Charity Runners: Capture Your NYC Marathon Story

Charity runners do more than finish a marathon. They raise money, train for months and carry the people they are running for. Photos are how that story reaches donors. Here is how to capture it and how a shared gallery can support your updates and thank-yous.

Why photos matter for fundraising

Donors give to people and stories. A picture of your team at the start, a sign from a supporter, a runner crossing the finish with a medal and a note about who they ran for can do more than a paragraph of thanks. Photos also give you fresh content for the weeks after the race, when donors want to hear how it went.

Plan the shots before race day

Team photo before the race. Take it in your charity shirts before everyone splits up.
The cheer zone. A Charity Cheer Zone is listed at First Avenue and 120th Street, so tell your supporters where to be and when your runners should pass.
Mile moments. Signs, hugs and reactions on First Avenue, in the Bronx and on Fifth Avenue are the emotional frames.
The finish and the medal. Plan a spot after the park where runners can meet supporters and take a photo with their medals.
The dedication. A runner holding a photo or a name of the person they ran for is worth taking before the race and after.

Spectators are not allowed at the start or on the Verrazzano Bridge, and access near the finish is controlled, so plan your photos around the places supporters can actually stand.

Pick a team photographer

Ask a volunteer to cover the team, or have two or three supporters share the job, each with a spot. Give them a list of runners with bib numbers, shirt colors and expected mile times. For a richer set, find an independent photographer who covers the course and ask whether they will shoot your team, or look at Explore after the race for photographers who were on the route.

Build a shared collection after the race

Ask supporters, family and volunteers to upload their best photos with the same tags: sport (running), date (November 1, 2026) and the street or area. On Surf Snaps, galleries from different photographers covering the same event are found together by sport, place and date, so your team can search once and see them all. Each photographer sets their own price and keeps the copyright, so a supporter can choose a fair price or a low one.

If you want a team photographer to receive requests, they can upload a session and share the link in your team chat and your fundraising page.

Using photos in updates and thank-yous

Thank-you emails. Pick one strong frame per donor group, add a line about what their gift made possible and send it within a week.
Social posts. A short series: team photo, a mile moment, the finish and a thank-you. Tag the photographer.
A recap page. A few photos with the total raised, and a call for next year's team.

Check the usage rights

A purchase on Surf Snaps is a licence to the buyer for that image, and the photographer keeps the copyright. For personal updates to your family and friends this is straightforward. If you want to use a photo in public fundraising materials, a newsletter or an appeal, ask the photographer first and credit them, and check the terms page for the licence details. Also be considerate when photos include other people, and remove one on request.

For photographers

Charity teams often need images and may not have anyone covering them. If you are shooting the marathon, reach out to a team in advance, offer to cover their cheer zone and share the gallery link afterward. Joining and uploading on Surf Snaps are free, there is 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. Check NYRR's media policy before you list race photos for sale.

Charity Runner Photos FAQ

How can a charity team get marathon photos?

Plan a team photographer, ask supporters to upload their photos, and search Surf Snaps Explore by sport, place and date after the race.

Can we use photos in fundraising materials?

Ask the photographer first and credit them. A purchase is a licence for that image, not a transfer of copyright.

Where is the Charity Cheer Zone?

It is listed at First Avenue and 120th Street. Check the NYRR spectator guide for the current locations.

Can supporters upload their own photos?

Yes, with a free account, tagged with sport, place and date.

Is there a cost?

No cost to join or upload. A fee of up to 10% applies only when a photo sells, and it can be passed on to the customer.