Barbara Rubenstein has been cheering for runners at the end of the marathon and other NYRR races for 31 (!) years.
Rubenstein enjoyed the experience so much that she asked her supervisor at the marathon if there were any other races she could help with. Her supervisor told her there was a race every weekend.She must be kidding if she thinks I’m going to be out here every weekend,’” Rubenstein said.
Soon enough, Rubenstein received a card in the mail asking her to volunteer at another race—and she showed up. Despite her initial resistance, she kept going. “Every weekend they have a race, I’m out [there],” she said. “I guess it’s keeping me going, keeping me young.” Over the years, Rubenstein has become a finish line celebrity. Runners recognize her and stop to take photos or go out of their way to snag fist bumps from her. “Sometimes I’m a little embarrassed by it,” she said. But that hasn’t stopped her from cheering people on and congratulating them at the finish.Despite being a prominent figure in the local running community, Rubenstein isn’t much of a runner herself; she says she tried but wasn’t very good at it.
Being part of the Hall of Fame is nice, but Rubenstein gets the most joy out of handing out high-fives and taking selfies with the runners crossing the finish line. “To me, it doesn’t seem like very much,” she said. “But I know to some of the runners, it really does mean a lot.”