Running News Daily

Father-daughter duo sets world record for fastest combined half-marathon

Marie-Ange Brumelot and her father, Nicolas Brumelot, of Paris, France, set a Guinness World Record for the fastest half marathon run by a parent and child at the RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon last weekend in New York City. The daughter ran 1:13:46 to place third overall, while Nicolas ran 1:31:46 to win the men’s 55 to 60 age category, for a cumulative time of 2:45:32.

The duo smashed the old record held by Clare Bovill and Jonathan Scott from Cambridge, U.K., of 2:58:35, by 13 minutes. Jonathan and his mother, Clare, previously went after this record in March 2020 to have a common goal to train together and share the joy they get from running.

Two rules apply for this record: the first, applicants must provide documents proving the child-parent relationship, and the child must be over 16. 

Marie-Ange was selected to represent France at the 2020 World Athletics Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia, Poland, but did not end up racing. Her father, 59, is a longtime runner who recently completed his 46th marathon at the 2022 Hamburg Marathon, where he ran a new personal best time of 3:20:49. 

Marie-Ange grew up in Paris but now lives and trains in Shokan, N.Y., near the Catskill Mountains. The 29-year-old distance runner set a personal best at the Brooklyn Half, breaking her previous best of 1:14:18 from the 2020 Houston Half Marathon.

(05/26/2022) Views: 1,797 ⚡AMP
by Running Magazine

Ukrainian runners in New York gear up for Brooklyn half marathon

After Russia invaded Ukraine, Asiia Holovko ran for her life from Kyiv to escape the war — and now she plans to run across Brooklyn.

Holovko, who came to the United States on March 17, will be running the Brooklyn Half Marathon with members of the Ukrainian Running Club of New York on May 21.

She has run in six countries, was invited to represent Ukraine in the World Marathon Champions in 2019 and was planning to participate in the Paris Marathon in April.

“I had a regular life, a dentist appointment, a hairstyling appointment, I had a job,” said Holovko, 42.

“In two weeks I was supposed to go to Paris to run the marathon,” she said. “All of a sudden, everything got destroyed.”

The war set Holovko on a long journey to safety.

She hitchhiked, took a 12-hour train ride to Lviv, and spent 17 days in Poland before she arrived in Portland, Me., where she is staying with a former roommate from Kyiv.

Soon she will reunite with her cousin, Andriy Herasymchyk, a member of the Ukrainian Running Club of New York, who is also running in the Brooklyn race.

The running club has been a way for Ukrainians in the U.S. to connect and a welcome distraction while Russia continues to attack their home country.

“It’s part of the morning routine to do the right stuff — not just sitting, because sitting and reading the news, you’re getting really depressed,” said Herasymchyk, 34, of Coney Island, Brooklyn.

“There are some times when you’re going for a run thinking, ‘I’m going to do six, seven miles,’ and you end up doing 13 miles, getting the flow. You want to get rid of all the negative stuff, negative energy,” said Herasymchyk, who is from Rivne, Ukraine, and has been running since he was in high school.

“When the war started, I really pushed myself to go for a run because I knew it would be good for me,” said Dmytro Molchanov, 33, the club’s captain. “For a few weeks, I didn’t really enjoy running. It was hard for me to enjoy anything. Running has been a sort of meditation for me when I have some issues,” he said.

The 100-member strong running club provides a community for Ukrainians in New York.

“I moved to the United States seven years ago and I didn’t know anybody here,” said Molchanov, 33, a nurse who lives in Sheepshead Bay. “The club became my second family. I found really true friends.”

In the months following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the club has taken on a new significance, providing emotional support to its members and fundraising for the war effort.

“A lot of guys who are here — their parents are still in Ukraine in occupied territories. A lot of them are really worried,” said Herasymchyk.

“My hometown was invaded day one,” said Molchanov, whose mother and grandmother are still in Nova Kahovka, near Crimea.

“They’re alive, that’s the most I can ask for right now. They have food, I’m able to talk to them every day,” he said.

(05/17/2022) Views: 1,387 ⚡AMP
by Ellen Moynihan

2022 Brooklyn Half Marathon to Return at Full Capacity for 40th Running on Saturday, May 21

More than 22,000 runners expected to race 13.1 miles from Prospect Park to Coney Island.

