NYC MARATHON: These photos captured the intensity of thousands running for glory through the Five Boroughs | amNewYork

To borrow from the “broad world game,” Sunday’s New York City Marathon race was much more than “the thrill of victory” or “the agony of defeat.” For tens of thousands of runners, it was about one thing only: the glory of victory.

Some 50,000 runners traveled the 26.2-mile course through the five boroughs, starting at the Staten Island side of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and ending near Central Park’s Tavern on the Green.

Getting to the end, regardless of time, was the culmination of many months of training and hard work that most would not dare try to accomplish – a test of physical and mental stamina unlike any other.

And with Sun now joining the big race for another year, these runners will have tons of memories to cherish for years—especially the tens of thousands of New Yorkers who cheered as they passed by.