Zohran Mamdani Says He Once Smoked a Cigarette from a Stranger Mid-Marathon
Zohran Mamdani Says He Once Smoked a Cigarette from a Stranger Mid-Marathon
Charna FlamFri, May 29, 2026 at 11:54 PM UTC
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Zohran Mamdani on November 3, 2024 in New York City.
Credit: Trent Wellott / MarathonFoto for New York Road Runners via Getty
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani ran the city's marathon in 2022 and 2024, and the latter race is where he kicked off his mayoral campaign
He recently revealed that he took an unexpected cigarette break while running the city's marathon
"The rest of the race went downhill pretty quickly," he confessed to Runner's World
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani took an unusual break while running the city's marathon.
Mamdani, 34, ran the New York City Marathon in 2022 and 2024, and used the latter race to kick off his mayoral campaign. Although he's described himself as a slow runner, he detailed an unexpected memory of taking a smoke break during the race.
At around the 10-mile mark, "a guy in Greenpoint offered me a cigarette," he told Runner's World in an interview published on Thursday, May 28.
"I'd had a pretty good race until that point (by my standards) but, for some reason, I decided to smoke for a moment as I ran by and the rest of the race went downhill pretty quickly," he confessed. His pace improved from 6:04:52 in 2022 to 5:38:10 in 2024.
Zohran Mamdani on November 3, 2024 in New York City.
Credit: Trent Wellott / MarathonFoto for New York Road Runners via Getty
The marathon "brings New York City together in a way few things can," Mamdani said when explaining why he loves the event.
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"You see New Yorkers from every borough lining the streets, cheering on complete strangers like they're family," Mamdani told Runner's World. "What stays with you is that feeling that when you cross the finish line, you do it with the entire city beside you. "
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While he still loves to run for its rhythm, repetition and "time to think," he has only been able to run a couple of miles every few weeks since his inauguration on Jan. 1.
Despite not being able to run as much as he once did, he's returned to running to address political issues, partnering with New York Road Runners in support of N.Y.C.'s new 2-K child care program. The city and Road Runners are launching a two-kilometer race on June 7, the 2K for 2-K, to celebrate the initiative.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
