NYC Half
New York City, NY
- Half Marathon, Kids Run
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
The United Airlines NYC Half will take runners from around the city and the globe on a 13.1-mile tour of NYC. Led by a talent-packed roster of American and international elites, runners will stop traffic in the Big Apple this March! The race will begin in Brooklyn near Prospect Park … MORE
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New Course Must Stay!
What worked: Getting to the expo was easy from Grand Central Station (walk west to 5th Ave and south a few blocks), with crowd control based on registering for a … MORE
What worked: Getting to the expo was easy from Grand Central Station (walk west to 5th Ave and south a few blocks), with crowd control based on registering for a time to show up for it. This, like the NYC Marathon expo experience seems not to be enforced; with 28,000 runners taking part, it didn’t seem at all chaotic. Great place to get info, just a bit cramped. Per the race, getting to the start was easy by ride-share for me. Bag check was effortless. The course itself was a good degree of challenging, with Prospect Park’s massive hill hit early. Construction by the Manhattan Bridge re-routed the race over the Brooklyn Bridge. Clearing the park was easy, and getting to where one needed to go afterwards also simple. To wit – I was Wave 1, so I may not have seen the crowds that could have evolved from four more waves of runners.
What could have been better: The expo felt a bit cramped, and somewhat awkward to navigate. (What if I required mobility assistance?) Per the race, the tape to allow runners into their corrals dropped less than 10 minutes before race start (of Wave 1) which felt like a mad rush. We crowded up by the entrance to the Brooklyn Museum parking lot, which didn’t make things any more comfortable.
What exceeded expectations: Portajohns galore! After getting through security, there were no fewer than three large areas to access them: by security on the expressway, in the parking lot, and in the corrals. Water was well placed, though my experience with Tokyo spoilt me: traffic was occasionally an issue. The course change over Brooklyn Bridge felt incredibly smooth, with no sharp turns or dips in elevation. I hope this stays a permanent change, as the iconic combo of Prospect Park, Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn Bridge, 42nd Street, Broadway, Times Square, Central Park, then Tavern on The Green is a grand slam of landmarks.
TL,DNR: Well organized, stick to your registered time for the expo, get where you need to early, and keep your head up!
Iconic race!
It took me six tries and seven years to get into this race! Everyone said it was a must do and of course being able to run through Times Square … MORE
It took me six tries and seven years to get into this race! Everyone said it was a must do and of course being able to run through Times Square and through the city is such an amazing opportunity. The expectations were high, and I have to say that the New York half marathon Hit them all! The expo was extremely crowded. The most crowded expo I’ve ever been to out of Nearly 50 different races. I did not love it for that reason. I wish it was in a bigger location and more spread out. I also didn’t take advantage of buying any merchandise because it was prohibitively expensive. I’ll also say this race was as expensive as a Disney race!
I found through Facebook an amazing gentleman on the New York half marathon group who organizes private buses to take runners from Midtown to the race start in Brooklyn. This was incredible! Got on this private coach and was driven down to the start line and didn’t have to worry about the logistics of a subway or how to get there. The only downside is you’ve got to get down there pretty early because of the road closures. If you’re staying in Midtown, definitely take advantage of this!
I know this race is huge, but there were not enough bathrooms! While I got down there two hours early, I literally spent almost that entire time in bathroom lines. The first line was just over an hour and the second line was nearly 30 minutes.
The race itself was really fun. This was the first year. The race went over the Brooklyn Bridge and I have to say that was my favorite! I did love running through Times Square but the bridge to me was the best part. I didn’t love the stretch along the FDR, but it was OK.
I thought for such an iconic and well organized race that The medal would be a little more substantial or better in someway. I was a little letdown about it, but it certainly didn’t detract from my experience.
I would highly recommend this race for everyone’s bucket list.
THE iconic race in NYC
I live in NYC and I ran it for the first time. It was special to run the vehicle lane of BK bridge (new route!) and through Times Square. Of … MORE
I live in NYC and I ran it for the first time. It was special to run the vehicle lane of BK bridge (new route!) and through Times Square. Of course NYC marathon is the crazy best, but I thought it was the best half in NYC. NYRR organised it very well.
