every move鈥攍ike when he and triumphantly barfed up his first owl pellet. Each new Flaco development generated more buzz.

Throughout 2023 and into 2024, the Times听ran an entire series of stories on Flaco and his fanatical followers. ? ? ? There were many Flaco questions, and the听Times sought to answer them all. was either written or edited by Ed Shanahan, a veteran reporter and editor of breaking news on the Times’听Metro desk. Shanahan edited the news story announcing Flaco’s freedom, and he wrote the one announcing his death, among other pieces. I recently called him up to try and understand why a feathery owl so thoroughly captivated New Yorkers and the city’s official newspaper of record.

国产吃瓜黑料: How did you get on the Flaco beat? Did you raise your hand for the assignment or just routinely stumble into it?
Shanahan: I edited the initial news story. It was a typical Friday and we had heard about this owl being let loose from the zoo, and it seemed like such an unusual occurrence. It’s a crime story, so there’s going to be that attention on it. It’s an animal out of captivity, so I wondered if they can get him back. Then, I kept an eye on Twitter over the course of the first week, and there were people photographing Flaco and posting images there, so it was easy enough to see what developments were going on. After the first week, it seemed like there was not going to be a quick and easy resolution to this, and the mere fact of him remaining on the loose made it compelling to me. I guess I made enough of a case to my boss that was like: Hey, let’s do an update here.

Why do you think so many people were interested in the initial news stories?
There is an active and growing birding community in the city that got turbocharged during the pandemic. They are extremely active online, and this community very much latched on to Flaco. This gave me a sense that there was an audience for more coverage. Is it good for a bird to be out there? Would he be better off in the zoo? These were questions that folks听 wanted to answer. Then, as time went on, Flaco started teaching himself to hunt, how to land on a branch, how to develop these skills, and that was also compelling. One time, when I went to check on the bird, there were a good number of people standing under the tree he was in. One woman said she had been at a dinner party, and the whole party had erupted in applause when they had seen on Twitter that Flaco had coughed up an owl pellet. I thought: There’s something going on here.

New York City has a long history of captiving animal stories, from the tiger in an apartment, to the , to . Why do you think Flaco in particular connected with readers on an emotional level?听
I think it has a lot to do with how he got out of the zoo. He had gone from captivity to something like freedom鈥攖he idea of him having been in a cage his whole life, and now he’s out on his own and has to stand on his own two talons. He had to do things he’d never done, like hunt. It’s not like he had been free, and then taken into captivity, and was now just getting back to hunting and living in the wild. Also, you cannot discount the sheer magnificent beauty of the bird. Owls are so expressive with their front-facing eyes, and people generally are drawn to them. We have a lot of ideas about owls, like they are wise. He was also gigantic. Writing about animals is tricky, because people project things onto them. So you had Flaco the outlaw. Flaco the immigrant. I didn’t traffic in those ideas, but I can see how he had meaning for a lot of people.

I also wonder if his badass name helped capture attention. I wonder if as many people would have read about Doug the Owl.听
Yes, it’s a great name and extremely catchy. I now know that, in Spanish, Flaco means skinny, and I think that was another part of him that was appealing. The bird was definitely not skinny. It’s like the big guy who people call “Tiny.” There was something funny about it.

I read online people saying it was just a matter of time before he was killed.听
Yes. Based on the comments I got from experts, this was an extremely dangerous situation for the bird, and there were all of these threats he faced, even if he was able to learn how to eat and unleash his owl instincts. For people who know birds, they knew this about the situation. I don’t want to say he was doomed, but in a way he was. It was amazing that he lived as long as he did. Most experts told me that. For people who were not bird experts and latched onto Flaco for whatever inspirational value, I can understand why it’s hit so hard that he has died.

Video credit: David Lei

Every New York City story is a politics story. Did Flaco become a battleground?
A column was printed in听The New York Post after he died that focused on the vandalism and the crime aspect, and how whomever did this did a disservice to Flaco. The writer took a dig at听district attorney Alvin Bragg, who听The Post says is soft on crime. Otherwise, there were a lot of people in the birding community who felt that the story wasn’t treated seriously enough. Flaco faced danger. He presented a danger to native species. There was a fear he might prey on the Peregrine falcons that live on the Upper West Side. But pretty much everyone was rooting for Flaco, no matter their background.

What does Flaco’s death represent within the wider scope of this story?
The hardened newsman in me sees his death as the likeliest outcome once he was placed in an unnatural and dangerous setting. He did a great job to last as long as he did. But I think it was preordained that he wasn’t going to die of old age.

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Last week, Jared Leto top roped on the Empire State Building. Yes, top roped on it. In a high-vis jumpsuit reminiscent of a Santa costume. Leto did it legally, too, which means that someone, somewhere, took the time to approve permits for this internet-breaking 鈥渇eat.鈥�

His climb began on the 86th floor (not street level), concluded on the 104th, and took approximately 20 minutes. Today, when you Google 鈥淛ared Leto Empire State Building,鈥� there are 9,610,000 search results.

