The excitement around celebrities running NYC Marathon 2025 is building as a remarkable roster of stars from sports, stage and screen prepares to tackle the iconic 26.2-mile course through all five boroughs. With goals beyond the finish line, these high-profile runners bring community, charity and human stories into the world’s largest marathon.
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Star Participants You’ll Be Watching
This year’s celebrity list includes former MLB pitcher CC Sabathia, who has been named the Grand Marshal of the 2025 event. Sabathia, a beloved New York Yankees icon, will simultaneously run and cheer others on, offering inspiration from a major-league legend turned marathoner. He represents both athletic excellence and a commitment to community.
Joining him is actor and singer Anthony Ramos, stepping up to his first marathon with a dedicated charitable campaign behind him. Ramos will run alongside his brother and his high school guidance counselor, aiming to raise awareness and funds for educational initiatives. His participation highlights how celebrity runners often carry a personal mission beyond simply finishing the race.
Also showing up this year is actor Oliver Phelps, best known for playing George Weasley in the Harry Potter film series. Phelps enters the race for the first time, supporting UK-based charitable causes tied to youth development and fitness. His presence brings international attention and a cross-cultural connection to this year’s marathon.
These celebrity entrants aren’t just symbolic—they’re training, fundraising and running side-by-side with thousands of other participants. Their journeys amplify the marathon’s message of determination, authenticity and possibility.
Key Points Summary
- High-profile runners such as CC Sabathia, Anthony Ramos and Oliver Phelps are confirmed participants in the 2025 NYC Marathon.
- Many celebrity runners are linked with charitable causes—education, youth development and health initiatives.
- Their involvement elevates public interest and encourages a broader audience to engage with the marathon experience.
- These stars bring visibility to the marathon’s inclusive spirit: elite, recreational and celebrity runners all share the same finish line.
- Tracking their progress and fundraising efforts adds an additional layer of story for both fans and race followers.
Why Celebrities Choose the NYC Marathon
When celebrities commit to the marathon, they bring more than just name recognition—they provide a narrative of challenge, growth and connection. Many use the 26.2-mile journey to mark a milestone, raise money for charity or engage with fans on a deeper level. For some, it’s about transforming a new fitness goal into public accountability. For others, it’s a platform to support causes close to their heart—whether that’s mental health, education or community service.
Running through the streets of New York offers celebrities a chance to step away from spotlight roles and into something raw and real: grit, sweat and perseverance. Their participation reminds fans that the journey matters as much as the finish line. It humanizes them, showing a willingness to struggle and succeed in the same way everyday runners do.
Additionally, celebrity involvement draws attention not only from sports media but from entertainment platforms, social feeds and fundraising networks. In doing so, it broadens the marathon’s audience and reinforces the idea that running is for everyone, not just elite athletes.
What to Expect on Race Day
On November 2, venues across the city will see cheering crowds and livestream cameras capturing every runner—but especially those well-known faces. Celebrity entrants often start in specially allocated corrals, join charity teams, and receive extra media attention at the finish line.
Expect these highlights:
- Vivid social-media posts from celebrities documenting their training, pre-race nerves and final sprint.
- Press coverage of their fundraising totals and charity partners as they cross the finish line.
- Finish-line interviews revealing personal reflections on the run—most importantly, what the marathon meant to them beyond time.
- Crowd reactions and fan-driven content as spectators spot famous participants along the route.
For runners watching or participating, these celebrity stories add a human interest angle. Seeing familiar names at mile 20 or entering Central Park reminds every competitor—and spectator—that the marathon is as much about personal victory as it is about speed.
How Celebrity Runners Amplify the Marathon Experience
The visibility of celebrities running NYC Marathon extends far beyond the broadcast coverage. Their experiences contribute to a wider cultural impact: inspiring fitness goals, charitable commitments and civic pride. When a celebrity posts a mile-23 struggle or a finish-line triumph, it resonates with thousands who may never race that fast but recognize the journey.
Celebrities also help democratize the event. Their stories encourage all levels of runners—first-timers, casual participants, veterans—to see themselves in a larger narrative. They show that stepping up to a challenge doesn’t require fame or records, just dedication.
Few things reflect this as clearly as when a star crosses the same finish line as a volunteer marathoner or a runner raising money for a cause. It reinforces the spirit of community that the NYC Marathon promotes.
Celebrating the Journey, Not Just the Finish
The narrative around celebrities running NYC Marathon 2025 is shifting from simply showing up to sharing substance. Many celebrity runners this year will focus on the story behind the run: the early morning training, the personal setback, or the cause they support.
Watching their journey offers several lessons for all runners:
- Consistency beats flash: Many celebrities trained for months, logging long runs when others weren’t watching.
- Purpose provides power: Running for a cause gave many a deeper reason to keep going when fatigue kicked in.
- Community matters: Celebrity teams often included friends, family or charity groups, reinforcing a sense of team rather than solo heroics.
These reflections align with what running experts say matters most: resilience, meaning and community over simply finishing in the fastest time.
Looking Beyond the Finish Line
As the marathon approaches, the broader significance of celebrity participation becomes clear. Each star’s story adds to the tapestry of the event—bringing in new fans, new runners, and renewed energy each year. Celebrity runners act as ambassadors, bridging worlds of entertainment, sport and social impact.
Their involvement also helps draw funding and support to race charities, building goodwill across boroughs and beyond. Many of the charities tied to celebrity runners reach international communities, amplifying the marathon’s reach far beyond New York’s five boroughs.
Ultimately, the success of the celebrity runners on race day isn’t measured by their finish times but by what their run inspires—whether that’s someone’s first training run, a donation to a cause, or simply the decision to lace up and start.
Final Thoughts
The story of celebrities running NYC Marathon 2025 reflects far more than red-carpet appearances or media flashes—it’s about showing up, pushing through, and crossing a shared finish line with the world watching. From CC Sabathia’s storied athletic transition to Anthony Ramos’s philanthropic sprint and Oliver Phelps’s international debut, these runners bring humanity to an elite event.
As you follow the marathon this year, remember: every celebrity number corresponds to a journey, every photo tells a story and every step matters. If you’ll be watching, cheering, or running yourself—look beyond the stopwatch and appreciate the grit, the cause and the community. Feel free to share your favorite celebrity moment or pick a star you’re rooting for below—it’s going to be an unforgettable race.