Staten Island Half
Staten Island, NY
- Half Marathon
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
Run through the first borough of the TCS New York City Marathon course at the NYRR Staten Island Half. Taking place just four weeks before the world’s biggest race, runners will enjoy the memorable views of New York Harbor and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
Local Historical Weather (Oct 12):
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
| H (°F) | 76 | 73 | 68 | 72 | 61 |
| L (°F) | 55 | 52 | 51 | 62 | 51 |
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Well executed race, moderate course
So! Easy as pie to get to, once off the ferry race central is right outside the building. (I found parking by South Ferry in Manhattan.) I volunteered last year … MORE
So! Easy as pie to get to, once off the ferry race central is right outside the building. (I found parking by South Ferry in Manhattan.) I volunteered last year so knew the lay of the land a bit. That said, first and last few miles were hilly, middle 5 or 6 miles were flat.
What I liked: The scenery didn’t really do it for me until mile 4. We were running though urban environments, but there was something about hitting the flats that was beautiful on the day. On the return around mile 9, we saw amazing views of the Verrazano. Organization wise it was smooth as always from NYRR.
What could be better: The course was well marked and laid out, and came across as almost intentionally challenging. I counted three hard uphills along the way, but that’s more addressable with training. Post-race potty access is extremely limited if you pick up your bags first. Placed after security, you can check your bags and use the portajohns, but you need to use the portajohns before you reclaim your bags afterwards – or wait until you get onto the ferry, pretty much.
Well run fall half marathon race
This was my 5th time running this race and I continue to enjoy it. Rereading my first RaceRaves review from 2018 did make me laugh. I said "the course some … MORE
This was my 5th time running this race and I continue to enjoy it. Rereading my first RaceRaves review from 2018 did make me laugh. I said “the course some rolling hills, but nothing too awful.” That’s not quite how I feel about the course 6 years later! It is true that the course is mostly flat to gently rolling hills. But there are two steeper hills between miles 8 and 10 that are noteworthy. Luckily, there are some great views during these miles to distract you.
NYRR knows how to put on a solid, organized race and this one is no exception. This race counts towards both their 9+1 and 4 out of 6 initiatives, which give you non-complimentary, guaranteed entry into the NYC Marathon and NYC Half Marathon, respectively. Bib and shirt pick-up happen at the NYRR Run Center (on W 57th St, near Central Park) starting roughly 2 weeks prior to race day. [Rae day pick up is also possible.] The shirt is a long sleeve technical shirt and nice.
There are two waves–one at 8am and one at 8:30am. Most runners need to take the free Staten Island Ferry to the start. Unlike the NYC Marathon, once you arrive on Staten Island you don’t need to then get on a bus. The start/finish of the Staten Island Half Marathon is right by the Ferry terminal.
There are parts on the course that you get to see returning runners, which I enjoy. Parts of the course are along the water with some great views. There are enough fluid stations that have water and Gatorade. There is one gel station about halfway–they have Science in Sports.
This is a solid fall half marathon with great views. It’s worth checking out.
Along the coast of Staten Island
NYRR’s 5 Boroughs Series complete. I set a goal at the beginning of the year to finish this series for a guaranteed spot into the NYC Half in March 2024. … MORE
NYRR’s 5 Boroughs Series complete. I set a goal at the beginning of the year to finish this series for a guaranteed spot into the NYC Half in March 2024. I felt great and should have had a sub 2:24:00, but couldn’t resist the selfies and photos.
Not only did I complete it but enjoyed each event and the time spent in the Big Apple. The views during this run were second to none!
NYC, see ya in March 2024.
