The New York City Marathon was first run in 1970. Since 1976, the five borough course has started in Staten Island.
     
“@MarcFaletti: NY Marathon starts in Staten Island. Is the image of a bunch of people running away from Staten Island really what we need?” was posted on Twitter by Nancy Schwartzman on November 2, 2012. “Whether or not the NYC Marathon is cancelled, people will still be running away from Staten Island” was posted on Twitter by tis i the downer on November 2, 2012.
   
“The NYC Marathon is really just a bunch of people running away from Staten Island” was posted on Twitter by Joe Pontillo on November 1, 2015. “The New York City Marathon Is really just a bunch of people running away from Staten Island” was posted on Reddit—Jokes on November 7, 2021.
   
   
Wikipedia: New York City Marathon 
The New York City Marathon (currently branded TCS New York City Marathon after its headline sponsor) is an annual marathon (42.195 km or 26.219 mi) that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is the largest marathon in the world, with 53,627 finishers in 2019 and 98,247 applicants for the 2017 race. Along with the Boston Marathon and Chicago Marathon, it is among the pre-eminent long-distance annual running events in the United States and is one of the World Marathon Majors.
(...)
Five borough course
From 1976, the course covers all five boroughs of New York City. It begins on Staten Island, in Fort Wadsworth, near the approach to the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. The bridge, which normally carries only vehicular traffic, is closed for the event. Runners use both sides of the upper level of the bridge and the westbound side of the lower level. In the opening minutes of the race, the bridge is filled with runners, creating a dramatic spectacle that is closely associated with the event.
         
Twitter
Nancy Schwartzman
@fancynancynyc
“@MarcFaletti: NY Marathon starts in Staten Island. Is the image of a bunch of people running away from Staten Island really what we need?”
10:22 AM · Nov 2, 2012·Tweetbot for iOS
   
Twitter
tis i the downer
@serratheboy
Whether or not the NYC Marathon is cancelled, people will still be running away from Staten Island.
11:26 PM · Nov 2, 2012·Twitter Web Client
   
Twitter
VoxVorago
@VoxVorago
got up this morning to see a while bunch of ppl running away from staten island. groovy
4:06 PM · Nov 3, 2013·Twitter for Android
   
Twitter
Joe Pontillo
@JoePontillo
The NYC Marathon is really just a bunch of people running away from Staten Island.
2:21 PM · Nov 1, 2015·Twitter Web Client
   
Twitter
rachel
@ohhoe
I like that the NYC marathon is 50,000 people just running away from Staten Island as fast as they can
11:24 AM · Nov 6, 2016 from Queens, NY·Twitter for iPhone
   
Twitter
ilya
@irubnich
#nycmarathon - just another mass of people running away from Staten Island as quickly as possible.
5:14 PM · Nov 6, 2016·TweetDeck
 
Inside Hook
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | DECEMBER 12, 2017 9:00 AM
10 Comedians Tell Us Their Favorite Jokes About New York
If you can’t laugh here, move to Los Angeles
BY SHARI GAB
(...)
Joe Pontillo
twitter: @JoePontillo
“The NYC Marathon is really just a bunch of people running away from Staten Island.”
   
Twitter
festive em
@e_munson
Replying to @pagingbrandon and @NYCCapsCrew
brandon there’s a reason they start the marathon running away from staten island
4:36 PM · Nov 6, 2019·Twitter Web App
   
Twitter
festive em
@e_munson
There is a goddamn reason the NYC marathon starts with everybody running away from Staten Island.
5:05 PM · Oct 3, 2020 from Queens, NY·Twitter for iPhone
 
Twitter
Billyjoe
@Billeeejo
Replying to @MaxBoot
“The NYC Marathon is really just a bunch of people running away from Staten Island.”
7:58 AM · Dec 3, 2020·Twitter Web App
 
Reddit—Jokes 
Posted by u/S-WordoftheMorning November 7, 2021
The New York City Marathon
Is really just a bunch of people running away from Staten Island.