Volunteer Leads 50 Years at Start Line

The New York City Marathon begins with a logistical challenge that has defined Joanne Navarra’s career for half a century. On Nov. 1, she will oversee the start village at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island for the 50th time. While spectators focus on the finish line in Central Park, Navarra manages the initial release of runners, a task she describes as an adrenaline rush.

The event’s history mirrors Navarra’s tenure. In 1976, the race moved its start from Central Park to Staten Island for the U.S. Bicentennial. Only 2,090 runners paid a $5 entry fee to cross the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge that year. Navarra, whose husband Victor was a New York City Fire Department lieutenant, initially volunteered because he wanted to participate. She soon became essential to the operation.

Fred Lebow, the race’s co-founder, tasked the Navarras with running the entire start line after three years. The couple expanded their roles as the event grew. Navarra has also competed in the marathon several times, volunteering in the early morning and then joining the back of the pack.

Victor Navarra died in 2007 from paranasal sinus cancer. The illness was linked to his volunteer work at Ground Zero after the 2001 terrorist attacks. Despite being blind and barely able to speak by the time of his final race, he attended the marathon, fulfilling a goal he had listed before his death.

Navarra continues the tradition 19 years later. In the days before the race, she oversees the construction of the start village and coordinates with nearly 2,000 volunteers. On race morning, she positions herself 85 feet in the air in an FDNY truck bucket to direct traffic, despite a stated fear of heights.

She said Victor would have been proud that she kept the relationships intact. “I think he’d be proud that I’ve continued to do it, you know, and kept all the relationships going,” she said. The next major step is the Nov. 1 start, where she will manage the flow of runners from the corrals onto the bridge.

Navarra noted that the atmosphere at the start remains positive. “You don’t really see a sad face. It’s just nice to see everybody all together and having a good time,” she said. Her next scheduled task is the final check of the corrals before the first wave of runners crosses the bridge.