Felicitamos y agradecemos a nuestros miembros del Volunteer Hall of Fame 2023

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, and we’re celebrating all those who volunteer their time and talents in support of our community.

Our Volunteer Hall of Fame induction ceremony on April 26 honored the 2023 NYRR Volunteer Hall of Fame inductees. These individuals have significant volunteer service. They embody the spirit of service and have demonstrated leadership, commitment, and passion for NYRR’s mission to help and inspire people through running. View the 2023 NYRR Volunteer Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony gallery.

In the video below, our inductees share memorable moments from their years of volunteering.

Congratulations and thank you – we couldn’t do it without you!

Sheldon Barasch
Years volunteering: 39

Sheldon ran the New York City Marathon several times in the 1970s and 80s before developing an injury. “I got to know a lot of the people at NYRR,” he said. “After getting injured, I started working at races because that’s where my friends were.”

He volunteered at the 1985 New York City Marathon, along the course and at the finish line. "On marathon day, I can't be anywhere else,” Sheldon said.

His favorite volunteering memory is helping a friend who finished the marathon with his daughter. “They were both ecstatic and exhausted,” he said. “It was great being able to greet them and help them through.”

Judy Birch
Years volunteering: 40

For the past 40 years, Judy has volunteered at countless NYRR races, including the New York City Marathon, where she's now part of a team that manages over 1,600 finish-area volunteers on race day.

In 1985, Judy had just started working as a nurse in a family therapy clinic. “I had weekends off for the first time in many years,” she said. “I was at a street fair and there was a New York Road Runners booth with applications to volunteer for the marathon. One was in family reunion and I thought, What a nice coincidence, I work with families. It was like a sign.”

Judy signed up on the spot. She eventually became a family reunion volunteer leader, then moved to medals volunteer leader in the early 90s.

She loves the interaction with the runners, but added, “One of the biggest reasons I come back year after year is the sense of family with the other volunteers. As you volunteer through the years, you form lasting friendships.”

Judy appreciates that her volunteering is special. “It’s not so much a job but a labor of love, and a unique experience,” she said.

Dalton Evans
Years volunteering: 40

Dalton learned about NYRR volunteering opportunities from his children’s track team coach at South Shore High School in the early 1980s. For the past 40 years he’s volunteered at mile 4 of the New York City Marathon, on Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn.

“What keeps me coming back year after year is the athletes participating from all over the world, especially the elite, blind, and wheelchair athletes,” he said. He also loves the “preparation by the volunteers in anticipation of the crowds.”

Dalton is inspired by volunteers who return every year in all types of weather, and who overcome challenges to meet the runners’ needs. “One year we ran out of Gatorade with two more waves to come,” he recalled. “We were extremely busy mixing more Gatorade.”

Johnny Gonzalez
Years volunteering at NYRR Open Run: 6

Johnny has volunteered at NYRR Open Run since 2017, amassing over 500 volunteer hours at Crocheron Park, Cunningham Park, and Flushing Meadows–Corona Park.

“It's a great program for all levels of runners and walkers,” he said. “It brings people of all races and backgrounds together. People from the community can meet people who enjoy the same thing as they do, and improve their health. People who [say] they are not able to run distances are able to do so.”

Johnny volunteers to be a part of the diversity of his community. “When volunteering, you get to see how people from all ethnicities enjoy one another in harmony. Everyone is supporting one another and sharing their stories,” he said.

He loves being able to support and motivate others. “It's a great feeling to do so,” he said. “The best part of volunteering is supporting participants.”

Volunteering helps him “stay in the game. When I'm recovering from injuries it gives me the opportunity to stay motivated. The participants inspire me when I see how committed they are.”

Johnny said he knows the Open Run participants appreciate his efforts. “The appreciation they all give you for being there to cheer them on is pretty awesome."

Marian Spatz
Years volunteering: 33

For the past 33 years Marian has been a volunteer at NYRR races, including at mile 20 of the New York City Marathon. "I like being outdoors, being with other people, and staying in shape," she said. 

She particularly enjoys helping international runners, who make up close to half of marathon participants most years. "I've learned to say a few words in some languages, and they appreciate that."

Volunteering, especially on marathon day, "gives a feeling that you're part of something bigger – it widens your horizons."

Marian feels like volunteering gives as much to her as she gives to it. "When people volunteer, they don't look for medals. It's a kind of selfish glory. I feel blessed that I do it and I don't look for anything special," she said.

She does, though, treasure the runners' expressions of gratitude. "One man wrote to us saying that without us, he wouldn't have finished the marathon," she said. "That was special."