Cloaked, hook-handed figure is terrorizing NYC: Mystery madman or marketing ruse for ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer?'
An apparently cutting-edge ad campaign for the latest installment of the 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' franchise is terrifying New Yorkers from Coney Island to Manhattan.
The dead ringer for the villain in the 1997 slasher flick — long black cloak, rubber boots, bucket hat and gleaming fisherman's hook — has been seen in videos making the social media rounds in the past two weeks. The new movie opened July 18.
4 In one viral video the creep slinks up behind a group of nine teenage boys walking just before 11 p.m. on the boardwalk at the South Street Seaport.
Obtained by The NY Post
4 The fishy fearmonger was seen among a captive audience on the Staten Island Ferry.
Obtained by The NY Post
In one viral video the creep in galoshes slinks up behind a group of nine teenage boys walking just before 11 p.m. on the boardwalk at the South Street Seaport.
One of the teens notices the stalker, whose silver blade could be seen twinkling in the glow of a streetlamp, before alerting his friends who all begin to sprint in terror.
Fifteen minutes later, cameras near the Highline in Chelsea captured footage of an anxious woman repeatedly glancing over her shoulder at the same figure, about five feet behind her, before she takes off running.
4 The purported ad campaign for the latest installment of the 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' franchise is terrifying New Yorkers.
Sony Pictures
The mystery man popped up again 24 hours later, lurking behind three people on the Coney Island boardwalk, sending them running with their arms flailing, another clip showed.
Daylight provided no refuge from the shadowy figure. He is seen skulking behind an oblivious woman in Battery Park on the morning of July 11. Unflappable street vendors barely noticed.
The fishy fearmonger was even seen among a captive audience on the Staten Island Ferry.
4 Cameras near the Highline in Chelsea captured footage of an anxious woman repeatedly glancing over her shoulder at the figure, about five feet behind her, before she takes off running.
Obtained by The NY Post
Some social media users speculated the cloak and dagger routine was a marketing ruse to promote the sequel to 'I Know What You Did Last Summer,' starring Madelyn Cline, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt.
Sony Pictures, mysteriously, did not respond to inquiries.
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New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
This influencer is fighting back at bad walkers by secretly filming them — and New Yorkers are thrilled with his sidewalk rage
Hey, he's walking here! For the past few months, Matt Bass has acted as Gotham's very own Batman for a very specific, but sizeable subset of New Yorkers: the easily irritated pedestrian. His version of the Batsuit, though, is a simple black T-shirt, shorts, sunglasses and a backwards baseball cap — a suitably surreptitious disguise for filming a series of clandestine TikToks he's dubbed 'Bad Walkers.' Advertisement 'This is just my walking experience,' he explained to The Post about the 'quirky characters' he spots on his travels. 'These are the people who inconvenience me.' 8 Matt Bass films all across lower Manhattan, but if he's feeling brave enough, he'll venture up to Midtown to film top-tier rage-inducing walkers. Tamara Beckwith/NY Post Typically, he films his videos with his iPhone and a trusty pair of Apple wired earbuds, which act as a microphone, though he says it's a pretty conspicuous setup — if bad walkers look back, they'll notice him taking a video. Advertisement 'It's like I have a dash cam on my head,' said Bass, 30. And when he walks, he documents the unique frustrations that the perambulators, traipsers and striders of the city experience — and cause — in a sequence of clips now well over 60 parts long. It's enough to trigger any New Yorker. People trip on metal grates, abruptly stop to point at sights surrounding them, obliviously swing their shopping bags into fellow pedestrians, and, perplexingly, read books. Advertisement One time, he even saw a Times Square living statue spray-painting himself gold — and when they stopped to mist a passerby, all Bass could do was hope they knew each other. Unfortunately, he's not always able to capture the wackiest moments — he says he wasn't quite quick enough to snap that golden scene. But as irritating as some of the city's slowest and most selfish walkers can be, Bass doesn't get in their faces. Instead, he critiques their techniques from afar — if two feet to the rear can truly even be considered 'far.' Advertisement And according to Bass, he's never even directly confronted anyone. 