Effortlessly Lucky

I moved to New York City in January 2016 and eleven months later, in November, I was enamored by the NYC Marathon. At the time, my brother lived along the route. We watched the television as the professional athletes started in Staten Island and then we ran downstairs to watch them pass us on the street miles later.

Cheering at my first New York City Marathon, I decided, in that moment, that I wanted to run it the following year and that it would be my first marathon. I didn’t know then how challenging it was to get into the race. But nevertheless, come February 2017, I entered the lottery for guaranteed entry. 

According to Runner’s World, 98,247 people entered that year. Only 16,211 received bibs (about 17%). 

My brother told me not to get my hopes up. But my hopes remained high and when I got that email and that credit card charge, I was elated. My friend had also entered and been accepted on her first entry and the two of us were surprised by how “easy” it was.

I didn’t realize then how lucky I was to get in on my first entry. How lucky I was to run the New York City Marathon when I did and in the way that I did. My brother tried to tell me how wild it was that my friend and I both got in… but I didn’t understand.

I’ve entered many marathon lotteries since and every subsequent email has read, “sorry” or “try again” or “maybe next year.” This year, in 2026, a record breaking 240,000 entered the lottery to run the NYC Marathon. Only 1% were selected, according to Runner’s World.

With time and many marathon rejection emails, I’ve come to realize how effortlessly lucky I was to get into the 2017 race.

And… it makes me wonder how many other areas of my life I have been effortlessly lucky in. What don’t I recognize for the incredible, awe-inspiring thing that it is? Without hesitation I took my lottery win for granted. Surely, then, there are a million little miracles spinning around me daily that I hardly process. 

Maybe, then, this lottery realization can serve as a reminder to appreciate all the luck as we’re experiencing it. To appreciate the beauty of our serendipitous lives.