Sweaty but awesome
Nothing can compare to running past landmarks like Grand Central, Times Square, Grand Army Plaza, and this year the Brooklyn Bridge. The weather thankfully held out for us, no rain, … MORE
Nothing can compare to running past landmarks like Grand Central, Times Square, Grand Army Plaza, and this year the Brooklyn Bridge. The weather thankfully held out for us, no rain, little wind, but man was it humid. I was happy as can be in shorts and short sleeves for a change as it’s usually freezing, but I was so very sweaty. This race can always use more porta potties and going into the city to pick up a race packet is annoying, but it’s par for the course with a race as big as this one. It was a nice treat to cross the Brooklyn Bridge for the first time in a race and see the Manhattan Bridge in the distance.
Brooklyn to Central Park w ~25k Friends!
Expo (mid-town) was very smooth to pick-up race bib and shirt For the start, I followed the instructions from NYRR to be at the start by 6:40 AM for Wave … MORE
Expo (mid-town) was very smooth to pick-up race bib and shirt
For the start, I followed the instructions from NYRR to be at the start by 6:40 AM for Wave 2. I was not checking a bag, so this ended up being really, really early, as the corrals didn’t open until 7:30 AM as fortunately, security was very quick to get into the start area. The subway station listed for those not doing bag check looked like a further walk from the start, so I did the subway stop indicating bag check, which was very close to the starting area.
It was very slow getting into the corrals – while I was supposed to start at 7:50 AM, at 7:45 AM, I was still waiting to get close to the corrals. Then, it was a mad dash for folks running to their appropriate corral, and it seemed like a fairly slow and congested start the first mile or so. There were port-a-potties in the corrals for reference.
The weather was very foggy in 2025, so it was hard to see much on the course (imagine weather is all over the place given timing in mid-March). On a clear day, I think it would have been a great sightseeing tour of NYC. The crowds were great once you got onto 42nd street (last few miles), but expect empty stretch on the FDR. I loved that there was a Maurten gel stop around mile 8. I thought the water stops were slow as there weren’t a ton of people handing out water, and you were mostly grabbing it yourself.
There were some hills throughout the course, but I didn’t feel like any were crazy.
Recommend to at least do the race once!
i love new york!!!
my favorite route of any race i've ever run! (ok i haven't run that many but that's how confident i am in this route being comparatively amazing!!) i had heard … MORE
my favorite route of any race i’ve ever run! (ok i haven’t run that many but that’s how confident i am in this route being comparatively amazing!!) i had heard light warnings about the fdr stretch being desolate, but even that portion was quite fun – and good meditative space before the nonstop fun (and pain!!) that was to follow. weather was phenomenal! perfect experience other than the absurdly bright green race shirt that is not a flattering color on me personally (but that’s a me problem)
NYC Half one of a kind
Great half Marathon, with great spectators!! Lots of hydration stations along the race and at mile 6 energy bars are handed out. Love the crowed especially the last miles from … MORE
Great half Marathon, with great spectators!! Lots of hydration stations along the race and at mile 6 energy bars are handed out. Love the crowed especially the last miles from 42nd Street till the end, spectators that cheer you up.
Glad I experienced it, expected more
This was my bucket list race and I will say overall it was incredible. Running over Brooklyn Bridge, through Times Square, ending in Central Park… amazing. There were super disappointing … MORE
This was my bucket list race and I will say overall it was incredible. Running over Brooklyn Bridge, through Times Square, ending in Central Park… amazing. There were super disappointing features. For such a huge race the expo was one of the most lacking, No freebies from vendors, super crowded… one of the worst expos honestly. The medal was quite small (but felt better when I learned it was made sustainably) and the post race “snack bag” had a water, a Gatorade, an apple, a bag of pretzels and a protein bar. No bagel, no banana… again for a 27,000 person race I expected more. I’ve done so many small races that had way better after race support and snacks.
Glad I did it but for what you pay I wouldn’t do it again.
