NY Gov. Hochul tells MTA to stand down in marathon fee dispute

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday ordered the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to withdraw a proposal to charge the New York City Marathon’s organizer to reimburse the agency $750,000 for lost tolls along the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge during the race.

A day after news broke about the MTA's plan — and the organizer saying the hike would mean runners would pay more for admission — Hochul's office sent out a statement condemning the proposal. 

"The marathon is an iconic symbol of New York City's tenacity and resilience that unites communities across the five boroughs each fall," Hochul said in the statement. "I've directed the MTA to fix this mess and allow the marathon to move forward as it always has."

Hochul spokesman John Lindsay, who sent her statement, said the governor has told the MTA to revert to the previous deal with the organizer, the New York Road Runners. Lindsay referred questions about that deal to the MTA, but MTA spokeswoman Meghan Keegan said she didn’t have those details. Crystal Howard, a spokeswoman for the Road Runners, said Thursday night that she couldn't confirm which deal the governor's office is referring to but that the group looks forward to finalizing a deal.

Lindsay said the governor is encouraging the Road Runners to find additional ways to generate revenue, such as buying ads on MTA mass transit. Specifics weren’t provided.

The news from Hochul's office marked a turnaround for the MTA — an agency the governor controls that runs bridges, tunnels, subways, trains and buses. Earlier this week, MTA Bridges and Tunnels president Catherine Sheridan had said it’s wrong for the public to be stuck with the bill for a private group such as the Road Runners.

“New Yorkers love Marathon Sunday, but taxpayers cannot be expected to subsidize a wealthy non-government organization like the New York Road Runners to the tune of $750,000,” Sheridan said. “The MTA is prepared to continue working towards a final agreement with the NYRR, provided it leads, over time, to full reimbursement for the lost revenue.”

The Road Runners said in a statement prior to Hochul's announcement that it was willing to negotiate, “but any resolution should reflect the significant value the MTA derives from the marathon, including the increased ridership over marathon weekend.”

The Road Runners said that if the MTA got its way, the price to participate would go up. The 2024 entry fee is as much as $315.

The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, which connects Brooklyn and Staten Island, is part of the 26.2 mile course that runs through all five boroughs.

Newsday reported in 2022 that about 10,000 marathon runners registered were from Long Island out of an expected 50,000 finishers.

Gary Margolin, age 64, a semiretired special education teacher in Flushing, Queens, who lives in Dix Hills, lost this year’s lottery, which is held because more runners want to partake in the marathon than there are slots.

He's now trying to get into the race through a participating charity, the 9/11-related Tunnel to Towers Foundation. If he's selected, he'll need to pay both the original fee and agree to raise at least a minimum amount for the charity.

On Thursday evening, following Hochul's announcement, he said he would have paid the additional entry cost if it was passed on and prorated, even if he would have been annoyed about having to pay more.

“I would pay it because, first of all the New York Marathon is the best, especially if you grew up in New York. It would not be a deal-breaker,” said Margolin, who completed the marathon in four times.

But, he noted, any additional fee would pose a hardship for less fortunate participants. “It could prevent some people from running in the New York Marathon, which is a shame.”

By Matthew Chayes

matthew.chayes@newsday.comchayesmatthew

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.