A Marathon Effort to Find Love in the Big Apple

In a city where dating apps often leave singles exhausted and unfulfilled, one New Yorker decided to take matters into her own hands with a creative approach during one of the city’s most iconic events. Lindsey Gheduzzi, a 33-year-old Astoria resident, stood among the cheering crowds at last Sunday’s New York City Marathon with a bold mission: to catch the eye of a fitness-minded suitor with a handmade sign displaying her phone number. “Most people who have been on the dating scene in this city know that it’s pretty painful,” Gheduzzi shared. “I think the apps are kind of on their way out; they’re not really cutting it for most people anymore… so I was like, ‘You know what? I’m an active person. All these people are active. Let’s shoot my shot.'” With these words, this operations manager at a law firm embarked on her own kind of marathon—the race to find meaningful connection in a city where options seem endless but genuine connections can be frustratingly elusive.

Standing halfway along the marathon route in Williamsburg, Gheduzzi unveiled her attention-grabbing placard that read, “Strong legs, great glutes, call me,” alongside her phone number. The playful, flirty message was designed to break through the monotony that both marathon runners and modern daters know all too well. Surrounded by supportive friends and family—including her optimistic mother who suggested this could be “the first day of the rest of your life”—Gheduzzi prepared to put herself out there in a way that dating apps never required. Though she initially felt vulnerable holding what she described as “essentially an advertisement for myself,” her nervousness quickly dissolved as runners began to react. The experience highlighted the parallel she sees between marathon running and dating in New York: both activities demand endurance, determination, and the willingness to push through discomfort toward a meaningful goal.

The response from passing marathon participants proved more rewarding than Gheduzzi might have anticipated. “I started getting laughs, smiles and people stopped and flexed their leg muscles at me,” she recalled with amusement. One particularly memorable moment came when an older gentleman ran back after passing her to quip, “Where were you 40 years ago?” These interactions, while brief, provided exactly the kind of human connection that often feels missing from digital dating experiences. For Gheduzzi, seeing the runners momentarily distracted from their physical challenge became a highlight: “For them to get a little kick out of something while they’re potentially struggling, that was fun.” Her sign wasn’t an anomaly among the marathon crowd—other spectators also held flirtatious messages, including one that humorously read, “No one likes a quick finisher,” suggesting a collective yearning for levity and connection in a city that can sometimes feel isolating despite its density.

Gheduzzi’s marathon matchmaking attempt speaks to a broader frustration with the current dating landscape, particularly in a place like New York City. “There are so many options. I think part of the issue is that people find one thing that’s wrong [with a prospective partner] and it’s like, ‘moving on to the next,'” she explained, highlighting the paradox of choice that dating app users frequently encounter. The endless swiping, messaging, and often disappointing first dates have led many singles like Gheduzzi to seek alternative pathways to connection—ones that might feel more authentic and aligned with their actual interests and lifestyles. By positioning herself at the marathon, she was targeting individuals who shared at least one of her values: an active lifestyle. This strategic approach represents a refreshing counterpoint to algorithms that sometimes seem to prioritize quantity of matches over quality of connection.

While Gheduzzi’s creative endeavor didn’t immediately result in phone calls from interested runners, her attitude remains refreshingly positive. “It would have been nice to have a few phone calls or texts come through, but it’s okay,” she reflected. “Marathon Day is my favorite day out of the year in the city.” This sentiment reveals something crucial about both dating and marathon running: sometimes the journey itself—the experience, the human moments, the willingness to be vulnerable—matters more than immediately reaching the destination. In a dating culture often focused on efficiency and instant results, Gheduzzi’s marathon experiment serves as a reminder that meaningful connections sometimes require putting oneself in unexpected situations, embracing a bit of risk, and being open to whatever unfolds.

The story of a single woman holding up her phone number at the New York City Marathon might seem like a simple human-interest anecdote, but it illuminates deeper truths about connection in the digital age. As dating apps continue to dominate the landscape while simultaneously disappointing many users, we may see more creative approaches like Gheduzzi’s—efforts that blend old-fashioned serendipity with modern boldness. Her willingness to stand on a crowded street holding a sign with her phone number represents something many of us secretly long for: the courage to be seen, to make ourselves available for connection in ways that feel authentic rather than algorithmic. Whether or not Gheduzzi eventually receives calls from marathon runners, her approach reminds us that finding love—like completing a marathon—isn’t just about reaching the finish line but about embracing the full experience, unexpected moments and all. In a city that never stops moving, she momentarily created a space where connection could happen at its own pace, on its own terms.