2026 Citizens Miles that Matter Award Winner Spotlight Hailey Caruso

Citizens Miles That Matter is a community-driven platform, launched in partnership with New York Road Runners, that recognizes purpose-driven New Yorkers whose marathon journeys create meaningful impact across their communities. The program celebrates individuals who embody the spirit of the race, grit, resilience, leadership, and generosity, and who use the marathon as a platform for service, leadership, and giving back, not just personal achievement.

For Staten Island resident Hailey Caruso, it's always been more than a place to live. It is home, community and family.

Born and raised on Staten Island, Hailey grew up surrounded by a culture of support and connection that continues to shape who she is today. Those values have influenced her running journey, her commitment to service, and the cause she has chosen to support as she represents her community.

Hailey is quick to point out that in Staten Island, family means everything and that the community is always there to look out for each other — especially when times are tough. "We could lean on each other no matter what," she recalls. It's a statement on how people feel like your family, even if they're not.

That sense of community is one of the reasons Hailey's support of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation feels so personal. Hailey is running in support of the organization, whose mission honors the legacy of 9/11 first responders, while providing support to the families and communities affected by tragedy. For Hailey, the cause is deeply connected to her own family's story.

For Hailey, supporting Tunnel to Towers is personal. Her father, a firefighter, was forced to retire early due to 9/11-related illnesses. The organization honors FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller, who ran through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the Twin Towers and sacrificed his life helping others on September 11. "It's such an important charity to me because that could have easily been my dad that day," Hailey said.

Hailey has seen firsthand how the effects of that day continue to shape families long after the headlines faded. Supporting Tunnel to Towers allows her to honor the sacrifices made by first responders, while helping ensure that families facing similar challenges receive the support they need.

This commitment gives added meaning to Hailey's every mile.

Running has been part of Hailey's story for years. Her journey began in high school and continued through college, where she competed as a Division II track athlete at the College of Staten Island. What started as a sport eventually became something larger, providing lessons that extend well beyond competition.

To Hailey, running means it's time to get outside and do hard things — even if you don't want to. She describes the mental hurdles that come with marathon training by saying, "Just put one foot in front of the other and once you get running, you'll be so glad that you did."

That mindset has become central to how she approaches both running and life. Success is not always about dramatic moments or major breakthroughs. More often, it comes from showing up, putting in the work, and continuing forward one step at a time.

The work reflects the same spirit of community that Hailey values so deeply and has experienced throughout her life on Staten Island.

For her, supporting the organization is about more than fundraising. It is about honoring a legacy.

As she trains and prepares for race day, Hailey carries the heroic stories from 9/11 with her. Each run becomes an opportunity to recognize the resilience of others while contributing to a cause that has touched her life in a deeply personal way.

At the same time, her journey highlights the broader power of running to bring people together. Running has connected Hailey to teammates, training partners and communities across New York. It has taught her discipline, strengthened her sense of purpose and provided a platform to support causes she believes in.

Most importantly, it has given her a way to turn gratitude into action.

As she represents Staten Island, Hailey is running for a community that has always shown up for its own. She is running in honor of first responders and the families who continue to carry the impact of their service.

Running for Tunnel to Towers carries a particular meaning for Hailey because of her father's service and the sacrifices made by so many first responders and their families. She is running to support the Tunnel to Towers mission, which reflects the values that have guided her throughout her life.

Hailey's story is a reminder that running can be about far more than crossing a finish line. It's also a way to honor people who inspire us, support the causes that matter most and foster communities that help shape who we become.

For Hailey, every mile is rooted in family, community and purpose.