Ostensibly Leto鈥檚 childhood dream, the televised ascent was also a way to promote the fading rockstar鈥檚 upcoming band tour. A press release from the Live Nation wrote: 鈥淗aving always been fascinated with the incredible landmark since he was a child, Leto said, 鈥楾he building is a testament of all the things that can be done in the world if we put our minds to it, which is largely the inspiration behind our most recent album, It鈥檚 the End of the World But It鈥檚 a Beautiful Day.鈥欌��

Don鈥檛 bother re-reading that. Considering Leto鈥檚 climb, the distilled takeaway is a familiar one鈥攊f you鈥檝e got even a modicum of talent, anything in this world can be accomplished if you鈥檙e wealthy. Which is so obviously the state of the modern world that I sometimes think problematizing publicity stunts like this is a waste of my time. Furthermore, why highlight mediocrity? (Sorry Leto鈥� those edges are, what, 30 millimeters? Basically huge hand holds mixed in with no-hands stances.) And as the dilettante鈥檚 morning TR-session was shockingly above board, safe, and seemingly offenseless鈥攑redictably, the morning鈥檚 Today Show article led with 鈥淛ared Leto got about 30 seconds closer to Mars鈥濃�攚hat鈥檚 really the harm?听

As it happens, climbing鈥檚 greatest problem is its incomprehensibility. I鈥檒l excuse you if you don鈥檛 climb and think that everyone who does should be referred to as Spiderman. Or if Free Solo and The Alpinist have formed the basis of your understanding of our seemingly simple yet in fact elaborate sport. As one hiker once asked my friend who had just finished the hardest multi-pitch of his career: You realize you could have just walked up the back, right? The varied interpretations of climbing illustrate that there are rules to this sport鈥檚 game, and those rules are entirely self-directed. Climbing, in other words, gets to be what you choose to make it. The catch: the sport really only thrives in the context of explanation.

Nascent enthusiasts, inaccurate media, and false idols like Leto shock and confound the masses rather than further climbing as a sport. The more eyes the better, right? But the result is further misunderstanding about what climbing is鈥攚hat鈥檚 cool and what isn鈥檛, what鈥檚 hard and what鈥檚, by the looks of it, 5.10鈥攚hich darkens the fog.听

Consider this: Our biggest traffic drivers last year had to deal with Alex Honnold, an auto-belay accident which led to an unfortunate anal impalement, and six-pack abs. If I title this article 鈥淎lex Honnold, Who Has a Great Six Pack, Was Impaled Anally Due to an Auto Belay Accident鈥� I imagine it would also drive a lot of people to the site. But that doesn鈥檛 make it good for the sport.听

I have no problem acknowledging that Leto is in fact a decent climber. His footwork is precise enough, and he clearly has some endurance. But if news outlets worldwide are talking about someone who climbed something, shouldn鈥檛 it be because their feat is worth talking about? Just this past week, Frenchman Charles Albert claimed the first ascent of another boulder which could be among the hardest in the world. He did so barefoot. may have just become the first women to flash V13 boulder problem (depending on how the grade solidifies over time), Adam Ondra established yet another difficult sport climb, and Laura Rogora sent 鈥�Lapsus,鈥� another immensely difficult route. Each of those involved far more work, dedication, and soul than Leto鈥檚 20 minute session.

Plus, well, Leto top roped it. I feel I needn鈥檛 say more, but allow me to state鈥攆or the record鈥攖hat Leto鈥檚 ascent of the Empire State Building does not count.

Also Read:

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Ethiopian Tamirat Tola and Kenyan Hellen Obiri ran masterful races to win the New York City Marathon on Sunday morning, but they earned their victories in decidedly different fashion.

Tola, the 2022 marathon world champion, pulled away from countryman Jemal Yimer with a quick surge near mile 19 and went on to win in a course record 2:04:58, while Obiri outlasted a strong pack of听 women bunched together through mile 24 to win in 2:27:23.

But one of the biggest stories in the race was how well American women Kellyn Taylor and Molly Huddle ran in their postpartum return to the marathon. Taylor, less than 11 months after giving birth to daughter Keegan last December, led a large contingent of runners in the women鈥檚 race through the 23rd mile mark, en route to finishing eighth in 2:29:48. Huddle, who gave birth to daughter Josephine in April 2022, finished ninth in 2:32:02.

RELATED: Our Greatest Marathon Training Advice

Both runners, who are still breastfeeding this fall, will be running in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon on February 3 in Orlando, Florida, in an attempt to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team that will run in the Paris Olympics next summer.

A field of 50,000 runners ran the point-to-point race through New York City鈥檚 five boroughs amid ideal fall running conditions with temperatures in the mid-50s. (For complete results or to track a specific runner, visit the )

Tola Breaks Away

The men鈥檚 race was fast from the start, as a small pack at the front stretched out the pro field before the first several miles. By the halfway point, five men were on course-record pace, (1:02:43), but soon Tola, Yimer, the 2023 Los Angeles Marathon champion, and Albert Korir, the 2021 New York City Marathon champion, were alone at the front as they crossed the Queensboro Bridge and entered Manhattan near the 16-mile mark.