Great race
This was my first time running this race and is easily one of my favorites. The expo was easy to get to. Well organized with lots of support. Figuring out … MORE
This was my first time running this race and is easily one of my favorites.
The expo was easy to get to. Well organized with lots of support.
Figuring out the train system for race morning was a little stressful if you’re not from the area as there were closures and route changes, so definitely confirm a plan ahead of time which I was glad I did. There will also be plenty of runners headed to the start in Brooklyn that morning. The train ride was fine.
Bag check was seamless. Entering the corrals was a bit chaotic but there was minimal wait before actually starting.
The course was great. Some legit hills but mostly rolling. Crossing the Manhattan bridge was awesome as was running through the streets of NYC and especially through Times Square with a finish in Central Park. Plenty to see. Great crowd support and energy. Adequate aid stations.
The finish was well organized to get a large number of runners through. The medal was ok. Appreciated the mylar blanket. Would definitely do again.
NYC 1/2 on St. Patrick’s Day
The crowds were amazing as always, the weather was perfect 👍🏻. It was the best St. Patrick’s Day! There was plenty of water and gatorade. The cheering squads were out … MORE
The crowds were amazing as always, the weather was perfect 👍🏻. It was the best St. Patrick’s Day! There was plenty of water and gatorade. The cheering squads were out enforce.
Strong start, slow finish
Outstanding event by NYRR! My second straight year running this. I started off way too fast and pushed myself until calf cramps around mile 9 near the United Nations building. … MORE
Outstanding event by NYRR! My second straight year running this.
I started off way too fast and pushed myself until calf cramps around mile 9 near the United Nations building. I ran the bridge and FDR way too hard with all the inclines. Times Square was a blast and ran that portion with my music off.
This is by far my favorite Half Marathon! The course, production, spectators, and fellow runners (Facebook group is great too).
I’ll be completing my 4 of 6 series to be back next year.
Great race
So many people but be very well organized. The course was amazing with a nice mix of small hills and lots to look at for the entire race. After race … MORE
So many people but be very well organized. The course was amazing with a nice mix of small hills and lots to look at for the entire race. After race was fun with places for photos and blankets to stay warm.
Top Notch Half Marathon
While the courses aren't easy, running through NYC and finishing in Central Park is hard to top. I understand why this race can be difficult to get into. The swag … MORE
While the courses aren’t easy, running through NYC and finishing in Central Park is hard to top. I understand why this race can be difficult to get into. The swag wasn’t the greatest, but the course makes up for it.
The One To Run
This was my 6th time or so running this race, 2nd with the new course. While my performance was less than stellar, I still enjoyed this race. It was on … MORE
This was my 6th time or so running this race, 2nd with the new course. While my performance was less than stellar, I still enjoyed this race. It was on the colder side this year, especially given the wind, but the day was beautiful and it was honestly perfect running weather in Wave 5 with a start time about 9:20.
This is my favorite half marathon for a reason as you basically get a running tour of NYC and part of Brooklyn and the race photos show it. This year, they had photographers set up at spots that had nice backdrops such as Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn, the Manhattan Bridge, and Times Square.
The bib pickup this year had more of an expo feel than recent years, but I still wouldn’t call it an expo as it was all NYRR for the most part with the addition of race merch from New Balance. They did have a wall of runners’ names which was pretty cool and it was walking distance from Grand Central which was convenient.
I took a bus in on race morning from Westchester Road Runner in White Plains which made getting to the start convenient and easy with no subways involved and a nice warm bus with a bathroom on board to wait on for my wave time, or at least pretty close to it.
My only complaints this year are that security was pretty disorganized and the start area porta potties ran out of toilet paper. The medal this year was a clean design and made from recycled materials which is pretty cool.
Running for My Sister!
This was my first half-marathon since 2008, and I ran it as a member of the fundraising team for The Pink Agenda, to honor my sister, who has breast cancer. … MORE
This was my first half-marathon since 2008, and I ran it as a member of the fundraising team for The Pink Agenda, to honor my sister, who has breast cancer.
I enjoyed the training, and was in great shape. My goals were to finish, and then to break two hours – and I did both!
