Ariana Grande and her boyfriend Ricky Alvarez spent Sunday on the sidelines of the New York City Marathon in Manhattan, cheering on runners as they pushed through the 26.2-mile course. What started as a quiet moment of support turned into a viral surprise when the pop star agreed to write an encouraging note for a stranger crossing the finish line, a gesture that would eventually land in the hands of a runner named Ellie.
The moment began when Ella Schweiger approached the couple and asked them to write a message for someone who had just completed the race, according to TMZ. Schweiger runs Ella's Envelope, an initiative that collects handwritten messages from strangers and delivers them to marathon runners, as reported by Yahoo Entertainment. “I'm basically delivering kind messages to everyone running today,” Schweiger told the couple, to which Grande replied, “Sure! Yeah, that's cute,” according to Entertainment Weekly.
Grande wrote “You did it!” alongside a few heart-shaped drawings, then signed the note with both of their names, “Ari + Ricky,” per the outlet's account of the exchange. The note eventually made its way into the hands of a runner named Ellie, who picked it from Schweiger's envelope without knowing who had written it, the same report notes.
A Song That Carried Her Through Mile 24
Ellie later said she had been listening to Grande's music during the race, and that one particular song helped her push through a difficult stretch around mile 24, before she had any idea she'd end up holding a note written by the artist herself. Discovering Grande's signature on the note made the moment land even harder for the runner, the same account indicates.
Schweiger shared video of the encounter on Instagram, capturing both the exchange with Grande and Alvarez and the runner's reaction once she realized whose handwriting was on the paper. The clip quickly circulated among entertainment outlets covering the marathon weekend.
A Milestone Marathon and a Rekindled Romance
Grande and Alvarez's appearance came during a milestone year for the race itself. The 2026 New York City Marathon marked the 50th anniversary of its five-borough course, which organizers first introduced in 1976, the outlet reports. Nearly 60,000 athletes ran the course this year, continuing a tradition that has grown into one of the city's biggest annual sporting events.
The sideline appearance also offered a glimpse into Grande and Alvarez's relationship, which rekindled earlier in 2026 after the pair first broke up nearly a decade earlier. They made their relationship Instagram official in August 2026, setting the stage for a very public reunion that now includes handing out encouragement to strangers on the biggest race day in New York.