'I think stuff like 'Billy on the Street' or Eric André pouring Fruit Loops milk on his head on the subway, where you're just getting in people's faces, is way worse than what I'm doing. I feel like ['Bad Walkers'] is a pretty calm version of that, so I don't think it's creepy.' While he does get rare critical comments under his social media posts, the majority of New Yorkers in the replies are all for it. 'Please never stop,' one sample commenter wrote under a recent post. 8 One commenter even half-jokingly suggested that Matt Bass partner with MTA to put his videos up on subway billboards to spread the 'good walker' word. Tamara Beckwith/NY Post 'It's not like I'm revealing people's faces … and I'm not trying to put anyone on the map as a bad walker — just provide some commentary,' Bass told The Post. 'I've deleted a couple of videos of people who have said, 'Hey, that was me.' I'm not hungry for the views and engagement, so I'm not going to [film videos] at the expense of someone else's happiness.' Advertisement Once, while sauntering the mean streets of Soho, Bass got a touch too close to a displeased Aussie tourist, who he said was strolling down the sidewalk in a group five-wide — a classic tourist faux pas — and told him off. According to Bass, the visitor from down under told him, in no uncertain terms, to get out of his face and stop recording him. That visitor is far from the only trekker who's heard his commentary from afar. In his videos, viewers can see the odd head or two turn after hearing an in-depth, articulate walking analysis coming from behind them. 8 While his new Ray-Ban Meta glasses are convenient, Bass still prefers his trusty old wired earbuds and phone camera. Tamara Beckwith/NY Post Now that he's begun filming more frequently, Bass says he's had to diversify his typical route, as his fellow East Villagers have begun to recognize him out and about. Advertisement He's not complaining, though — at least the overall neighborhood walking quality has improved, he declared. In an attempt to be more hush-hush about his project, he recently made a splashy new spend to deliver top-tier content to his 40,000 and counting followers — Ray-Ban Meta Sunglasses, which ran him about $300 and provide the ability to record video through cameras hidden in the specs. 8 Bass says he tries to avoid capturing faces on camera for privacy reasons. Tamara Beckwith/NY Post Despite his big purchase, though, he hasn't been using them much, he said, thanks to the poor audio quality — and after all, it's his commentary that keeps viewers coming back, so he's returned to his obvious but reliable iPhone to capture a particularly reliable area of the Big Apple. Advertisement Though the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island have plenty of fascinating sights, sounds and strollers of their own to offer, Bass prefers to stick to lower Manhattan. 'I know it's controversial, but I'm someone who embraces that 'I only stay below 14th Street' mentality,' he told The Post. 8 Bass tells The Post he tends to catch the afternoon crowds, given that he typically goes on his daily walks after the work day wraps up, so he witnesses the chaos that is Manhattan rush hour. Tamara Beckwith/NY Post 'I think it's the most authentic version of New York. I like that grittiness and grunge, the classic New York character — great restaurants right next to where the rats are eating their dinner. Plus, the nightlife's good, it has that balance.' Advertisement Bass finely honed his New Yorker sensibilities back on Long Island, where he was born and raised, before firmly establishing sub-14th Street Manhattan as his stomping grounds during his NYU days 12 years back. The TikTokker spends his days optimizing digital strategy at an e-commerce growth agency and building up his energy drink and baseball hat businesses, before lacing up his shoes to patrol the streets. 'Obviously, I don't just walk around in a circle near my apartment, so East to West downtown has been like my bread and butter,' he explained. 'I love the West Village, and I have friends that live west, so I usually just cut through Soho, or go through Washington Square Park.' Bass says he spends most of his afternoons and evenings walking anyway. 'My friends always ask why I walk so much,' said Bass, who revealed he strode about 10 miles a day during COVID but 'probably' does about 10,000 steps daily now. He admitted that he saunters the sidewalks partly 'to keep in shape,' but that's clearly not the driving force. 'It's just so freaking entertaining seeing crazy stuff and wandering around,' said Bass, who began filming his daily city walks because sometimes the story simply doesn't do it justice — you have to see it to believe it. 8 Bass says that subway entrances, shopping streets and areas under construction make for particularly bad walker hotspots. Tamara Beckwith/NY Post While Bass has plenty of examples of bad walkers on his page, what exactly makes a 'good' one? 'The two pillars of being a good New Yorker, and a good walker, are awareness and consideration. That's how you get up to a 7.5/10. If you do those, you're a good walker; that's all it takes,' the TikTokker told The Post. @mvttbvss Thank you for 10K followers. I am a man of my word. I don't recommend doing this but I said I would so I did. While counterintuitive to our mission of improving sidewalk etiquette and educating the world on the core principles of awareness and consideration, I hope it brought a smile to your face. Appreciate all of you supporting me on this journey, more to come on the road to 100K. #fyp #fypシ #nyc #newyorkcity #nyclife #foryoupage #foryourpage #targetaudience ♬ original sound – Matt Bass 'Anything above that is, like, 'Wow, this person's moving with some urgency — they've got some purpose in those steps,' he said. 'Stay on the right, generally, and go around the light posts if there's room on the curb – that's not off limits. If you're carrying things, don't wave them around; like, groceries and shopping bags don't need to take up that much width. Think about the real estate,' he advised. 8 It's not that he whispers, but he prefers to keep his voice low to avoid harassing random pedestrians — effectively bypassing awkward interactions for both parties — but keen-eared New Yorkers sometimes pick up his commentary regardless. Tamara Beckwith/NY Post To be clear, his metric system is not numerical. Rather, it relies on a robust vocabulary, sharp sense of humor and his very own invented walking jargon — pointed terms like 'scaffolding hogs,' 'chain link fence' and the dreaded 'drifter.' Though he emphasizes awareness, consideration and efficiency, he knows those aren't hard and fast rules. Compassion and respect are also important, he said. @mvttbvss The prop sub-series continues, this one was less effective than the air horn (obviously 😂), I'm sure the comments will agree it was less entertaining as well but at least I did it. Comment what you want to see next, I'll do my best to deliver for you 🫡🤝🫶 #nyc #newyork #newyorkcity #fyp #nyclife ♬ original sound – Matt Bass It's not all commiseration in Bass' comment sections, either. According to him, he has some regular haters — but he chalks most of the criticism up to bitter 'bad walkers feeling called out.' As a result of TikTok's unique algorithm, random users — and more often than not, they appear to be non-New Yorkers — often stumble onto Bass' page, where they issue wise words of advice on how to get around bad walkers. 'Just say excuse me' or 'I usually go around' are two of the most popular proposals, and depending on their attitude, sometimes warrant a pithy 'Thanks' from Bass. Not that there's nothing wrong with being a slow strider, he added. Really, the art of being a good walker is awareness. 8 While tourists unaccustomed to New York sights — and speeds — are often featured in the series, Bass finds that students and other large groups of people often tend to lack awareness. Tamara Beckwith/NY Post 'It's hard to capture with exciting commentary, but slow, good walkers exist. There are people who have good formation strategies when they're walking with a group,' he said. 'I saw this the other day, like, actually the slowest group ever, but they were walking in a single file line under the scaffolding. 'I was going, like, 'Thank you, you're the best' — like, I should have given them flowers.' TikTok commenters come to Bass' bad walker series for his quick-witted, amusing commentary, but it seems as though many of them stay for his insights on how etiquette and mutual respect impact the city's sense of local community — a seemingly rare notion in the contemporary moment in time. Hundreds of users have asked him to go to cities around the world — Boston, London, San Francisco, Chicago and Venice, to name a few — and even more have requested commentary videos filmed inside stores with notoriously irritating customers like Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and Costco. He plans to accommodate at least some of the asks. If nothing else, Bass is a man of the people — and an excellent walker.
Cosmopolitan
a day ago
- Cosmopolitan
30 Iconic Bob Hairstyles Defining 2025
It's minimizing to call what's happening with bobs this year a trend. I'd sooner deem it a complete cultural takeover. I'm faced with cunty fresh cuts on my commute, in prestige television shows, at my grocery store, and swaying sophisticatedly in workout classes. It feels like every day on my Instagram feed, there's a new bob reveal, treated with the reverence and celebration of a pregnancy or engagement announcement. And I participate in the comment section revelry wholeheartedly. Because in every form they take, bobs devour, and I've become 100 percent convinced this cut is the chicest and most practical possible way to wear your hair. 'It's clean and intentional, and it can completely transform the way someone carries themselves,' says Kazu Katahira, a celebrity hairstylist with Forward Artists in New York, NY. 'And what I love most is how customizable it is. No two bobs are the same when you are doing it right. You can play with the length, the angle, the texture, and it becomes this little signature for the person wearing it.' I witnessed this wide variety of bob possibilities during Cosmo's photo shoot, dedicated to documenting the hairstyle's takeover. We invited 30 women with New York City's greatest bobs to come in, show them off, and share what makes the bob lifestyle a preferred one. From the French bobs to the graduated ones, these 30 New Yorkers have all braved the big chop and are better off for it. They're also proof that there's no one fixed way to rock this haircut. So ahead, find some inspiration and the reference pictures you'll be showing your hairstylist—along with guidance from the greats on how to live your best bobbed life. Occupation: Artist/DJ Social handle: @ Hair type: Just found out I'm 2B. The most unexpected thing about having a bob? How many people remember me from DJ sets as 'the one with the bob.' Best bob styling tip: Let it live. Occupation: Attorney + Mom!!! [Editor's note: Mom to Cosmo's creative director, Samantha Adler] Hair type: Wavy/curly The ultimate famous bob inspiration: Meg Ryan Best bob styling tip: Pray for low humidity and the mercy of the hair gods. Occupation: Dancer/actor Social handle: @AvaNoble Describe your bob without using the word bob: Chic as fu*k The most unexpected thing about having a bob: I cut my hair to a bob the day after a breakup….Happy to report that single men love a bob. The pickup lines always stem from the bob. Life hack for a single girl in NYC. Best bob styling tip: Bob blindness is real—you will keep going shorter until your friends tell you to stop. Don't let the trim get out of control! Shout-out Li at Cutler Soho. Occupation: Model/artist Social handle: @madisonjohnston Hair type: Curly (but she has a mind of her own...) Ultimate famous bob inspo: Nadia Lee Cohen (I want to be her) The most unexpected thing about having a bob: You can look like a million different things at once. Young, old, cute, hot, or sometimes a little like Lord Farquaad. Occupation: Artist and founder of Beepy Bella Social handle: @isabellelalonde Hair type: Curly Describe your bob without using the word bob: Pungent Ultimate famous bob inspo: Me at 5 years old, Edna from The Incredibles, and Kiki's Delivery Service. Occupation: VIP Relations at Gucci Social handle: @madelisey Hair type: Cantonese Describe your bob without using the word bob: F*ckass The most unexpected thing about having a bob: Feeling the breeze on your neck. Occupation: Broadway Actor/Singer Social handle: @jadeamberlitaker Hair type: 4 A/B Ultimate famous bob inspo: I think Rihanna was the first with a bob who made me really want one. Best bob styling tip: Having locs and a bob?! Honestly, water. Just spraying some water makes all the difference. Occupation: Photographer Social handle: @ambejphotography Hair type: Kinky curly 4 A/B Ultimate famous bob inspo: Velma Kelly Best bob styling tip: For the curly girls—the Doux mousse, water, and a dream! Occupation: Actor Social handle: @huisterry Hair type: 1.5 B Describe your bob without using the word bob: Wolf cut… Ultimate famous bob inspo: Traditional bob → Rose Byrne in US Weekly 'Celebs w/ bob hairstyles'...My cut bob→ Hyunjin from Stray Kids Occupation: Comedian Social handle: @chloe_troast Hair type: Brown :( Ultimate famous bob inspo: Will Byers Season 1 of Stranger Things The most unexpected thing about having a bob: Getting a cold neck. Also I have a long neck, so sometimes my silhouette looks like a penis/mushroom. Occupation: Model, writer, superstar extraordinaire Social handle: @ellasnyder Hair type: Fine and wavy Ultimate famous bob inspo: Anna Wintour, duh, but also Gracie Abrams <3 Best bob styling tip: See Jaz Shepard in NYC for the best cut of your life. Occupation: Actor/educator Social handle: @jessiehookerbailey Hair type: Curly Ultimate famous bob inspo: The curly Whitney Houston bob Best bob styling tip: Moisturize!! Occupation: Actor Social handle(s): @JuliaKnitel Hair type: Pretty wavy Ultimate famous bob inspo: Diane Keaton…obvi Best bob maintenance/styling tip: Just…don't do anything. A great haircut will do so much of the work when it's short!! Occupation: Model/Actor/DJ Social handle: @KelseyHealey Hair type: Thick, semi-wave The most unexpected thing about having a bob: How much more confident I feel! Best bob styling tip: I never used much product…until I had a bob…or else it just feels like a helmet. Occupation: Fashion critic, The Washington Post Social handle: @theprophetpizza Hair type: Insanely thick and bleached Describe your bob without using the word bob: Crisp Ultimate famous bob inspo: Bernice from F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'Bernice Bobs Her Hair' Occupation: Model/beauty influencer Social handle: @daniellemareka Hair type: 4C Describe your bob without using the word bob: Eclectic Best bob maintenance/styling tip: Mini flatiron!! Best life hack. Occupation: Director, Fashion & Lifestyle in retail Social handle: @chloe4dayz Hair type: Linguine straight Ultimate famous bob inspo: The Supremes The most unexpected thing about having a bob: The bob community Best bob styling tip: Get as blunt a cut as you can bear! And Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray Occupation: Retired from the federal government, now on IG, volunteer for NY Senior Medicare Patrol Social handle: @idiosyncraticfashionistas Hair type: 1B/1C Describe your bob without using the word bob: Signature look—low-maintenance between haircuts. The most unexpected thing about having a bob: I can never start a life of crime—the police would find me so fast! Occupation: Media personality/creator Social handle: @stehfuhnee_ Hair type: 4C, heat-treated Describe your bob without using the word bob: The essence of my mother. Best bob styling tip: Bobs look best when they're a little old. Dry shampoo is your best friend. Occupation: Textile artist, content creator Social handles: @ellaemhoff, Substack: softcraftsclub Hair type: 3B. Used to be 3A, but your hair texture changes every seven years. Ultimate famous bob inspo: Ilana Glazer. Great bob. Best bob styling tip: Mousse will make it super voluminous. Oil is great in the summer for a nice, messy look. Occupation: Writer Social handle: @mackenzie Hair type: Thin as fuck. Light as air. I blame my dad. Describe your bob without using the word bob: Evocative Best bob styling tip: Your hair is gonna look like shit for a whole calendar year, but that's actually really important for your bob education. Occupation: Fashion stylist and content creator Social handle: @sierrarenas Hair type: 3B/3C Ultimate famous bob inspo: Edna Mode Best bob styling tip: Don't be afraid to use heat. Occupation: Musician/model Social handle: @ Hair type: Unnatural, my hair has been through it all. Ultimate famous bob inspo: Hari Nef Best bob styling tip: A Dyson, unfortunately ($$$) Occupation: Model Social handle: @josephine__dupont Hair type: Curly, but I won't blow it out. Describe your bob without using the word bob: Cunty. Ultimate famous bob inspo: Linda/Shalome/Whitney Best bob styling tip: Keep the scissors in your purse. Occupation: Content creator Social handle: @tinyjewishgirl Hair type: 3A if I'm lazy; 3B if I'm taking care of myself Describe your bob without using the word bob: What season 5 Carrie Bradshaw should've given. Ultimate famous bob inspo: Not season 5 Carrie Bradshaw. TBH, my 19-year-old self and, lowkey, Owen Wilson as Hansel but without the bangs. Occupation: Beauty editor and expert Social handle: @mayaalenaa Hair type: Naturally 4C Describe your bob without using the word bob: A power cut. It's like a power suit for my hair. It makes me feel fierce and effortlessly chic without ever having to try too hard. Best bob styling tip: Dry shampoo. Imperfect is perfect. Embrace the texture—it just works! Occupation: Stylist Social handle: @chanelncrocs Hair type: Curly Describe your bob without using the word bob: Cunt. The most unexpected thing about having a bob: The less hair I have, the more powerful I feel. Occupation: Artist Social handle: @sashaarijanto Hair type: Jew-Asian Describe your bob without using the word bob: Comic book character. The most unexpected thing about having a bob: Number one 'They always come back' catalyst. Also, it's the best haircut if you hate washing your hair. Occupation: Photo Director, Vogue Social handle: @pkv15 Hair type: Short, blonde, cut straight (but I'm not) Ultimate famous bob inspo: Probably Leo [DiCaprio]? Or River [Phoenix]. Best bob styling tip: Starlina, my hairstylist Occupation: Actor and filmmaker Social handle: @vournalist Describe your bob without using the word bob: French Ultimate famous bob inspo: Amélie from Amélie Hair and makeup: William Scott at The Wall Group. Creative director: Samantha Adler. Senior entertainment director: Maxwell Losgar. Visual director: Scott M. Lacey. Associate visual editor: Sabrina Toto. Motion graphics designer: Ying Chen. Annabel Iwegbue is an associate editor at Cosmopolitan where she primarily covers entertainment and lifestyle. Before joining Cosmo, she covered entertainment at Harper's Bazaar, The Knockturnal, and Black Film. She's originally from Charleston, South Carolina, and is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. She holds a B.A. in Journalism and Cinema Studies from New York University. You can check out some of Annabel's work here and also find her on Instagram and Twitter.
