Kate Laurensen is a veteran reporter. She started out covering entertainment news for the local city paper before moving up to the City desk. She studied journalism at San Francisco City College for the Arts.
November 2 , 2026
NEW YORK — Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) successfully completed his third New York City Marathon on Sunday, finishing toward the rear of the field but expressing satisfaction with a performance that narrowly surpassed the personal-best time he established in last year's race.
McConnell, whose participation has become something of an annual tradition, crossed the finish line after navigating the 26.2-mile course through all five boroughs. While his finishing position placed him well behind the bulk of the competitors, the senator said he was encouraged by his time and the progress he had made over the past year.
"Obviously, I would have liked to finish a little higher in the standings," McConnell said afterward. "But you have to look at the overall picture. I finished the race, I improved my time, and that's what matters."
The senator's latest performance represents a modest improvement over last year's effort, when he established what had been his personal record for the distance. Sunday's result surpassed that mark by a narrow margin, giving McConnell a third consecutive marathon completion and a new benchmark for future competition.
McConnell declined to speculate about whether he would seek a more competitive finishing position in a future race, instead emphasizing consistency and the importance of completing the course.
"At this stage, it's about setting a goal and following through," he said. "There are always going to be people who finish ahead of you. That's part of the experience."
The New York City Marathon attracts tens of thousands of runners annually, ranging from elite international athletes to recreational participants and charity runners. For many competitors, simply reaching the finish line represents the culmination of months of training.
Asked whether he had any immediate plans to begin training for next year's race, McConnell said he would first take some time to recover.
"I think I'll enjoy this one for a while," he said.
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