Turn Your NYC Marathon Finish Into a Keepsake

Twenty-six miles deserves more than a camera roll. Here is how to turn your NYC Marathon finish into something you and your family will keep, using a digital download and a few ideas that work especially well for holiday gifts.

Start with the right photo

Pick one frame that says something. It might be the finish line, the climb out of the Bronx or your family on First Avenue. The best keepsake photos have a face you recognize and a place you can name. Search by where you were, not only by the finish: Explore lets you filter galleries by sport, place and date, and you do not need an account to browse. Photos start from $8, you pay per photo, and the full-resolution file without a watermark downloads as soon as payment clears.

Seven digital ideas that work

Lock screen or wallpaper. A full-resolution finish photo is crisp enough to set as your phone and laptop background.
A digital photo frame for a parent or grandparent. Load the best five frames from the day onto a frame that cycles through them. It is the easiest holiday gift for someone who cheered from far away.
A holiday card or email. Use the finish photo as the card, with your time and the line "Five boroughs, one finish" on the back or in the email.
A shared family album. Make an album in your phone's photos app and add everyone who was part of the day, including the people who tracked you from home.
A slideshow. Put the photos in order of the course, from the bridge to the finish, and add your splits as captions.
A social post with context. Share one frame with your bib, your time and the mile where it was taken, and tag the photographer.
A gift for a running friend. If you found a great photo of a training partner, buy it and send it to them with a note about where it was taken.

Write the caption now

Memory fades faster than you think. Right after the race, write one line for each photo: where you were, who you were with, what you were thinking. Add your bib number and finishing time. A year from now, that caption is what makes a good photo a keepsake.

What about printing?

Surf Snaps does not offer print fulfillment yet, so this guide stays focused on digital downloads. The full-resolution file is good enough to print if you want to take it to a lab of your choice, but you can get a lot out of the digital version without printing anything.

Holiday timing

Because a download is available right after payment, you do not need to plan around shipping. That makes it a practical holiday gift: find the photo, buy it, put it in a card or a digital frame and send it the same day. If you are gifting the photo to someone else who ran, check that they do not already have it.

If you are a photographer

Race photos turn into gifts, cards and wallpapers long after the race. Upload your NYC Marathon set to Surf Snaps so finishers and their families can find it, and check NYRR's media policy before you list race photos for sale. Joining and uploading are free, with no storage bill, and the Surf Snaps fee of up to 10% only applies when a photo sells. You can pass it on to the customer.

NYC Marathon Keepsake FAQ

How do I get a high-quality NYC Marathon photo?

Search Surf Snaps by sport, place and date, buy the photo you want and download the full-resolution file without a watermark.

Can I print the photo?

The file is high resolution and can be printed at a lab you choose. Surf Snaps does not offer print fulfillment yet.

Is a digital download a good holiday gift?

Yes. It is available right after payment, so you can send it in a card or load it onto a digital frame without waiting on shipping.

Can I share the photo with family?

Yes, for personal use. Check the terms page for the licence details.

How much does a photo cost?

Photographers set their own prices, and photos on Surf Snaps start from $8.