The RBC Brooklyn Half will return at full capacity for the first time in three years on Saturday, May 21, with more than 22,000 runners expected to race in the event’s 40th running. The race, which was established in 1981, is now one of the country’s premier half marathons with accompanying youth races and a three-day pre-party to celebrate Brooklyn.

“New York Road Runners has such a rich 40-year history in our biggest borough, Brooklyn, and we are excited to be bringing back our premier event in the borough, the RBC Brooklyn Half, for the first time since 2019,” said Ted Metellus, NYRR VP of Events and Race Director. “Since 1981, even before half marathons were popular, the Brooklyn Half has been taking place every year and is now the highlight of NYRR’s year-round presence in Brooklyn, which also includes programs for youth, seniors and the entire community.”

The RBC Brooklyn Half will take runners through the unique and diverse neighborhoods of Brooklyn, beginning at the Brooklyn Museum, passing the scenic Grand Army Plaza, and running through Prospect Park and along Ocean Parkway to the finish line on the famous Coney Island boardwalk.

Below are some highlights and initiatives to look forward to at the 2022 edition of the event:

40th Running: The first Brooklyn Half took place in early spring of 1981 on a course in and around Prospect Park with several hundred finishers. Since then, it has expanded to cover a large portion of Brooklyn and help bring the community together. In 2013, the year after Superstorm Sandy devastated the Brooklyn coastline, the Brooklyn Half helped reinvigorate Coney Island and reminded New Yorkers what makes Coney—and all of Brooklyn—so special. This year will mark the return of the event for the first time since the pandemic began, with Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso planning to attend.

New Title Sponsor: The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) will serve as both the exclusive title partner and exclusive financial services and investment banking partner of the event for the first time, activating on race day as well as at the pre-party and post-race festivities. As a purpose-driven global financial institution, RBC, similar to NYRR, is strongly committed to giving back to communities. 

Notable Names: This year’s field will include notable names such as TODAY Show’s Al Roker, Good Morning America’s TJ Holmes, TV personality Nev Schulman, and professional athlete Noah Droddy.

Ukrainian Running Club Members: More than 40 members of NYC’s local Ukrainian Running Club will participate, as running has brought the club members closer together as a form of support while the war goes on in Ukraine. The club is captained by Dmytro Molchanov, who moved from Brooklyn to Ukraine seven years ago and will be an NYRR pacer for the 1:20 group.

5-Year Anniversary: Prospect Heights residents Krissa Cetner and Alex Salazar, two avid runners, stopped to get married in front of 100 guests at Mile 6 of the 2017 Brooklyn Half and then hopped back on the course to finish the race. Running for NYRR Team for Kids, the couple will return this year to run in honor of their 5-year anniversary and plan to wear the same tuxedo shirt and bridal shirt. Their 3 1/2 year old son, Myles, will be there to cheer them on.

Guinness World Record Attempt: Local elite Marie-Ange Brumelot of Queens Distance Runners and her father will go for the Guinness World Record for the fastest half marathon run by a parent and child. Brumelot represented France at the 2020 World Athletics Half Marathon Championships and is a 1:14 half marathoner.

Brooklyn’s “Marathon Man”: At 70 years old, Brooklyn’s Leroy Cummins is speeding up, not slowing down. As a member of the NYRR Striders fitness program for older adults, he ran his first marathon last fall at the TCS New York City Marathon, finishing second in his age group in a time of 3:35:15, a quick 8:13 mile pace. He then ran the Boston Marathon in April, and now, known as the “Marathon Man” to his East Flatbush neighbors, will look to finish first place in his age group in Brooklyn. 

Boardwalk Kids Run: The whole family is invited to join in on race day activities, as kids ages 8-18 will take part in the Boardwalk Kids Run at the RBC Brooklyn Half for free on Coney Island as part of the Rising New York Road Runners youth program.

RBC Brooklyn Half Pre-Party Presented by New Balance: From May 18 to May 20, runners will pick up their bibs, shop for race merchandise, listen to live music, and dine at local food trucks at the RBC Brooklyn Half Pre-Party Presented by New Balance at Pier 2 in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Virtual RBC Brooklyn Half: Runners who are unable to be in Brooklyn can participate in the race from anywhere in the world at their own convenience between May 14 and May 22.

