A field of 61,028 runners took to the streets of New York City for the 2026 New York City Marathon, and among them were 32 runners from Croatia — including several familiar faces from the Istrian coast waving the red-and-white checkers for the sixth time.

The 26.2-mile course is one of the most famous in world sport: it starts on Staten Island, crosses through Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx, and finishes in Central Park. An estimated two million spectators lined the route this year, with live bands and crowd noise making the whole city feel like one long street party.

Mario Brizanac, born in Vukovar and long based in Poreč, ran his sixth consecutive New York Marathon in Croatian colours. He says the support along the route is what keeps bringing him back — spectators shouting "Goooo Croatia!" at him throughout the race, proof of how recognisable the checkered kit has become far from home. His regular cheering squad, including his wife Sandra, returns to the same Manhattan spots every year.

There were first-timers too. Tijana Kocijel, from Labin in Istria, ran her debut New York Marathon and described the five-borough experience — the crowds, the music, the energy — as unforgettable. Ivan Vukušić, who lives in New York, ran in a jersey honouring Croatian football great Luka Modrić, cheered on by family and friends along the course.

Why should a traveller care? Because the New York City Marathon is a textbook example of a race-cation done right. The event doubles as a full-day, city-wide spectacle even if you never pin on a bib: pick a spot in Brooklyn or along First Avenue, and you get front-row access to one of the biggest participatory events on the planet, plus live music on practically every corner. For runners, the international field means you can line up next to people from dozens of countries — and if you wear something national, expect strangers to cheer for you by name. For Croatians abroad, it's a chance to hear your homeland shouted across a foreign street; for everyone else, it's the same feeling in miniature.

The 2026 edition showed, once again, that the marathon is less a race than a city-wide celebration — one where a small country of under four million people can make itself heard among 61,000 runners and two million spectators.