Lots of great communication from NYRR about the race, and easy to follow the crowds on race day. Felt like a New Yorker taking the subway to the start at 6 am, LOL.
Enjoyed running through the streets of Manhattan and Brooklyn, and the Manhattan bridge wasn’t as bad as I thought. Running the FDR got a little boring, but then once you’re off the FDR, the crowds carry you through.
Great tracking app, and liked sharing my stats via Twitter too. And got some good tips from the NYC Runs community on reddit.
AMAZING
Top notch. All the way around. I can't believe I did this. A bucket list race, for sure. From start to finish, there is nothing to complain about. It was … MORE
Top notch. All the way around. I can’t believe I did this. A bucket list race, for sure. From start to finish, there is nothing to complain about. It was simply amazing. Shutting down times square for us…. wow! I felt like a celebrity.
I love it!
I almost didn't run due to a small injury to my quadricep I'm glad I was able to run.I had a lot of fun running the Manhattan bridge and running … MORE
I almost didn’t run due to a small injury to my quadricep I’m glad I was able to run.I had a lot of fun running the Manhattan bridge and running through Times Square
You pay for the course and it's worth it
This is the best course I've ever run and the best I ever will run. Only half marathon in the world that shuts down Times Square! Swag was meh but … MORE
This is the best course I’ve ever run and the best I ever will run. Only half marathon in the world that shuts down Times Square! Swag was meh but you’re paying for the course, not the swag.
Run through Times Square!
I love NYC so this race was near the top of my bucket list. This is a race that does not have guaranteed entry unless you are super fast which … MORE
I love NYC so this race was near the top of my bucket list. This is a race that does not have guaranteed entry unless you are super fast which I am not. The main other ways to enter are lottery, 4 out 6 (run 4 out of 6 options for NYRR races) and charity. However I got guaranteed entry for 2022 by running the virtual 2021 NYC half for guaranteed entry. It costs around $80 to do this (on top of the expensive race fee), but it is cheaper than charity or running 4 out of 6 races so definitely look into this option if you want guaranteed entry. The race cost $130 if you are a NYRR member so it was over $200 when you add the virtual but worth it for the experience of running in Times Square. I did think pre-race communication could have been better. The website is very useful and had all the information but I wish they sent an email or ideally a PDF with the information. The NYC marathon lottery entry started a few weeks before the race and it took like 10 minutes to log in to review race details due to internet traffic. For packet pick-up you pre-selected time slots on Thursday, Friday or Saturday before the race. I selected the 9am to 10am on Saturday since I was driving in Friday night. For the race I stayed in Times Square which isn’t my favorite place to stay but was convenient as you could walk to packet-pick up, it was close to the subway to Prospect Park and could walk from finish to hotel. Packet pick-up was relatively smooth and not too crowded given the staggered starts. You had to show ID and proof of vaccination. This appears to be the case for all NYRR events. Bib pick up was easy and you also got a shirt. The shirt is okay. It is a long sleeve tech shirt. It is not the best quality and it is kind of a simple design. I do like the color. It was a nice periwinkle blue so I will use it. The expo was mid sized but mostly just selling NYRR gear and their sponsors’ products. There weren’t local vendors like you see at some expos. I didn’t spend that much time there so I would have more time to spend exploring NYC. Race morning is a bit complex so definitely read the website and definitely get to the park by the recommended time if you want a smooth experience. This year there were 4 waves and multiple corrals in each wave. Each wave is given a time they should arrive at prospect park along with the time the corral opens, closes and the race starts. I was in wave 4. It said to arrive at the Park at 7:30, corral open at 8:30, corral close at 8:40 and race start at 8:45. The race is point to point and starts at Prospect Park. I took the train to Prospect Park. I gave myself an extra 20 minute wiggle room to arrive at 7:30 and thought for sure I would be waiting around forever in the beginning but I am glad I left so early. The train was kind of slow and I arrived at Prospect Park just before 7:30 (glad I had that wiggle room). You then walk about 15 minutes to the start in the middle of the park. By this time there were so many runners I just followed the crowd and it was easy to find. Then you spend about 15 minutes to get through security. Then the lines to the bathroom were about 15 minutes long. Then I had about 15 minutes to stretch and do my pre-race routine before the corral opened. So