There was an exhibit I wanted to visit in NYC in January and I was excited that NYCRUNS added a half marathon to this event so I could get a … MORE
There was an exhibit I wanted to visit in NYC in January and I was excited that NYCRUNS added a half marathon to this event so I could get a half marathon in while I was there. However I was very annoyed they canceled the half marathon 3 weeks in advance. I understand there are things out of a race company’s control but 3 weeks is pretty unfair as I was unable to rearrange my plans and I feel particularly bad for anyone who trained specifically for this half. This definitely affected my feelings of the race. As it was too hard for me to rearrange my schedule, I decided to still go to NYC and walk the 5K with my mom who was on the trip as well. The cancellation solution was also a bit annoying as they just automatically registered runners for the Central Park Half in February but I was already registered for that race. I did contact NYCRUNS and they gave me a code to use what I paid for the half marathon to apply to the 5K fee for both my mom and I so they were very fair in their response. It may have been easier to just give everyone race credit instead of just transferring them to another half that they may be registered for already or unable to attend. Otherwise things went fairly smoothly. There was very good pre-race communication especially as weather seemed a bit iffy overnight. They communicated exactly when to expect an update. Luckily weather was fine the morning of the race though it was a bit wet and drizzly. The race starts on the west side of the park and ends the same place as the 10K yesterday in the middle of the park. If you are registered 30 days in advance they mail your bib but since we just recently registered for the 5K we had to get our bibs race day morning. Bib pick-up was easy. The race was generally pretty well organized with a few minor issues. The start corral could have been set up better. It was one long corral with only an entry by the back. It did have signs where to line up by pace. My mom and I knew we would be near the end since we were walking so we hung out near the back of the corral but they kept telling us to move forward. This resulted in slower people in the wrong place and also fast runners who arrived late having to push through to get to the front. The rest of the race was well produced and it was a 5K course that was nice and did not include Harlem Hill. There were 2 aid stations. One criticism is the map showed there were porta potties at the aid stations but they were not there which was an issue since we needed them. Otherwise there was accurate mile markers and it was well marked. Scenery the same as yesterday but half the park. There were lots of walkers so this is a very back of the pack friendly 5K. The finish line was set up well. You get the most adorable medal. It’s one of my best 5K medals. You also got your shirt at the end. It is a white singlet. I don’t really like to wear white singlets unless they are made from very thick material so don’t appear see-through which this one was a very light material and the type I don’t wear. The design is adorable but I’m not sure if I will wear it. Post race food was better than yesterday with delicious NYC bagels and apples. Overall this was a good 5K. I would have given it 4 sneakers but I did take away a sneaker for canceling the half marathon with so little notice. While I do think NYCRUNs produces solid races and has better swag than NYRR, I’d be cautious to register for all but the biggest half marathons produced by NYCRUNS (Central Park, Brooklyn, Big Apple) unless you are a local or would be visiting NYC regardless of whether there was a half marathon.
Please login to reply to this review.
Canceled Half Marathon 3 Weeks B4 Race
There was an exhibit I wanted to visit in NYC in January and I was excited that NYCRUNS added a half marathon to this event so I could get a … MORE
There was an exhibit I wanted to visit in NYC in January and I was excited that NYCRUNS added a half marathon to this event so I could get a half marathon in while I was there. However I was very annoyed they canceled the half marathon 3 weeks in advance. I understand there are things out of a race company’s control but 3 weeks is pretty unfair as I was unable to rearrange my plans and I feel particularly bad for anyone who trained specifically for this half. This definitely affected my feelings of the race. As it was too hard for me to rearrange my schedule, I decided to still go to NYC and walk the 5K with my mom who was on the trip as well. The cancellation solution was also a bit annoying as they just automatically registered runners for the Central Park Half in February but I was already registered for that race. I did contact NYCRUNS and they gave me a code to use what I paid for the half marathon to apply to the 5K fee for both my mom and I so they were very fair in their response. It may have been easier to just give everyone race credit instead of just transferring them to another half that they may be registered for already or unable to attend. Otherwise things went fairly smoothly. There was very good pre-race communication especially as weather seemed a bit iffy overnight. They communicated exactly when to expect an update. Luckily weather was fine the morning of the race though it was a bit wet and drizzly. The race starts on the west side of the park and ends the same place as the 10K yesterday in the middle of the park. If you are registered 30 days in advance they mail your bib but since we just recently registered for the 5K we had to get our bibs race day morning. Bib pick-up was easy. The race was generally pretty well organized with a few minor issues. The start corral could have been set up better. It was one long corral with only an entry by the back. It did have signs where to line up by pace. My mom and I knew we would be near the end since we were walking so we hung out near the back of the corral but they kept telling us to move forward. This resulted in slower people in the wrong place and also fast runners who arrived late having to push through to get to the front. The rest of the race was well produced and it was a 5K course that was nice and did not include Harlem Hill. There were 2 aid stations. One criticism is the map showed there were porta potties at the aid stations but they were not there which was an issue since we needed them. Otherwise there was accurate mile markers and it was well marked. Scenery the same as yesterday but half the park. There were lots of walkers so this is a very back of the pack friendly 5K. The finish line was set up well. You get the most adorable medal. It’s one of my best 5K medals. You also got your shirt at the end. It is a white singlet. I don’t really like to wear white singlets unless they are made from very thick material so don’t appear see-through which this one was a very light material and the type I don’t wear. The design is adorable but I’m not sure if I will wear it. Post race food was better than yesterday with delicious NYC bagels and apples. Overall this was a good 5K. I would have given it 4 sneakers but I did take away a sneaker for canceling the half marathon with so little notice. While I do think NYCRUNs produces solid races and has better swag than NYRR, I’d be cautious to register for all but the biggest half marathons produced by NYCRUNS (Central Park, Brooklyn, Big Apple) unless you are a local or would be visiting NYC regardless of whether there was a half marathon.