Joanne Navarra to lead 50th NYC Marathon start village

Joanne Navarra will oversee the starting line operations for the 50th New York City Marathon on November 1. For five decades, she has coordinated the logistical infrastructure at Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island, managing the start village that serves nearly 2,000 volunteers.

Navarra began volunteering in 1976 when the race moved its start from Central Park to Staten Island to coincide with the U.S. Bicentennial. The inaugural event in that location featured 2,090 participants who paid a $5 entry fee. She initially assisted her husband, Victor, who wanted to run the course.

"I would never have thought the first year I was there, I'd still be doing this 50 years later, but I enjoy it," Navarra said. Victor Navarra, a lieutenant with the New York City Fire Department, joined her in the volunteer role. By 1979, race organizer Fred Lebow asked the couple to manage the entire start area.

The Navarras worked with New York Road Runners to expand race day logistics over the following years. Their duties included recruiting volunteers, organizing runner corrals, and directing traffic toward the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. Navarra also participated in the race herself on several occasions, volunteering in the early morning before joining the back of the starting line.

Victor Navarra died in 2007 from paranasal sinus cancer, a condition linked to his work at Ground Zero following the September 11, 2001, attacks. He attended the marathon in 2007 despite being blind and having difficulty speaking. He had listed attending the race as his final goal before his death.

"The last goal was he was going to be at that marathon. Come hell or high water, he was going to be at the marathon," Navarra said. "He had said to me, 'If something happened to me before that just put me on ice.'"

In the days leading up to the 2026 race, Navarra oversees the construction of the start village. She holds meetings with volunteers to review logistics and distributes trash and donation bags for the corrals. She has maintained these relationships and operational standards for half a century.

On race day, Navarra works from the bucket of a Fire Department truck positioned 85 feet in the air. She directs volunteers from this elevated position despite her fear of heights. She manages the flow of runners and ensures the start area is ready before the first group crosses the line.

"He knows how much I hate heights, and I still hate them. I hate even getting on the step ladder," Navarra said. "I think he'd be proud that I've continued to do it, you know, and kept all the relationships going."

The 50th anniversary of the race's current format marks a milestone for the event. Navarra will stand at the starting line on November 1, continuing a role she has held since the race's move to Staten Island in 1976.