Social media has taken kindly to the people running their favorite accounts, especially those of their favorite sports teams. These “admins” are often seen as anonymous figure heads that fans interact with and praise when the social platform has good content and when it shows the human side of the athletes we know and love. These social media professionals deserve for their stories to be highlighted too.

On November 1, Madison Peyser, who may be better known as the “admin” behind the New York Islanders’ social media platforms, might be taking on one of the most difficult challenges a human can: running a marathon. And not just any marathon, the 2026 New York City Marathon. Peyser is running the Marathon in support of the Islanders Children’s Foundation (ICF), after the Foundation entered three bids for staff members to run the Marathon in support of its mission.

The ICF was founded in 2003 by Charles B. Wang, with the intention of helping local children be “happy, healthy and successful” in their lives. According to the ICF, “the work of the Foundation is focused around three core pillars: Youth Hockey Development; Health, Wellness and Education Support; and General Community Support. Through these areas, we’re able to introduce more kids to the game of hockey, support programs that help children and families thrive, and partner with local organizations to address needs throughout our community." The Foundation does a lot of community work on Long Island and the greater area. Most notably, the annual Islanders Children’s Foundation Golf Outing raises hundreds of thousands for the foundation each year.

Peyser, who was recently promoted to Specialist of Social Media and Influencer Marketing, has been with the Islanders organization for just over two years now and is heading into her third season with the team. She has fond memories of working with the ICF and having the opportunity to be involved in the community. One of her favorite initiatives is the annual playground build the Foundation takes on.

In 2025, the Foundation partnered with Kaboom! and the YMCA to build a blue and orange playground in Glen Cove. Peyser noted that seeing the behind-the-scenes aspects of the design and building process of creating such a pivotal part of a childhood is one of her favorite memories with the ICF.
“Obviously, you grow up as a kid, and you’re quite literally playing on the playground at recess and with your friends, and it was such a common memory for me growing up of just being on the playground with my friends. And then being able to learn how to build a slide and really what goes into the whole labor part of building a playground. And then thinking about all the kids that are gonna get to play on it: it’s really special.”
Peyser was selected by the ICF to run the NYC Marathon on their behalf this year. Growing up, she played lacrosse, which has a huge running aspect, so she has always enjoyed working out and running, but has yet to take on the feat that is a marathon. “I’ve done some 5Ks and stuff like that, but that’s really the extent.”

Photo Courtesy of Madison Peyser

Being from New Jersey, it has always been a “bucket list” item for Peyser to run the marathon. “Every year the marathon happens and I’m so inspired by the whole process and everybody that runs. You can see people’s different stories, and why they run the marathon. I’ve just been really inspired by the whole marathon and everybody that runs it for so many years.”

Peyser has put in a few bids to run the Marathon but has yet to be selected. “Maybe [at the] end of last season, the Islanders sent out an email saying that the [ICF] was gonna enter the marathon as a charity and that they would be selecting three people from the company.” She was grateful for the opportunity but wasn’t completely sure she would be picked this year either. “Obviously, I applied, and I was [saying] whatever happens, happens. If I’m meant to run the [Marathon], I will. … What a great way to run it on behalf of the [ICF] and it’s a charity I’m super close to.”

“When I got the opportunity to be able to run and help donate money to [the ICF] it really just hit home even more and just made me super excited for the opportunity.”

Speaking about the Marathon itself, Peyser discussed how the NYC Marathon is so special and inspiring because “everybody comes from so many different walks of life and being privileged enough to be able to put my body into this type of shape where I’m able to run 26.2 miles is a privilege in itself. So I always put that in perspective for myself. Which also goes back to why it’s so important that we’re donating money to these charities, because there’s, I’m sure, so many people that would love the opportunity to be able to do this [but] can’t for whatever reason, so being able to do this, on behalf of them, and for them, is really my why, for why I’m running this.”

Peyser is taking this very seriously and is obviously extremely grateful for the opportunity to run, having referred to it as a privilege multiple times. She started training around the end of July, beginning with shorter runs, and gradually progressing to running 20 miles, before beginning to taper off in the middle of October. “Running is obviously tough on the body, in general, but then when you get up to those miles…” Peyser has a paid coaching app that is helping her with a week-to-week plan working on getting her body used to running long distances. Her longer distances have been going “really well.”

“Training in itself is one thing but training and working in sports and having crazy hours and long nights and games and travelling, it’s obviously an adjustment to have to work this big training lifestyle into it. I think also the mental aspect of things [is hard], saying no to doing some things on some nights because you know that you have to get up really early the next day and run, like, 13 miles, 15 miles, whatever it might be. And also, kind of, convincing yourself that ‘my body’s strong enough to do this. I can do this.’ It’s been a very challenging process, but, I think, in the end too it’ll be a very rewarding process.”

Not only is the physical training crucial to Peyser’s success, but her nutrition is as well. “I’ve never ran this type of distance before. I had to do a lot of research about how you’re supposed to prepare for this, what you’re supposed to do, what you’re supposed to eat. Through my runs too, I take different kinds of gels that are different, like carbs or electrolytes, to help me fuel during the race, to get me through.” Her pre- and post-run meals matter a great deal too. “Day to day, I would say, I’m trying to eat a lot more protein, pre-run. I have to eat a lot of carbs. That’s definitely part of the mental game too: telling yourself, ‘I have to eat all these things to fuel my body’ and I am totally okay with that and in that mindset, but I’m also totally cognizant that it’s not like that for everybody. Sometimes food is a hard topic, so really telling myself that it’s okay to have all these things, but, you know, I have to run 20 miles the next day, so it makes sense. You have to fuel your body to be able to do these things.”

“I’ve never said to myself so many times that I’m actually so proud of myself.”

As she should be, Peyser said she is “beyond proud of herself for continuing with [her] training plan and pushing [her] body to be able to run 26 miles.”

Working for the Islanders, Peyser is up close and personal with the training and preparation the athletes go through. On whether any of their training inspires her, she noted that “hockey is such a ‘body on the line’ sport,” so seeing them do what they do motivates her to keep pushing. “I’ve definitely been talking to a few of them on just like how it’s going and how the training is going and how taxing it is on your body and stuff like that.” Peyser also has the unique ability to talk to the Islanders’ training staff and get some advice from them on managing her training load. “It’s nice to talk about and be able to share.”

Peyser has a lot of support, not just from the training staff, but everyone around her. “Everybody I’ve ever spoken to has been beyond supportive. This whole journey, feeling the support from my friends and my family, my coworkers, it’s just really nice and heartwarming to hear and see all of the support. I love that about it.”

“I think in general, obviously, I’m beyond lucky to be able to do this, to run on behalf [of the ICF]. I’m just lucky to work for the team. It’s given me such a firsthand experience on the impact that the [ICF] has on kids and families in the community. It’s a privilege to be able to be a part of something like this, it’s a privilege to be able to run the NYC Marathon, or a marathon in general. I’m very proud of myself, which is something that I keep saying throughout this entire journey. It feels nice to be proud of myself and sticking to something for so long. It’s such a long process and mentally challenging.”

“The whole goal of this is to have fun come race day. I don’t have a time in mind that I want to finish by. I want to finish the race and be just really appreciative of the support that my family and friends who will be there day of. And all of the donations that I am fundraising for are just gonna continue to help the [ICF] create different opportunities and experiences and support for the children.”

Peyser mentioned she’ll be running the race in “a nice, fun Islanders’ blue.” If you are attending the Marathon, be sure to cheer her along. Whether you’re spectating or not, it’s not too late to donate to her fundraiser with the Islanders Children’s Foundation, which can be found here.

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