In New York’s Central Park, at West Drive and 92nd Street, is a nondescript drinking fountain made of black granite. Blink as you run past, and you’d miss it, but this particular fountain, inscribed in 1991 with an ivy garland and the words “72 Street Marathoning and Pasta Club” around its rim, has recently gained interest from a new generation of runners and inspired them to take up the mantle of distance running and carb loading.
Amanda Smith stumbled upon the fountain in 2020, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and was inspired by the inscription. “As a foodie who loves to run, nothing more closely aligns with my lifestyle than that!” she wrote on Reddit. Smith snatched up the Marathoning and Pasta Club handle on Instagram posthaste, knowing she wanted to do something with it in the future—three years later, her dream has come to fruition.
A few weeks ago, Smith gauged interest for an all-new run club devoted to sharing easy miles followed by “family style” meals afterwards. People loved the idea. The group got together for their first outing on Thursday night: Five runners showed up for a loop of Central Park, chatting and getting to know each other, before tucking into orders of rigatoni carbone on the Upper West Side.
“It was really nice to just have a conversation, and everyone’s kind of sharing the role that running plays in their lives,” Smith told Runner’s World.
The original Marathoning and Pasta Club traces its history back to the 1970s, when its members, in addition to their love of running and spaghetti, were dedicated stewards of Central Park, often planting trees and cleaning and restoring water fountains. One of the seven original members is Jonathan Mendes, a World War II Marine who in 2016, at 96 years old, was believed to be the oldest unofficial finisher of the New York City Marathon, completing the race in 11 hours and 23 minutes. Carl Landegger, 10 years Mendes’ junior, was another founding member, and was running marathons with his friend as recently as 2010.
Smith laughs that the initial club was comprised of serious runners who competed around the world, clocking impressive times. Her iteration of the Marathoning and Pasta Club is more of a nod to the originals. The new club is truly pace inclusive and spans all five New York City boroughs. Next week they’ll be meeting in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park before heading to Pasta Louise Cafe in Park Slope.
You don’t need to be a marathoner to join the club, and unlike many other groups, there’s no minimum pace required.
“I hope people feel comfortable to come because it isn’t about competitions,” Smith said. “You don't need to be training for anything. We had people last night who just like to run, and they’re not interested in running a marathon and that’s totally fine.”
Some nights, Smith says they may even skip the run and just bond over pasta. She sees a real need for clubs based around recovery-pace runs and community.
Fusilli and farfalle sound fun? You can stay up-to-date on the happenings of the Marathoning and Pasta Club on their Instagram page.
Abby Carney is a writer and journalist in New York. A former D1 college runner and current amateur track athlete, she's written about culture and characters in running and outdoor sports for Runner's World, Like the Wind Magazine, The New York Times, and other outlets. She also writes about things that have nothing to do with running, and was previously the editor of a food magazine.
