New York’s runners are gearing up for the much-anticipated Road Runners half marathon on March 20, when cardio-loving athletes will head 13.1-miles from Brooklyn’s Prospect Park to Central Park in Manhattan.
The return of the race comes after two successive years when COVID-19 forced the organizers to cancel the event, and organizers promise it will be better than ever, with around 25,000 runners attending this year’s competition.
“We are excited to have a full race field again as our runners take over the streets of Brooklyn and the heart of Manhattan,” said Ted Metellus, of the New York Road Roaders. “This marks the only time, other than New Year’s Eve, that Times Square welcomes thousands of people, as it will host our professional athletes, Rising New York Road Runners and participants from all walks of life and various communities who will have the opportunity to run through it under the bright lights.”
The organization promises that the event will feature dozens of professional athletes, along with many celebrity runners, who will make the long journey through a diverse array of historic landmarks and vibrant neighborhoods of New York City.
The race will feature a number of famed personalities familiar to many New Yorkers, including former New York Giant running back Tiki Barber, along with Good Morning America’s Amy Robach and TJ Holmes and more.
Runners will also get a chance to see the city in a new perspective, as they trek through canyons of skyscrapers, before finishing at the iconic TCS New York City Marathon finish line.
The race will begin between 7 a.m. and 8:45 a.m., with runners split into different groups depending on their skillset.
The route takes competitors from Prospect Park to Flatbush Avenue, before crossing the Manhattan Bridge and up the FDR Drive, and ultimately making a left on 42nd Street and up to Central Park.
Various winners will be awarded prize money, with $115,000 in total potential winnings. First place will secure $20,000, while second and third place finishers will take home $10,000 and $5,500, respectively.