The Other Borough
I chose to do this race since I had a 3 day weekend and wanted to visit NYC. This race is produced by NYRR and it is a very popular … MORE
I chose to do this race since I had a 3 day weekend and wanted to visit NYC. This race is produced by NYRR and it is a very popular race as it is a race that can be used as part of the 9 +1 and 4 out of 6 method to get guaranteed entry into the NYC Marathon and Half Marathon so there is about 10,000 runners. The race takes place in Staten Island and the best way to get there is the Staten Island Ferry. It is a free ferry you can catch at the bottom of Manhattan. Other than it adding an extra 20 to 30 minutes it really was not a big deal getting to the race. For the race you can either get the packet at the NYRR store or race day. I got it at the store on Saturday. The packet included a long sleeve tech shirt. It was an ugly yellow color and not my favorite. Race day morning I took the ferry with a bunch of other runners. The start area is well marked and the porta potty lines seemed less long than other NYRR races I have done. There are 2 waves with different color bibs. The first wave started at 8:00 and the second at 8:30. There were also corrals within each wave. Each wave had a separate line and it was well organized. This was done so much better than RnR DC that had a similar plan but was a mess. I was in the second corral and runners were sent off in groups and it maybe took 5 to 10 minutes to get through to the start. The first about 8 miles are a bit boring mostly just through some streets in Staten Island with nothing too special about the scenery. It is sort of an out and back with a turn around about mile 6 but then it diverges at around mile 8. After mile 8 the scenery becomes great with views of the bridge and Manhattan Skyline. The course is all on closed streets and is very organized. Tons of aid stations and mile markers. Aid stations have water and gatorade and one had gels. Pretty good spectator support though the spectators are more in pockets and some areas aren’t as spectator friendly but since there are a ton of participants it is a very high energy race even the areas without spectators. The weather was perfect though there was a bit of a headwind the last few miles. The course was pretty easy. Mostly flat with some not too difficult hills between miles 7 to 10. The only challenge is the hills are at one of the more mentally difficult parts of a half marathon. I’m never the biggest fan of the finish of NYRR races. The end is always a bit impersonal and there is always a long corral to walk through. This was the same as other races though the end by the ferry terminal was a bit more spectator friendly than central park. You get your medal and a bag of snacks in the corral. The medal is okay. I don’t think NYRR gives the best medal. The bag of snacks is fine with gatorade, water, apple, pretzel and protein bar. I was very happy with my finishing time. I had a rough summer and was kind of stuck between 3:20 and 3:30 finishing times as I had lung injury from air pollution but it appears my lungs are now healed. I was worried my time last week was a fluke but I was even faster this week. I was still not under 3 hours but just under 3:05. There is a shake shack right by the finish line for a veggie burger and they now have vegan shakes. Overall I thought this was a very good race and a nice option if you are looking to run a race in NYC. Staten Island does not have as iconic of scenery as Manhattan or Brooklyn but I did prefer this race to running loops in central or prospect park. For 50 staters, you can get more bang for your buck running in upstate or western NY over NYC but if you really want to run in NYC and want a race that does not require lottery/charity to enter then I would recommend this one. Since I enjoy visiting NYC I would do this race again.
My 50th half marathon
Didn't realize until now that this was my 50th half marathon. This was my 2nd time running this race (see my recap from 2018). I put off for many years … MORE
Didn’t realize until now that this was my 50th half marathon. This was my 2nd time running this race (see my recap from 2018). I put off for many years running this race assuming it would be a hassle. Instead, I found that I enjoy the total experience–getting the start via the ferry, running in a borough I don’t spend a lot of time in, and the course itself.
Awesome and beautiful race
Good: Very well run race, NYRR really knows how to stage a race with easy access, plenty of volunteers to take care of the runners and a well-organized effort overall … MORE
Good:
Very well run race, NYRR really knows how to stage a race with easy access, plenty of volunteers to take care of the runners and a well-organized effort overall
Beautiful course with views of the Verrazzano Bridge and Lower Manhattan skyline
The course starts and ends at the same spot (this is a preference of mine) and it’s at the ferry terminal which made it easier to get to and from Staten Island
Good and frequent aid stations
Very good post-race snack bag, just enough to replenish without all of the ads usually in these bags
Cool long-sleeved shirts (because how many running t-shirts to I really need?)
Meh:
A bit hilly and having the finish end with a long uphill section is a bit unfortunate
Roads are a bit narrow at parts
Bad:
Nothing bad in particular
Great tuneup half before NYC marathon!!!
Finally, after 2 years of really crappy weather we got a PERFECT day: NO RAIN, 50°F, overcast, not too humid, just what's needed for a new PR. First 8 miles … MORE
Finally, after 2 years of really crappy weather we got a PERFECT day: NO RAIN, 50°F, overcast, not too humid, just what’s needed for a new PR. First 8 miles are fairly flat, the hills start just past the 8-mile marker, some flats between miles 11-13, with an uphill finish after. Plenty of aid stations, water and Gatorade. NYRR knows how to put on a great race, every single time!!! It’s just so far away to get to, that’s the only minus but you get to enjoy the sunrise with the views of the Statue of Liberty while taking the Staten Island ferry to the start;)
Race with a view
Manhattan and Brooklyn Half Marathons get a lot of attention. Visit one of the other NYC boroughs-Staten Island-to mix things up. The best way to get to and from the … MORE
Manhattan and Brooklyn Half Marathons get a lot of attention. Visit one of the other NYC boroughs-Staten Island-to mix things up. The best way to get to and from the race is the (free) Staten Island Ferry. NYRR knows how to put on a race. Things run smoothly.
The course has some rolling hills, but nothing too awful. You get some nice views of the Bridge, Manhattan, and Governors Island.
Long sleeve technical shirt and a decent medal are the swag.
The Staten Island is one of the races you can do to get guaranteed entry into the NYC Half in March (you have to do 4 borough races).
Bottom line: I used to be wary of the effort to get to this race. It wasn’t that bad and it was an enjoyable day.
Easy course + one big hill
There were water stations every mile. It was an out-and-back course with a small detour at mile 8 that takes you up a steep hill then along the coast of … MORE
There were water stations every mile. It was an out-and-back course with a small detour at mile 8 that takes you up a steep hill then along the coast of the island with a nice view of southern Manhattan. Very dissatisfied with bag check – there were only 5 lines for 11,000 runners and the lines were very disorganized. Waited 40 min in 55deg wind and rain without a heat wrap (they ran out) to get my bag.