the time it said to enter was 100% correct. I saw many runners from earlier waves not think they had to be to the park as early as the website said who were stressed and scrambling to get into the correct corrals or stuck going in the wrong corral. Long story short – get to the park at the suggested time or earlier. Once in the corral it was very smooth and the race timing was precise. Each wave had 6 corrals and the corrals went off one by one. I was in corral C. Corral A left at exactly 8:45. My corral left a couple minutes later. It was really exciting to be in a race again with 20,000+ participants. This was the first race I have done this big since the LA marathon. The actual course and race was by far the best 13.1 miles I have run. It starts in Prospect Park which is nice. The start is quite crowded and almost impossible to pass people but everyone was running the same pace except a few people who arrived to late and started in the wrong corral who were struggling to pass people (again show up on time if you want the best experience). The race then goes through Brooklyn. It goes along Flatbush avenue and passes by the Barclay Center. There are a lot of spectators in this section which is fun. You then cross the Manhattan Bridge. It is really cool running across the bridge into Manhattan and there is awesome scenery. However the uphill on the bridge is quite steep and the toughest part. Almost everyone around me was walking this part. You then enter Manhattan and there is a big crowd of spectators. The next section is on FDR drive and probably the weakest part of the course but it is pretty flat. There are still some city views. There are less spectators here but anywhere there can be a spectator there is one. Mile 10 through 11 are probably the best mile of any race I have run. You then go onto 42nd street and run past Grand Central Station and Bryant Park and then turn up 7th Avenue onto Times Square. This part is amazing. It is full of spectators and so cool to run on one of the busiest streets in the world completely closed off to traffic. You then run up to central park and run about a mile in the Park to the finish. The course is extremely easy to follow as it is basically fenced off so outsiders can’t get in. There is no way you can get lost. There are mile markers with clocks each mile. There were aid stations about every 2 miles with gels around the halfway mark. Today was absolutely gorgeous and warmer than usual in the 60s. It was perfect running weather but I would have preferred a few more aid stations at this temp. Aid stations had water and Gatorade. The first one was a little slow putting out enough cups (though not slower than other large races) and the rest there was no delay. There were porta potties at the aid stations but they had line longs (I lost about 5 minutes waiting for one). The course has some hills in the parks and the big one up the bridge. My Garmin had a little under 500 ft elevation gain total. Seemed about average to slightly harder than average for a road race but the high energy and amazing sights make it an easy race to stay motivated. There is a nice big finish arch and there is an app that will give you your time as soon as you crossed. My time was decent. Under 3 hours and about 2 minutes faster than Little Rock. When you account for the 5 minute bathroom break and the fact I stopped for a few pics it was pretty good and I’m continuing to slowly get back. After the finish line is where most of my complaints are. The finish area is well organized but very impersonal. There is a long finish chute and no family members at the finish line. The medal was also disappointing. It is one of my worst half marathon medal and definitely worst medal for a race than is over $100. They used recycled materials and I do appreciate that but it is small and just has the race name. Would have preferred images of NY or something more special. It’s not so bad that I would not recommend the race because of it but this is not a race to run for the bling. There also is no finish party and you get a bag of recovery items with a water, gatorade, gatorade recovery drink, apple and pretzel which was not the best. Despite the kind of lame end and medal, this was an awesome race experience. If you love big city races I would add this to your must do list. However I could see how someone would prefer a smaller, more personal race with a less stressful start (in which case come to Upstate or Western NY for your NY race). I probably won’t do guaranteed entry or plan around this race now that I have done it once, but I do plan to enter the lottery every year I have the weekend off as I would love to experience it again.
Excellent
The distance is no problem, but I was caught off guard by the climb on to the Manhattan Bridge and the FDR drive. Be sure to prepare for elevations in … MORE
The distance is no problem, but I was caught off guard by the climb on to the Manhattan Bridge and the FDR drive. Be sure to prepare for elevations in your training.