Race day weather was rainy and in the low 50s/ high 40s. I was happy I grabbed a poncho as we stood in the rain in the staging area for … MORE
Race day weather was rainy and in the low 50s/ high 40s. I was happy I grabbed a poncho as we stood in the rain in the staging area for 75 minutes before we started our wave (we were delayed 20 minutes).
One we started, the temperatures were actually fantastic for a run. The first few miles of the race headed towards DUMBO while meandering under the Williamsburg, Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges.
From there the course turned and headed into a series of climbs heading towards Prospect Park. Before entering the park the course took a turn for a rolling out and back section which ran by the Brooklyn Museum.
The finish line was in a tree lined area of the Park. There were bagels and other food items at the finish line. The race coordinated finish line photo service in the finish area.
The medal and shirt were high quality. The shirt logo featured artwork from an established graffiti artist from Brooklyn whose work is on display on the exterior of several business in the area.
Overall this was very nice race and, as an out of state visitor, I thoroughly enjoyed the running tour of Brooklyn that the race provided.
Nice tour from DUMBO to Prospect Park
Race day weather was rainy and in the low 50s/ high 40s. I was happy I grabbed a poncho as we stood in the rain in the staging area for … MORE
Race day weather was rainy and in the low 50s/ high 40s. I was happy I grabbed a poncho as we stood in the rain in the staging area for 75 minutes before we started our wave (we were delayed 20 minutes).
One we started, the temperatures were actually fantastic for a run. The first few miles of the race headed towards DUMBO while meandering under the Williamsburg, Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges.
From there the course turned and headed into a series of climbs heading towards Prospect Park. Before entering the park the course took a turn for a rolling out and back section which ran by the Brooklyn Museum.
The finish line was in a tree lined area of the Park. There were bagels and other food items at the finish line. The race coordinated finish line photo service in the finish area.
The medal and shirt were high quality. The shirt logo featured artwork from an established graffiti artist from Brooklyn whose work is on display on the exterior of several business in the area.
Overall this was very nice race and, as an out of state visitor, I thoroughly enjoyed the running tour of Brooklyn that the race provided.
Beautiful course - poorly managed.
Course Difficulty - I live in Brooklyn and was fully prepared for Flatbush Hill and the hills in Prospect Park. I still severely underestimated how difficult the second half of … MORE
Course Difficulty – I live in Brooklyn and was fully prepared for Flatbush Hill and the hills in Prospect Park. I still severely underestimated how difficult the second half of the race is. The race is nearly flat for the first 4Mi, a small hill a little past 5Mi. Then, you climb about a 150ft of elevation from 6.5 – 7.5mi and the rest of the race is made of two out-and-backs of brutal rolling hills. The turn arounds on both the out-and-backs were at the bottom of the hill, killing any momentum you had to take the uphill because you are forced to a 180 turn. I clocked in 505ft total gain – nearly all in the second half. Save gas in the tank.
Scenery: Hills aside, it is a beautiful course. You get to see many different neighborhoods of Brooklyn, run under 3 of the bridges, past Barclay Center, Brooklyn Museum, Grand Army Plaza, Prospect Park. My family from out of town raved about the scenery.
Race Production – Sheesh. ROUGH. First, the expo was chaotic and left little to be desired, but in a neighborhood with a few breweries so that was a plus. Starting line was a complete mess: not enough toilets (took nearly an hour to use one), no announcements, started late. The finish line did not provide heat-sheets and it was 55 degrees and pouring rain – folks in my groups were shivering and lips turning blue. Actually incredibly dangerous. There were no signs at the finish so other folks in my group missed the food, others got lost going to the bag check. Also no nutrition on the course. IDK why when the fee was so high. Honestly, everything before and after the course was so entirely chaotic and poorly managed. The race itself is lovely. Just know what you’re getting into.
Swag – Cute running shirt but nothing to get too excited about. The medal also cheap.
Wonderful Tour of Brooklyn
The expo for this was pretty underwhelming especially for the long line we had to wait in! Morning of the race was pretty seamless and I really enjoyed the course … MORE
The expo for this was pretty underwhelming especially for the long line we had to wait in! Morning of the race was pretty seamless and I really enjoyed the course as a tour of Brooklyn! The New Yorkers were energetic and plentiful spectators. Mile 8 starts 5 miles of essentially hills which made the course pretty tough! The finish line was a little chaotic and there was no great place to meet up with your family or friends, but overall a great race!