About New York Road Runners (NYRR)

NYRR’s mission is to help and inspire people through running. Since 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, virtual races, community events, free youth running initiatives and school programs, the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people each year with the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR’s premier event is the TCS New York City Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features a wide population of runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.

(05/16/2022) Views: 1,424 ⚡AMP

The Royal Bank of Canada becomes title sponsor of Brooklyn Half Marathon

A major Canadian company is making a mark in The Big Apple. The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) has become the new title sponsor of the NYRR Brooklyn Half, the largest half marathon in the U.S., which has hosted 27,000 from around the world every May on the streets of Brooklyn. The race has been run virtually in the past two years because of the pandemic.

This deal was announced earlier this week by NYRR and RBC. The sponsorship also includes the launch of a new race, RBC Race for the Kids, designed to support kids and youth-focused causes in the city. The event will be added to the NYRR race calendar each spring as a four-mile run and 1.4-mile walk for families. 

This year’s RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon takes runners on a journey through the diverse neighbourhoods of Brooklyn, with the race starting at the Brooklyn Museum, passing the Grand Army Plaza, running through Prospect Park and along Ocean Parkway to the finish line on Coney Island’s boardwalk.

RBC has been strongly committed to giving back to communities through sport since 2002. RBC is also the title sponsor of Training Ground in Canada, a talent identification and athlete funding program designed to find young athletes with Olympic potential. Then giving them the tools and resources to excel in the sport. They also sponsor many Canadian athletes like Aaron Brown, Ben Preisner and Madeleine Kelly through the RBC Olympians program that provides elite athletes with an opportunity to gain valuable career experience alongside a flexible work schedule, to allow the time necessary to train and compete on the world stage.

The NYRR plans to host the Brooklyn Half at its traditional time on May 14, at a full capacity of 27,000 runners.

(01/12/2022) Views: 2,396 ⚡AMP
by Marley Dickinson

Popular Brooklyn Half on May 16 is cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus

Due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and in coordination with government officials, the Popular® Brooklyn Half and accompanying Rising New York Road Runners youth event, scheduled for May 16, have been canceled. The race is the largest half-marathon in the United States and was set to feature over 27,000 runners.

Registered runners will have the option of choosing either a full refund of their entry fee or guaranteed non-complimentary entry for next year’s Brooklyn Half in May 2021. Those runners who opt for entry into the 2021 Brooklyn Half will also receive 2021 TCS New York City Marathon qualifier credit and 2021 United Airlines NYC Half qualifier credit. All registered runners will receive an email in the coming days with more details.

Runners will still have the opportunity to run the 13.1-mile distance on their own in a safe and responsible way by entering the NYRR Virtual Brooklyn Half, part of the NYRR Volvo Virtual Racing Series Powered by Strava. The Virtual Brooklyn Half is free to enter for runners around the world and will take place from May 1 to May 17.

As the spread of COVID-19 continues globally, New York City is at the heart of the pandemic. Our community’s healthcare workers are on the front lines, risking their lives every day to help. Many of these same doctors, nurses, emergency responders, and medical professionals support runners at NYRR events. To help our heroes on the front lines, NYRR has recently donated $100,000 to the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund through the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City.

The running community can help as well by donating to the Mayor’s Fund in support of the many New Yorkers who need critical assistance during these unprecedented times. 

In accordance with New York City’s recently announced restriction on public events through May 31, NYRR has also canceled the Italy Run 5M, and accompanying Rising New York Road Runners event, scheduled for Sunday, May 31.  Registered runners will receive an email with details regarding their resolution options.

The cancellation of the Brooklyn Half and the Italy Run brings the total number of NYRR races impacted during the coronavirus crisis to nine. As NYRR continues to monitor the ongoing public health situation with government officials, future cancellations are likely to be announced. NYRR is also pausing all new registrations for races that are scheduled to take place through October 25, 2020.

