Starting on the New Haven Green, all three courses for the New Haven Road Race are flat and fast. The half marathon & 20K courses wind past Yale University, East Rock Park, the New Haven Green and through picturesque Westville neighborhood. In an effort to provide the safest course possible, …
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Starting on the New Haven Green, all three courses for the New Haven Road Race are flat and fast. The half marathon & 20K courses wind past Yale University, East Rock Park, the New Haven Green and through picturesque Westville neighborhood. In an effort to provide the safest course possible, the 5K, half marathon, and 20K races have a time limit. 3 hours for the half marathon and 20K and 55 minutes for the 5K.
Approximately fourteen bands (including bag pipes and DJs) will line the half marathon and 20K course. 5K runners will enjoy the music of four bands. A “spirit” contest encourages the runners’ enjoyment of the race. The large crowds, posters and music generated by the contest are greatly appreciated. Half marathon and 20K runners will pass the New Haven Green (the start and finish location) at the 7 mile mark which is filled with excitement and enthusiasm from spectators watching the race.
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Enjoyable Labor Day Race
I made a last minute decision to sign-up for this race and I was very happy that I did! I live in NYC and I liked this race would count … MORE
I made a last minute decision to sign-up for this race and I was very happy that I did! I live in NYC and I liked this race would count as a “new” half marathon state for me, but I wouldn’t need to spend money on airfare or a hotel. The race offers race day pick-up. So I was able to come up to New Haven race morning by Amtrak (and then took Metro-North back to NYC in the afternoon).
There are several race distance options. Many long time runners of this race stick with the 20k (the original distance of this race)–I love their stubborn commitment to the “purity” of the race! There is a fun party atmosphere in the start/finish area. Several vendors, food, and beer (runners over the age of 21 get 2 free beer tickets). The shirt was nice, though not distance specific (so everyone got the same shirt). The medal was fine.
I liked the course. There are a few hills, but mostly flat. While there might not have been a ton of spectators–the people who were out were enthusiastic and friendly. There were more than enough aid stations (water and UCAN). They could use a few more portable toilets, though.
The weather in 2024 was nice and it was a very enjoyable day.
Scenery, music, and spectators made this
Mostly flat is a better description - when you are not used to heat and humidity, every incline looks like a mountain. The highlights for me in this race were … MORE
Mostly flat is a better description – when you are not used to heat and humidity, every incline looks like a mountain. The highlights for me in this race were the scenery, the bands and the folks who just turned on their radios loudly and the homeowners who came out to cheer us on . The little boys with water balloons that they would throw at you to keep you cool, the store owners who were giving you free bottles of water, the guy around mile 10 with a bag of crushed ice to put under you hat or in your bra, countless folks who had their sprinklers on to cool you off or would spray you with water; the kids manning the water stations – these made the race. Communication was good. I was disappointed with the shirt and medal – not creative at all. I was disappointed that they ran out of beer! Limit it to one beer so that those of who waited in line for 30 minutes would not hear out of beer
Good Race but WAY TOO HOT
This is a race that takes place on Labor Day Monday in New Haven, CT. New Haven is about a 2.5 hour drive ffor me so I needed a hotel. … MORE
This is a race that takes place on Labor Day Monday in New Haven, CT. New Haven is about a 2.5 hour drive ffor me so I needed a hotel. I stayed at the Omni which is right by the start/finish and very convenient. It is a bit on the pricier side and the upper end of what I am willing to pay for race weekend but so convenient it’s worth it if you can afford it. There are cheaper hotels within walking distance but not quite as close. There was good race communication. There is packet pick-up race day and the day before. I would have liked to have done it the day before but it stopped at 3pm which is awfully early and I didn’t get there on time so I got it race day morning. I got it pretty early at around 7am so I could bring it back to my hotel and hang out a bit. it was easy that early but I heard it was a bit more chaotic with longer lines later in the morning. Packet included bib and shirt. The shirt is a nice, quality tech shirt but grey and kind of a plain design. It is fine and I will wear it. The half marathon/20K and 5K have separate starts so the races don’t mix. My biggest complaint about the race is it starts way too late. The race starts at 8:30. It was already hot at 8:30 and was going to be close to 90 degrees by the end. There is also a 3:15 time limit. I think I could finish in the time limit in nice weather but not in the high 80s. However I looked at past races and saw finishing times over 3:15 so I wasn’t too concerned. Other than the late start time the race is pretty great. It is a pretty large race with over 1000 runners which is perfect size for me. The only disappointing thing is with the tighter time limit there aren’t a ton of back of packers. I was always running with people but it wasn’t a party in the back kind of race like some other larger races I have done. There is a lot of crowd support with adorable families and friendly spectators. There are also a number of bands and musical acts so it is a fun environment. The course isn’t that scenic because New Haven is not that scenic of a city but they did the best they could to give a tour. A lot was through neighborhoods. Some parts were nicer than others. The one museum with the triceratops was cool to pass by. Course extremely easy to follow and it was so nice to be on closed roads as most of the races I’ve done this summer have been on open roads. There were frequent aid stations with water and electrolyte drink and one at around mile 7 had gels. There were also large mile markers with clocks. It’s also a pretty flat course. about 300 feet of elevation gain. Some minor rolling hills. Nothing crazy. It’s below average in difficult but I gave 3 sneakers due to the heat. I was initially feeling great with the fun environment and for the first 7 miles managed to run them all under 15 minutes and managed to bank enough time that I could run the rest of the miles in 16 minutes and finish within the time limit. I did start to feel the heat at mile 8 and mile 8 and 9 were about 16 minutes of mostly speed walking with some jogging. Then it just got so hot and I started to having breathing issues at mile 10. I knew the only way I would finish safely was to walk the rest so I had to walk the final 3 miles. I fell behind the needed pace for the time limit at mile 11.5. They did make us go to the sidewalk at that point but did let us finish. I don’t love finishing on the sidewalk but I was slower than the pace I needed to finish in the time limit and I understand city restrictions and why it needed to be done. The finish line was fine being slow. We still got finishing times, cheered on and got medals. Like the shirt the medal was fine but kind of generic and not that exciting. There was still plenty of post race food including veggie dogs, chips, yogurt, fruit, and granola bars. They actually had extra hot dogs and veggie dogs so us slow pokes got extra food. Overall I did think this race had a very fun environment with lots of spectators. However I wish it started earlier and had a longer time limit. If this start at 7:30 and had a 4 hour time limit I’d give it 5 stars. Although other than having to do the last 1.5 miles on the sidewalk it wasn’t a huge deal being a bit over the time limit. For 50 stater recommendations I’ve now done 3 half marathons in CT and each of them has different pros and cons. Of the 3 I’ve done in CT, I’d recommend this one if you like spectator support and on course entertainment, I’d recommend Mystic if you want a scenic race and the nicest location and medal, and I’d recommend Savin’ Rock if you are worried about a time limit since it was the only CT race I’ve done without a tight time limit.
Love the separate startlines
Loved the separate start lines that then merge about 1/2 mile in. Makes for a gear experience with a lot of 5k runners. Good food trucks after the race and … MORE
Loved the separate start lines that then merge about 1/2 mile in. Makes for a gear experience with a lot of 5k runners. Good food trucks after the race and great atmosphere for the whole family.