From there, Tola and Yimer surged away from Korir during the long straightaway on 1st Avenue with a 4:28 mile. The two Ethiopians ran stride for stride for about two miles, but Tola looked much more comfortable and seemed intent on breaking the race open as they ran through the 30K (18.6-mile) aid station. He gained a few strides over Yimer by mile 19 and then definitively gapped him on the short, hilly section through the Bronx.

From there, the 32-year-old Tola, a two-time fourth-place finisher in New York, was untouchable, continuing to push the pace to the finish line in Central Park. He broke the longstanding course record of 2:05:06 that was set in 2011 by Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai.

Tola finished third in the London Marathon (2:04:59) back in April, but then he dropped out of the 2023 World Athletics Championships marathon in Budapest in mid-August because of stomach problems.

鈥淚 am very, very happy today,鈥� Tola said. 鈥淭hrough 20K, there were some very good runners with me, but I continued to work on the up and down parts of the course. I knew the pace was not too hard for me, so I continued to run as fast as I could.鈥�

After being dropped from the lead pack, Korir didn鈥檛 fade, but instead rallied over the final five miles en route to a runner-up finish in 2:06:57. Shura Kitata, a two-time New York City Marathon runner-up, was third in 2:07:11, while Abdi Nageeye, a Somali-born Dutch runner, was fourth in 2:10:21.

Edward Cheserek, a Kenyan athlete who was a record-setting high school runner in New Jersey and a 17-time NCAA champion for the University of Oregon, finished eighth in his debut marathon in听 2:11:07. Futsum Zienasellassie, a member of the HOKA NAZ Elite team based in Flagstaff, Arizona, was the top American in the race, finishing 10th in 2:12:09.

Obiri Pulls Rare Boston-NYC Double

The women鈥檚 race started at a relaxed pace with a dozen runners in the lead pack through the halfway split (1:14:20). Taylor and Huddle were consistently in the mix along with Ethiopia鈥檚 Letesenbet Gidey and a deep contingent of Kenyans that included Obiri, Viola Cheptoo, Mary Ngugi, Edna Kiplagat, former world record holder Brigid Kosgei, and last year鈥檚 winner Sharon Lokedi.

Although Huddle, 39, fell off the lead pack near mile 20, Taylor, a 37-year-old mother of four, who was sixth in New York City in 2021, ran stride for stride with the lead group through mile 23 at a听 5:18-mile pace after it had dwindled to just nine runners. From there, Cheptoo pushed the pace鈥攔unning the 24th mile in 5:09鈥攁nd only Obiri, Gidey, Kosgei, and Lokedi could keep up.

RELATED: 24 Hours with One of the World鈥檚 Best Marathoners

With a mile to go, Obiri was in a battle with Gidey and Lokedi, and it looked like any of them could win it. But as the runners passed through Columbus Circle on the way back into Central Park, Obiri began to surge. She and Gidey broke away in an all-out sprint over the undulating final 400 meters, while Lokedi fell a few strides behind.

As Obiri began to open up a lead, she kept looking over her shoulder, but Gidey couldn鈥檛 respond, and Obiri broke the finish tape to win with a six-second margin over Gidey (2:27:29). It was the reversal of their final sprint in the 10,000-meter run at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, where Gidey outkicked Obiri for the win.

Lokedi was third in 2:27:33, followed by Kosgei in fourth (2:27:45) and Ngugi in fifth (2:27:53), making it one of the closest finishes in New York City Marathon history.

A year after making her marathon debut in New York鈥攕he finished sixth in 2:25:49鈥擮biri, 33, has emerged as the top women鈥檚 marathoner in the world. She won the Boston Marathon in April in 2:21:38. She became the fifth woman ever to win Boston and New York in the same year, the first time since Norway鈥檚 Ingrid Kristiansen did it in 1989.

鈥淚 knew it was going to be difficult because Gidey and Lokedi are both very fast,鈥� said Obiri, who trains in Boulder, Colorado, as part of the On Athletics Club and coach Dathan Ritzenhein. 鈥淏ut the marathon is all about patience, and so I kept saying, Let me be patient. Then with 400 meters to go, I tried to sprint and get away and it worked.鈥�

Five of the top ten women finishers are mothers, including Obirri, Ngugi, Kiplagat, Taylor, and Huddle.

Switzerland鈥檚 Catherine Debrunner, 28, won the women鈥檚 wheelchair race in a course-record 1:39:32, while 37-year-old countryman Marcel Hug, a 12-time world champion and six-time Paralympic champion won the race for the fifth time in 1:25:29. The U.S. Paralympic marathon team was selected from the New York City results, as Daniel Romanchuk (second, 1:27:38) and Aaron Pike (fourth, 1:39:58) were the top American men, while Sussannah Scaroni (third, 1:48:14) and Tatayna McFadden (sixth, 1:53:31) were the top two U.S. women.

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