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Usually, watching the New York City Marathon costs you a coffee and whatever dignity you sacrifice by yelling at a stranger dressed as a banana. This Sunday, one runner is offering spectators a considerably better financial arrangement.
Molly Markhoff, 25, is hiring up to 20 people to cheer her on during Sunday's marathon. The going rate for being in her corner? A hundred and twenty bucks each, for a potential cheering budget of $2,400. Markhoff posted the request on Airtasker, an online marketplace where people hire help for jobs ranging from furniture assembly to moving.
According to Airtasker,Markhoff wants her hired supporters to show up along the 26.2-mile route with positive energy and creative signs cheering her on. Her listing, titled “Cheer Me On at the NYC Marathon! 1,” shows a $120 budget and a Sunday, November 1 deadline.
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If your chief athletic talent is making a pun on poster board, this could be a promising assignment. You get the race-day atmosphere and a reason to use your outdoor voice, while Markhoff gets people looking for her in a race where finding a familiar face can take immense coordination.
Some practical details still need to be established: it's not specified how long each person must cheer, where supporters will stand or whether all 20 spots have been filled. Airtasker says the request fits a broader appetite for paid encouragement. The company reports a 280% increase in requests for gym and fitness accountability buddies, with an average rate of $89 per task. The platform says New York ranks second among states for those requests. It did not provide a timeframe for the increase.
That’s a different assignment from holding a marathon sign, of course, but both put a price on someone showing up for you—and in a city where calendars fill quickly, Markhoff has given prospective supporters a concrete incentive.
While $2,400 is a substantial potential bill for applause, the runners still have the harder job. If your Sunday plans already involve standing on a sidewalk and shouting, getting paid $120 for it sounds like a pretty respectable personal best.