Congrats to Our 2026 NYRR Volunteer Hall of Fame Inductees

During Global Volunteer Month in April, we celebrated and thanked volunteers who give their time and talents to everything we do here at New York Road Runners.

We’re especially grateful to our 2026 Volunteer Hall of Fame inductees, who were honored at a ceremony on April 28. These individuals embody a spirit of service and have demonstrated leadership, commitment, and passion for NYRR’s vision to build healthier lives and stronger communities through the transformative power of running.

In the video below, our inductees share memorable moments from their years of volunteering.




Check out photos from the night on our photo gallery. 

Congratulations and thank you—we couldn’t do it without you!

Robert Moore
Years Volunteering: 10
Open Run Volunteer Captain

“My weekend starts with Open Run.”

In 2015, Robert Moore was told by his doctor that he was borderline diabetic and that he needed to exercise more in order to get healthy. Shortly after, he laced up his running shoes and ran to St. Mary's Park in the Bronx because it was the closest Open Run location from where he lives. When he got back from the run he was so tired that he emailed New York Road Runners to ask about starting an Open Run in Inwood Hill Park or Fort Tryon Park, closer to his home.

“We needed to get the community involved. So I took fliers with me on my daily runs, and I hand them out to every runner I seen on the Greenway…and we accomplished our goal,” he said.

As a volunteer captain at the Inwood Hill Park Open Run, Robert says he takes ownership in being involved in the community. “Everybody respects the fact that I started [Open Run] in the park. They didn't have any actual organization to run with. So, I feel like it's a responsibility to me to come to the park.”

He enjoys seeing kids, who would come with their parents to the sessions, achieve their own running goals. Bryce, one of the first kids to participate in Inwood Hill Park Open Run, even ran the TCS New York City Marathon last fall.

“We named a hill after him called Bryce Hill. It’s the one that leads towards the finish line. He was the first one to run that 100 times. [It’s fulfilling] when we celebrate people meeting goals.”

For Robert, volunteering in Inwood Hill Park—whether he’s clearing a path in the park for the participants or running alongside someone that needs a little encouragement—is his way of giving back to what he benefited from.

“Coming to Open Run is a community thing…you're going to see so many people that you actually know even in passing or that actually live in your building, you know, go to the same supermarket you go to as opposed to going to just a race,” he said.

Knowing that he’s being recognized for all that he has done for Open Run makes Robert feel a sense of satisfaction. “It’s just kind of overwhelming…you can feel like sometimes you don't get enough credit for doing this or for doing that, and then you get recognized to the Hall of Fame without even thinking that, you know, you are even a candidate…it’s the ultimate thing.”

Darnley Simon
Years Volunteering: 30
Race Volunteer

“Volunteering is good for the soul.”

Darnley Simon has been volunteering with New York Road Runners for three decades and in that time, she’s seen it all. From assigning bibs at the former NYRR headquarters at East 89th Street to helping runners locate their families near the marathon finish line, Darnley shares her skills and her contagious laugh with the running community.

“I meet a lot of people, and I make a lot of executive decisions. I do enjoy working with the staff, you know, helping them out. Being a detective, if you want to call me that…I’m just comfortable in the role. I just come in and I do what I gotta do,” she said. When given a task she’ll always get it done. “I was like the queen because if anybody couldn't find a number, guess who? I will find that number."

Darnley started volunteering at NYRR because she wanted to be a part of the running community even though she wasn’t a runner herself, “To me, volunteering is like creating a new family. And, you know, so much camaraderie with the other volunteers. It's so much fun.”

She takes joy in helping runners have a good experience on race day. “It’s the little things that help out when you volunteer. You do take satisfaction in helping somebody, don’t get me wrong, but to make it special for them so they remember that race and say, ‘Oh, Road Runners [are] so nice, [they] helped me.”

When someone asks her why she volunteers even without getting paid she tells them that it’s not about the money. “It’s about helping. That’s just me. That’s what volunteering is all about. Giving back. That’s how I see it,” she said.

Darnley volunteering in Queens.

Dwayne Evans
Years Volunteering: 38
Marathon Volunteer - Mile 4

Alongside his father, Dalton, who is a 2023 Hall of Fame inductee, Dwayne started volunteering in high school while running track and field at South Shore. After Dalton retired, Dwayne assumed the team leadership role for the past eight years and has done an excellent job at managing fluid station set up, motivating 200 volunteers every year to supply a steady stream of water and Gatorade as runners journey through Brooklyn on their way to the marathon finish. Dwayne’s positive attitude and desire to help others makes him a critical member of the course marathon volunteer team.