On November 3, the 53rd edition of the New York Marathon took place, which is the largest marathon in the world by the number of finishers (55,646 runners, out of 56,012 who started the marathon).

There were 17,859 non-US runners representing 136 countries. Fifteen participants have registered explicitly as Bulgarians for the marathon. The best achievement for a registered Bulgarian participant was Georgi Vlasakiev (7204th place out of 56,012 who started the marathon, i.e. in the first 13%, with a time of 3:28:20).

Before the marathon, the Parade of Nations took place, in which 137 countries participated, carrying their national flags and showing interesting aspects of each country's culture. The parade highlights the international spirit of the marathon and unites people from all over the world in the name of sport and friendship. Bulgaria participated in the parade with the largest delegation from the Balkans. During the presentation of our delegation, the host stated that "Bulgaria is the oldest country in Europe that has not changed its name since its creation".

Participants in the marathon are divided into divisions. The male winner was a citizen of the Netherlands (Abdi Nageeye, time of 2:07:39) and the female winner was a Kenyan (Sheila Chepkirui, 2:24:35). The oldest finisher was 88 (11:23:49) and the oldest female finisher was 82 (8:39:39). A number of famous people, mostly artists, have also participated. The marathon is organized by the "New York Road Runners" - a non-governmental organization established about 70 years ago.