I’ve always said that the NY Marathon is by far my favorite day of the year. I know this is hardly an original take at this point, but a collective experience like the Marathon really does it for me.
This past Sunday, I spectated the race for the fifth time, and it was just as magical as ever. The marathon offers something for everyone: for the runners, it’s a dream fulfilled, a cause supported, someone’s memory honored; for spectators, it’s a feast for the senses–colorful outfits, changing leaves, signs, and confetti; cowbells, whistles, and endless cheers; hands to high five and beers to drink...
That being said: as a semi-professional spectator by now, I thought I might take a stab at some 2025 Marathon Observations – from fashion to gadgets and the vibes attached to it all.
By 10am on Sunday, the elites were coming in hot up Bedford Avenue. They were all moving too quickly for me to make any outfit observations (fair enough), but I managed to get a good look at the masses. Let me just say: if 2022 - 2023 were the years of Lululemon and the tennis skirt and 2024 was the year of On Cloud, then 2025 was the year of Bandit and the nasal strip.
In years past, you might have noticed a preponderance of Outdoor Voices polka dots, pastel Hokas, Apple Watches, hair bows and tutus. But the playful, movement-as-recreation influence was less prevalent this year, and peak performance culture was on full display. 2025 saw a lot of mirrored lenses, ribbed compression shorts, and Nike racing kicks; slicked back ponytails, all black kits, and industrial looking Garmin watches. The looks reflected the current cultural moment, which continues to champion optimization and performance. People are still very much into tracking their sleep, heart rate, and recovery scores in addition to their mile splits.
Speaking of tracking, I saw a lot of runners recording on their back cameras, 0.5 vlog style. No shade, but let the 2025 Marathon Time Capsule show that there was a lot of filming going on. In addition to the iPhone videography, I clocked at least a hundred little white pill-shaped, thumb-sized cameras. The ubiquity of cameras felt a little funny, but then again–I was watching from the leg of the race that runners often say is the best part–I get wanting to bottle up and save that moment.
Back to the brands that stole the show this year: while the aforementioned Bandit has spread like wildfire over the last 3 years–at least in New York–Tracksmith remains curiously insulated from the mainstream. Maybe it’s the price point, maybe it’s the persona. Bandit feels futuristic, sharp, almost superhero-slick. Tracksmith is the opposite–it evokes an unplugged, restrained, distinctly New England feeling. Both brands have beautiful storefronts in Williamsburg and Greenpoint, and would be great places to pick up Christmas gifts for the athletes in your life.
In conclusion, I think we’ll see things in the realm of fitness style stay their cutting-edge course a bit further before they get silly again–just take Nike’s recent announcement of Project Amplify, a motorized shoe, as an indicator.
One mainstream exception to this might be what we’re seeing from Outdoor Voices, who since reappointing Ty Haney to the helm, has brought some cozy textures and pops of color back into the conversation. Whether the brand that encouraged us to “Do Things” without the pressure of competition back in the 2010s will embrace nostalgia or double down on performance in its second act will be interesting to watch. The Marathon may be over, but luckily Kudos are forever. See you at the next one.
