The New York City Half Marathon (branded as the United Airlines NYC Half) is an annual half marathon road running race from Brooklyn's Prospect Park to Manhattan's Central Park via the Manhattan Bridge, held since 2006.[a] It passes through or by Times Square, Grand Central, and both Grand Army Plazas. New York Road Runners (NYRR) administers the race.
| New York City Half Marathon | |
|---|---|
 Times Square during inaugural race in 2006 | |
| Date | Usually the 3rd Sunday in March |
| Location | New York City |
| Event type | Road |
| Distance | Half marathon 13.109 miles (21.097 km) |
| Primary sponsor | United Airlines |
| Established | 2006 |
| Course records | 59:24 (men) 1:07:35 (women)[1] 1:12:20 (non-binary)[1] |
| Official site | New York City Half Marathon |
| Participants | 24,745 finishers (2023) 24,663 finishers (2019)[2] |
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History
editNumerous world class runners have participated in the race, including marathon record holders Haile Gebrselassie[5] and Paula Radcliffe, Olympic marathon medalists Catherine Ndereba,[6] Meb Keflezighi,[7] and Deena Kastor,[8] 2008 U.S. Olympic marathoner Dathan Ritzenhein,[9] and American half marathon record holder Ryan Hall.[10]
Gebrselassie set the men's course record in 2007, with a time of 59:24.[5][11] On March 20, 2016, Molly Huddle set the women's record with a time of 1:07:41.[12]
In its earlier years, the event was run on various dates in the summer; in 2010, it was moved to March. The 2010 race had a field of 14,821 registered runners and 11,604 finishers.[13] Mary Wittenberg, president of the NYRR, said in 2010 that she expected a possible growth of over 20,000 participants in future years.[14]
On October 8, 2014, United Airlines, which was the sponsor of many of the NYRR races, became the title sponsor of the NYC Half Marathon.[15]
The 2020 and 2021 races were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] All registrants were given the option of obtaining a full refund or guaranteed, non-complimentary entry to the March 2022 race.[4][16][b]
Course
edit| External images | |
|---|---|
 Course map of half marathon in 2012 | |
| Course map of half marathon in 2019[17] |
2006–2008
editFrom 2006 through 2008, the course started in Central Park near East 85th Street and looped clockwise for approximately 7.6 miles (more than one full loop) until runners exited Central Park onto Seventh Avenue and through Times Square. Runners made a right turn onto West 42nd Street, followed by a left turn onto the West Side Highway, adjacent to the Hudson River. The race ended on the West Side Highway by Rector Street, near the southern tip of Manhattan.[18][19]
2009–2017
editFrom 2009 through 2017, the course started near East 72nd Street with a counter-clockwise 6.2-mile (10 km) loop around hilly Central Park.[20] The course then flattened and went along Seventh Avenue to Times Square, where it followed 42nd Street to the West Side Highway, adjacent to the Hudson River. The race passed through Battery Park and finished at Wall Street near the southern tip of Manhattan.[21]
Since 2018
editIn October 2017, NYRR announced a course change for the 2018 race.[22] The course begins in Prospect Park and heads northwest along Flatbush Avenue, and then crosses the Manhattan Bridge. Runners then proceed through the Lower East Side towards FDR Drive, and exit onto 42nd Street. At Times Square, the course heads north on Seventh Avenue into Central Park. Runners follow the main loop in Central Park clockwise, cut across the park on the 102nd Street Transverse, and then finish near 75th Street on the west side of the park.
Winners
edit
Key: Course record (in bold)
| Ed. | Date | Male winner | Time[c] | Female winner | Time[c] | Non-binary winner | Time[c] | Rf. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2006.08.27 |  Tom Nyariki (KEN) | 1:01:22 | Catherine Ndereba (KEN) | 1:09:43 | not contested | ||
| 2 | 2007.08.05 |  Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) | 59:24 | Hilda Kibet (KEN) | 1:10:32 | |||
| 3 | 2008.07.27 | Tadese Tola (ETH) | 1:00:58 | Catherine Ndereba (KEN) | 1:10:19 | |||
| 4 | 2009.08.16 | Tadese Tola (ETH) | 1:01:06 |  Paula Radcliffe (GBR) | 1:09:45 | |||
| 5 | 2010.03.21 | Peter Kamais (KEN) | 59:52 | Mara Yamauchi (GBR) | 1:09:17 | |||
| 6 | 2011.03.20 | Mo Farah (GBR) | 1:00:23 | Caroline Rotich (KEN) | 1:08:52 | |||
| 7 | 2012.03.18 | Peter Kirui (KEN) | 59:39 |  Firehiwot Dado (ETH) | 1:08:35 | |||
| 8 | 2013.03.17 | Wilson Kipsang (KEN) | 1:01:02 | Caroline Rotich (KEN) | 1:09:09 | |||
| 9 | 2014.03.16 | Geoffrey Mutai (KEN) | 1:00:50 | Sally Kipyego (KEN) | 1:08:31 | |||
| 10 | 2015.03.15 | Leonard Korir (KEN) | 1:01:06 |  Molly Huddle (USA) | 1:08:31 | |||
| 11 | 2016.03.20 | Stephen Sambu (KEN) | 1:01:16 | Molly Huddle (USA) | 1:07:41 | |||
| 12 | 2017.03.19 | Feyisa Lilesa (ETH) | 1:00:04 | Molly Huddle (USA) | 1:08:19 | |||
| 13 | 2018.03.18 | Ben True (USA) | 1:02:39 | Buze Diriba (ETH) | 1:12:23 | |||
| 14 | 2019.03.17 | Belay Tilahun (ETH) | 1:02:10 | Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN) | 1:10:07 | |||
| — | — | cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to coronavirus pandemic | [3][4] | |||||
| 15 | 2022.03.20 | Rhonex Kipruto (KEN) | 1:00:30 | Senbere Teferi (ETH) | 1:07:35 | Jacob Caswell (USA) | 1:12:20 | [1][23] |
| 16 | 2023.03.19 |  Jacob Kiplimo (UGA) | 1:01:31 | Hellen Obiri (KEN) | 1:07:21 | Ian Stowe (USA) | 1:15:26 | [24] |
| 17 | 2024.03.17 | Abel Kipchumba (KEN) | 1:00:25 |  Karoline Grøvdal (NOR) | 1:09:09 | Galo Vasquez (USA) | 1:10:41 | [25] |
Notes
edit- ^ The event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.[3][4]
- ^ Registrants who obtained their 2021 entry via deferring their 2020 entry had the option of deferring their entry again to 2022, and registrants who earned their entry via an NYRR program would have their entries automatically deferred to 2022.[4][16]
- ^ a b c h:m:s
