NEED TO KNOW
-
New York Road Runners and New York Therapy Animals are partnering to bring therapy dogs to the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon
-
The therapy dogs will greet runners at the marathon’s starting line in Staten Island
-
The 2025 TCS New York City Marathon is on Sunday, Nov. 2
As runners limber up for Nov. 2’s New York City Marathon, a group of social pups is getting ready for the big run as well.
For the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon, New York Road Runners (NYRR), the nonprofit that helps organize the 26.2-mile race, partnered with New York Therapy Animals to bring therapy dogs to the marathon’s starting line in Staten Island.
For the marathon, New York Therapy Animals will provide volunteer therapy dog teams, consisting of a human and their trained, licensed, and insured therapy dog. The dogs participating in the 2025 race will all be canines trained to be comfortable in a large group.
The dogs’ job on marathon day will be to calm race-day jitters at the starting line, where runners can feel overwhelmed or nervous about the trek ahead. NYRR and New York Therapy Animals know the therapy dogs can be the key to a memorable, enjoyable race day, because they’ve heard it from the runners themselves.
New York Therapy Animals
Marathon runners with a therapy dog
“This is New York Therapy Animals’ ninth year of bringing comfort, support, and smiles to the more than 55,000 remarkable runners before they get ready to run 26.2 miles through the five boroughs,” Nancy George-Michalson, the founder of New York Therapy Animals, tells PEOPLE. “The idea of having therapy dogs supporting one of the largest and most iconic marathons was the inspiration of the brilliant and hard-working New York Road Runners staff.”
George-Michalson adds that security and advocacy measures are in place to ensure that all runners and therapy dogs enjoy their day at the marathon. On race day, the therapy dogs, leashed at all times, will be in a cordoned-off area where runners can line up to meet the therapy dog teams.
“The handlers will greet the runners and have them sit comfortably in groups of 4 runners per team at a time. Both ends of the leash will simply enjoy having people pet the therapy dog, chat with the handler, try to calm their nerves before running their big race, and, hopefully, have a significant, measurable feeling of relaxation. This year, there are 15 of our therapy dog teams attending, and they are on a rotating schedule so that the team gets to take many breaks for downtime throughout the morning,” George-Michalson says of what runners and dogs can expect.
New York Therapy Animals
Runners with a therapy dog from New York Therapy Animals
Like the runners, the therapy dogs prepare for the marathon. To make sure they are at their best for the marathon’s early morning start, the canines get a good night’s rest.
“The human teammate provides all the necessities that they will need: water, food, a sweater or coat, and a blanket to lie on. New York Therapy Animals’ therapy dogs are trained at our NYC training school. They have completed our training course, passed a team assessment by licensed evaluators, and have been vetted by their veterinarian for health, temperament, and good behavior,” the New York Therapy Animals founder says.
The organization’s dogs don’t just support New Yorkers on marathon day; New York Therapy Animals’ fluffy volunteers spread smiles across the city’s hospitals, healthcare facilities, day centers, and assisted living facilities. Therapy dogs with the nonprofit also help children learn to read and assist in clinical therapy settings.
New York Therapy Animals
Therapy dogs at the starting line of the New York City Marathon
Each volunteer visit is designed to bring joy and advocate for therapy animals, which includes addressing misconceptions.
“Therapy dogs are not service animals, and service animals are not therapy dogs. A service dog performs specific tasks to assist an individual with a disability and is protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), granting it public access rights. A therapy dog provides comfort and affection to many people in settings like hospitals or nursing homes, but it is not an individual service animal and does not have the same public access privileges,” George-Michalson notes, adding that New York Therapy Animals helps clear up this confusion.
New York Therapy Animals
Therapy dog visit at the New York City Marathon
The work it takes to get over a dozen dogs to the starting line of one of the world’s largest races is worth it to George-Michalson for the racers’ reactions.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“The best part for me is seeing the smiling faces of the athletes sitting in front of our therapy dog teams and hearing their stories!” she shares.
The 2025 TCS New York City Marathon, presented by New York Road Runners, is on Nov. 2 and will host over 55,000 runners, including celebrities, from dozens of countries.
Read the original article on People