New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
Hundreds of Gen Zers attempt world record at largest PACER test in Central Park, fueled by gym class nostalgia: ‘Childhood nightmare'
Forget lookalike contests and run clubs. The latest tongue-in-cheek meet-up for socially starved young New Yorkers had them reliving their gym class 'nightmares.' More than 200 Gen Zers flocked to Central Park Saturday morning to attempt to smash the world record for the largest FitnessGram PACER test – for many, a dreaded grade school running exam – after a flyer promoting the bizarre event went viral on social media. 6 More than 200 Gen Zers flocked to Central Park Saturday morning to attempt the world record at the largest FitnessGram PACER test – for many, a dreaded grade school running assessment. Stephen Yang Advertisement The fitness test, described as a 'childhood nightmare' by one bystander, requires participants to run across a 20-meter field in timed intervals that become increasingly faster. If a runner doesn't clear the field before time is up, they are eliminated from the race. 'I think everyone can relate to it because we all did it growing up,' said Jordan Haber, the 24-year-old Boca Raton, Florida native who created the Partiful event that garnered over 600 'interested' RSVPs online. 'It's free, it's accessible, it's all ages, it's something from their childhood.' Haber — who last made headlines after discovering a loophole that allowed him to become eligible for the NBA Draft despite having no prior experience playing basketball in college, high school or middle school — told The Post he found inspiration for the event after seeing a Hinge prompt quoting the PACER test's meme-ified opening instructions. Advertisement 6 The test, described as a 'childhood nightmare' by one bystander, requires participants to run across a 20-meter field in timed intervals that become increasingly quicker. Stephen Yang The running exam, also called the Bleep test, represents a shared experience among many Gen Zers, allowing them to connect — or even trauma bond, depending on their middle school memories. 'It's like how we all have the PSAT memes and bonded over that,' one runner explained. 'People might not have done well on that, but … it's something a lot of people know.' 6 Haber told The Post he found inspiration for the event after seeing a Hinge prompt quoting the PACER test's meme-ified opening instructions. Courtesy of Jordan Haber Advertisement Fresh-faced participants agreed the event — complete with a 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid'-themed promotional poster — brought back a flood of early aughts grade school memories. 'I grew up in New York City, and it was a part of normal gym class — when I saw it online, I felt a sense of nostalgia for it,' said 28-year-old Bushwick resident Emily Akers, who brought her boyfriend Jonah Daniell, 30, to try the test for the first time. 'Being an adult now and prioritizing working out more than I did when I was 15, I thought it would be fun to do it again,' she said, adding: 'In high school, I threw up [during the test], and it might happen again.' 'We just want to be kids again,' said 21-year-old nursing student Olivia Stueber. 'I need to reclaim my score from middle school, being one of the first ones out.' Advertisement 'I'm doing it for nostalgia,' said 25-year-old Harlem resident Max Silverman, 'and it's an excuse to work out on a Saturday morning.' 6 Participants agreed the event — complete with a 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid'-themed promotional poster — brought back early aughts grade school memories. Stephen Yang Some attendees noted the gym class revival put a fun spin on Manhattan's trendy run clubs — and even re-contextualized stressful memories of the classroom test. 'When I was in school, we were like 'Ugh, we have to do it again?' And now people join here just for fun,' said spectator Merce llunell, a native of Barcelona, Spain, who said she would be interested in participating if Haber were to make it a regular event. 'You miss it.' 6 Aric Cutuli, 24, of Manhattan (center), won the contest and said he prepared by having fewer alcoholic beverages than typical the night before. Stephen Yang 'I didn't do too well on it in elementary school, so I'm trying to do better,' said 22-year-old Jacob Halabe. 'There was always one kid when everyone would be done and he would just be styling on people.' The race winner Aric Cutuli — who finished with 51 laps — admitted he was 'always that kid in P.E. who was the try-hard.' 'I did better than I thought I would,' Cutuli, a 24-year-old Murray Hill resident and San Jose, California native, told The Post. Advertisement 6 Organizer Jordan Haber, 24, speaks to PACER test participants in Central Park's Sheep Meadow. Stephen Yang When asked how he prepared, he said: 'I didn't drink that much last night.' Though the event didn't draw nearly as many participants needed to break the world record (held by Army Foundation College in Harrogate, England with 941 runners), Haber argued the real point of the event was to foster a shared camaraderie among young New York City residents — especially for a demographic whose high school and college years were impacted by the social isolation of the COVID pandemic. Haber noted that, while the bizarre event was inspired by popular massive gatherings like the Timothee Chalamet lookalike contest and the 'Cheeseball man' eating events, the ability for attendees to participate is a major draw for Gen Z. Advertisement 'Manhattan is a big city and people get lost in it: people here are probably going to meet and make friends,' he said. 'It gets people out of the house … a lot of people probably came alone.' 'Nobody asked me if we broke the world record,' Haber added. 'Everyone was just like, 'This was really cool.''
