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New York City Half Marathon
- Sapphire Running Team
- Jul 20, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: Jan 19
The perfect way to experience New York
One of the most sought after half marathons anywhere in the world, the New York City Half is another for the bucket list. It starts in Brooklyn and finishes in Central Park, through the heart of New York City and famous landmarks such as Central Park, Times Square, and Grand Central Station. It doesn't get much better than that. It's tough to get a spot but there are ways.
New York City
The NYC Half starts in Brooklyn, one of the City's coolest places to visit. There are some intriguing neighbourhoods, incredible views of Manhattan and some of the best food in the country. With nearly three million residents, it would be the third most populous city in the US if it was an independent city, as opposed to being part of NYC.
As well as Prospect Park, where the race starts, Brooklyn Bridge Park is an essential place to visit. Covering more than 1.3 miles of Brooklyn’s waterfront, from the Columbia Heights waterfront district to the Manhattan Bridge in DUMBO, it offers breathtaking views of Lower Manhattan’s panoramic skyline and the New York Harbor. It has a continuous promenade of six diverse piers, with an eclectic mix of cafes, restaurants and specialist stores. DUMBO is the area known as Dumbo, an acronym for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, and one of Brooklyn's most visited neighborhoods. It has cobblestone streets, dramatic architecture, great dining and those unforgettable views across the river. In years gone by it was a busy ferry terminal, full of industrial and warehouse buildings and there are still remnants of a railroad track that ran through the neighborhood in the early 1900s.
Most visitors to Brooklyn will head to Williamsburg, which over the last 25 years has undergone a remarkable transformation, especially in the north. Referred to by some as Little Berlin, it is known for its music, nightlife and arts scene and the changes to its architectural landscape. New high rises dominate its skyline and buildings that looked doomed to history have been renovated and now house apartments, boutique stores and restaurants. Don't miss Domino Park. a five-acre park oasis on the Williamsburg waterfront that opened in 2018 on the ruins of the old Domino Sugar Refinery. It was one of the largest refineries in the world and provided 98% of the sugar consumed in the United States. The Park has a lawn area, with seating and sun loungers and further south, there are water jets to cool off during the summer, beach volleyball courts, and a dog park.
History of the New York Half Marathon
The first NYC Half was held in 2006. Initially it was held in the summer, but in 2010 was moved to March. That year there were 11,604 finishers, a number that has grown steadily, rising to nearly 25,000 in 2023. As well as having a mass field it also has an elite runner field, with many national and world record holders taking part, such as Haile Gebrselassie, Meb Keflezighi and Deena Kastor.
Race Organiser
New York Road Runners
When is the New York City Half?
The race is held annually in March
Distances
Half Marathon
Is there an Expo?
There is a NYC Half Marathon Expo Experience on Friday and Saturday, where all runners need to collect their race packets. This was at Center 415, located at 415 5th Avenue (Between 37th & 38th Streets) in 2023. It's obviously not the scale of the Marathon expo but it still has merchandise for sale and talks on how to get the best from race day.
How many runners?
27,000
The course
As you'd expect this is a wave start event, with five waves, beginning from 7.20, with the last starting at 9.20. Many runners will have finished their event before others have started. The first five miles of the route are in Brooklyn and the rest in Manhattan. It goes from one great Park to another.
It all starts in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, on Flatbush Avenue. Prospect Park was designed and constructed over a thirty-year period (1865-1895) by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, the masterminds behind Central Park Although it's only 25% of the area of its northern cousin its 526 acres in size it has the first urban-area Audubon Center in the US, a zoo, an ice rink, a band shell, a carousel, and dozens of athletic and recreational facilities. The perfect place to start a major half marathon. Most of the first three miles are within the Park, so runners get a great opportunity to find out what makes it so special. For the next two miles the course heads north west and along Grand Army Plaza and Flatbush Avenue towards Manhattan. Flatbush Avenue is a major part of transport links in Brooklyn and one of its oldest roads. The neighbourhood is one of the cool places to live in the Borough and one of the most expensive. Just before the 5 mile mark is one of the highlights of the course; the run over Manhattan Bridge!
The Bridge, which first opened to traffic in 1909, is 6,855 ft (2,089 m) in total and was the third bridge built from Brooklyn to Manhattan, joining the Brooklyn Bridge and the Williamsburg Bridge. Runners get a great view of downtown Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge, with the One World Observatory dominating the skyline. It's off the Bridge onto Canal Street in the Chinatown section of Manhattan, through the Lower East Side from mile 6 to 7, passing halfway, before heading north on the FDR Drive at mile 7, where there are spectacular views of the Brooklyn and Queens skylines.
From mile 8 to 9 runners head north on FDR Drive, with the East River on the right and then on to East 42nd Street at the United Nation headquarters, for the run through central Manhattan. There is so much to see here, the Chrysler Building, Grand Central Terminal, Bryant Park and much, much more. It's past the 10 mile marker and then onto 7th Avenue where runners turn right and head north and then best of all to Times Square. Times Square, probably the area most first timers to New York City head visit, is formed by the intersection of Seventh Avenue, 42nd Street, and Broadway. It's the centre of the Theatre District, and home to a fascinating collection of characters, who make their living from the millions of tourists who pass through here annually.
Runners continue north on 7th Avenue, passing thousands of children taking part in the Times Square Youth Run. It's then into Central Park at mile 12, running north on East Drive. At 72nd Street it's left, with the last turn being another left, on to West Drive for the spectacular finish between West 67th and 68th Streets.
There are aid stations every two miles, with plenty of water and Gatorade.
The crowds, especially In Manhattan, are excellent, with plenty of support offered.
What's unique?
The run through Times Square. It's only closed twice a year and this is one of those times.
Do charities benefit?
There is a very extensive charity programme, with charities applying to the organisers for the right to buy spots which they then allocate to runners who agree to raise a minimum of $1000 and in some cases more than that. There are more charities applying for spots than there are spots available and generally most of these spots will sell out.
Our verdict
This is one of the world's must do running events. If you are thinking of fundraising for charity at some point then maybe save it for here and guarantee yourself a spot nice and early. The course runs more central through Manhattan than the marathon route and this gives even more opportunities to take in world famous landmarks on the way. The crowd support is superb and if you'll never be left needing a lift towards the end! The weather is likely to be cold so make sure you have plenty of layers on at the start and discard as you go.
How to register
It's a very tough event to get a spot in. If you're local to NYC you can qualify by running 4 out of 6 of their events, but if you're not you'll have to apply for the lottery and if you don't get in through that there is also the charity programme. Overseas runners can get in via one of the tour operators, but entries aren't available for US runners this way.
The lottery generally takes place during November each year. Check the race website
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