The popular NYC Half Marathon is getting its first major change
From a post at Competitor Running:
Since the event began it 2006, [the NYC Half Marathon] has always run from Central Park to Lower Manhattan, with a few small changes taking place. However, the 2018 course offers a drastic new change.
The race will start in Grand Army Plaza, right outside of Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Runners will then head down Flatbush Avenue and over the Manhattan Bridge. Once in Manhattan, the course cuts through the Lower East Side to the FDR Drive.
The rest of the race is somewhat familiar. It is part of the old course—but this year, runners will complete it in reverse.
Why the change? The biggest improvement is that the new course accommodates more runners.
The NYC Half was the fifth biggest marathon in 2016, with 20,000 finishers. Next year, the NYRR expects 22,500 participants. That’s a big jump.
A second stated goal is to “showcase many of the city’s most popular attractions,” according to Jim Heim, NYRR’s senior vice president.
Race details, including the new course map, and the application for the 2018 United Airlines NYC Half can be found at www.nyrr.org/races-and-events/2018/united-airlines-nyc-half.
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash
