NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani Is a Two-Time New York City Marathon Finisher

In the middle of one of the country’s most closely watched mayoral races, New York State Assembly member Zohran Mamdani has something on his résumé that sets him apart from the field: two New York City Marathons.

Mamdani, 33, who currently represents Astoria in the State Assembly, made headlines last week when he defeated former governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary. But long before that upset victory, he’d been using running, of course, as a personal challenge, but also as a platform for visibility.

He first completed the New York City Marathon in 2022, finishing the five-borough course in 6:04:52. That year’s race was unseasonably hot, but Mamdani kept a steady pace of 13:55 per mile. He wore a shirt that read, “Eric Adams Raised My Rent!” a nod to one of his central campaign themes.

“Ran the marathon, did a little political education, and fell in love with my friends, family, and city all over again,” he wrote on X after the race. “One of the best days of my life.”

Two years later, in 2024, Mamdani returned to the start line in Staten Island, this time as a declared mayoral candidate. His shirt carried the same message on the front, and a new one on the back: “Zohran Will Freeze It.”

The weather was cooler, and his time improved: 5:38:10, or a 12:54-per-mile pace. Midway through the race, he spoke briefly to a Politico reporter for its Playbook podcast segment, joking that he was “currently outpacing every mayoral candidate in this race.”

In both marathons, Mamdani wore a pair of black Asics, appearing to be the Gel-Kayano,

the brand’s longstanding go-to stability shoe, and placed in the bottom quarter of finishers. His official stats from the 2022 race show him placing 42,430th out of 47,745 runners, and 24,378th out of 26,538 men.

In between those marathon finishes, Mamdani also participated in the 2022 Gaza 5K in New York, which supports mental health services for Palestinian refugees. Race organizers noted the course distance as slightly long, 3.327 miles, and Mamdani finished in 34:54.

Marathon running isn’t entirely uncommon in political circles.

Former President George W. Bush ran a 3:44 marathon in Houston in 1993. Al Gore finished the 1997 Marine Corps Marathon in just under five hours. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has also been public about how running helps him decompress and prepare for public events.

Mamdani’s approach appears to be more public-facing, using races as a form of campaigning alongside his personal goal-setting.

What comes next is another long race, this time into November.

Mamdani will face Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, as well as incumbent Eric Adams, who is running as an independent. Cuomo, despite losing the Democratic primary, may still join the general election as a third-party candidate.

The general election takes place on Tuesday, Nov. 4, just two days after this year’s New York City Marathon. Mamdani has not said whether he’ll toe the line for a third time.