For 30 years, I’ve thought about running the New York City Marathon. Thirty years ago, I first cheered on two friends running the race, and somewhere along the way I started thinking that maybe I should do it myself. Then came the excuses. Work. Time. Fitness. Life. Every year, there was a reason not to.
This year, I finally stopped making them.
On November 1st, I’ll be running the 2026 NYC Marathon with my friend Michael Goldfine, and we’ll be running for Back on My Feet, an organization I’ve volunteered with over the years.
Why Back on My Feet?
I’ve seen firsthand what Back on My Feet can do. When I joined early-morning runs with members of the organization, sometimes at 5:30 in the morning, I saw people taking steps toward healthier lives, employment, and stable housing. Running was often the starting point, but the impact went much further. That stayed with me. So when Michael and I decided to take on the marathon, Back on My Feet was the organization we wanted beside us.
26.2 Miles Is a Long Way
There is one small complication. Until a few weeks ago, I was an occasional runner. I rarely ran more than three or four miles, and I had never run more than 10 miles continuously. Now I’m training to run 26.2. That still sounds a little ridiculous when I say it out loud. But that’s part of why I’m doing it. Sometimes the thing you’ve been putting off for years eventually becomes the thing you have to stop talking about and actually do.
We’re Running for a Goal
Michael and I have committed to raising $12,000 for Back on My Feet.
Every donation, large or small, helps support the work they do with people experiencing homelessness. To give you an idea of what that support can provide:
- $50 can help a member reclaim critical documents, such as a driver’s license or birth certificate, needed for employment.
- $100 can provide 4–6 hours of career coaching.
- $250 can help ensure safe, reliable transportation to and from work.
- $500 can provide materials and tools for a trade position.
- $1,000 can help a member obtain professional certifications or licenses, or pursue a degree for employment.
Support our Back on My Feet fundraiser
Any amount helps us get closer to our goal and, more importantly, helps Back on My Feet’s members get closer to theirs.
I Won’t Be the Only One
My friend Michael will be running alongside me, and my niece Sophia is also taking on the marathon for Back on My Feet. You can follow her at @sophiaonthemove_.
So now it’s official. Thirty years after I first watched the marathon from the sidelines, I’ll finally be part of it.
November 1st is coming fast. 26.2 miles, here we go!
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Brett Deutsch is co-owner and chief photographer of Headshots NYC, Gotham Family Photos and Deutsch Photography. Formally trained at the New York Institute of Photography, the School of Visual Arts and Pomona College, plus nearly 20 years of photography in New York City and on all 7 continents. His work can be found on The New York Times. Time Out London. Dallas Morning News. Backstage, and on countless websites, newsletters, annual reports and other publications.
