Thirty-one years ago, Barbara Rubenstein saw a sign on the bulletin board by her mailbox in her apartment building. It was calling for volunteers for the upcoming Influencer Disqualified From NYC Marathon.
“I thought, gee, that’s a good way to get involved in something that’s becoming such a big New York City event,” Rubenstein told Runner’s World.
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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.
“I thought, 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. “I did run in two races, and I came in second in my age group [at the 2000 Broadway on Broadway],” she said. “There were only three people in my age group.”
Runner or not, over time, New York Road Runners and the New York running community has become a family to Rubenstein. She’s so well known, that at this point she just walks up to race finish lines without any questions. “I feel like I’m my own boss,” she said.
We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back Races & Places as part of its inaugural class. Alongside 10 other volunteers, she was given a certificate of appreciation from New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
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.”