(04/21/2020) Views: 1,696 ⚡AMP

Once facing paralysis, Rochelle Ann Rosa bounces back with second Brooklyn Half Marathon

Three years ago, doctors told Rochelle Ann Rosa to not expect to walk again after bleeding in her stomach left her paralyzed. On May 19, 68-year-old Rosa will run her second Brooklyn Half Marathon.

“I really lived day by day, moment by moment,” Rosa recalled. “I literally thought, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to be paralyzed the rest of my life.”

The paralysis was the second seemingly unconquerable hurdle Rosa has faced in the last decade. On a crisp March morning some 9 years ago, at a corner in Bayside, a distracted cabdriver smashed into Rosa as she was crossing the street, sending her flying “like a bowling pin,” she remembers.

“Your instinct is to turn and grab the hood of the car like you’re Superman,” she said. “When I tried to stand up I knew I was hurt.”

Despite her determination to avoid the hospital and enjoy her impending vacation, she was in surgery 10 days later. As it turns out, her meniscus was “totally shredded,” her tibia “split wide open,” and both shins suffered hairline fractures.

She spent the next two years in rehabilitation so that she could walk without a cane. Eventually, she did and was soon bit by “the bug” to run. Four years ago, she joined a running group and decided the following year she would run her first New York Road Runners race.

“I was so excited,” she said. “I woke up the next day thinking that (I had) a stomach virus or a case of food poisoning.”

Three hours later, she was delirious and then lost consciousness. After being transported to the hospital, she spent hours in ICU until she was stable enough for surgery. Surgeons stapled her stomach to stop the bleeding and, eventually, moved her to a room for recovery.

“When I went to stand up to go the bathroom and walk, I collapsed,” Rosa said. “The blood oxygen levels in my brain got so messed up that I was temporarily paralyzed from the waist down for a little over six months.”

What ensued were three weeks in a Suffolk County hospital, three weeks in a rehab center — “which was the worst experience of my life” — then two months at home in a cast. But, just as after the car accident in Queens, Rosa resolved to walk again. She sought the help of physical therapist Manson Wong, who soon was making twice-weekly visits to her Lower East Side home.

 After only three weeks, Rosa was walking to the bathroom, and three weeks later she was walking around the apartment with the walker.

“It’s weird, it should have been a long, long, long process of years and years, when you take into account where she came from, where she needed help sitting,” Wong said. “I can’t explain to you how sick she was. She could have been dead.”

Yet, six months later, she was running. Wong recalled after finishing a race last year seeing someone run by who looked oddly like Rosa.

“I saw her going by and I wasn’t sure if it was her or not, I was shocked,” he said, adding: “For her to go on and finish a marathon is just insane.” Last year, Rosa completed the New York City Marathon — in a tutu.

(05/15/2019) Views: 2,638 ⚡AMP
by Colter Hettich

After a breakup, Braulio Vazquez lost 50 Pounds and Got into Marathon Shape and is now set to run the Brooklyn Half Marathon

When Braulio Vazquez moved to New York City three years ago, he knew almost no one. No friends. No acquaintances outside work colleagues. No one except his partner. And his partner was controlling. He would check in with Vazquez and monitor his movements.

As a result, Vazquez stopped going out—he stopped running, cooking, and doing any of his old hobbies. He would eat fast food from Popeyes, go straight home after work, and sit in the dark on his days off.

Vazquez was 200 pounds, trapped, and feeling miserable. Last year, however, Vazquez initiated a change: He sought mental council, dropped over 50 pounds, and got into marathon shape.

The change happened at dinner. It began with a breakup. “As soon as he sat down, I told him I couldn’t do this anymore and that nothing would change my mind,” Vazquez says. His partner had been demeaning, shaming Vazquez for buying running shoes and accusing him of infidelity. But that night, Vazquez ended it, and soon after, he moved in with a friend.

When the friend briefly left town, Vazquez, alone with his thoughts, began to panic. He felt depressed and lonely. He was free of his relationship, but still in an unfamiliar city and without a support group of friends. He started thinking about ways to kill himself. He immediately called the National Suicide Hotline.

Operators followed up with Vazquez every day afterward, checking in on him. His employer then helped him into therapy, one of the scariest moments for Vazquez.

At the same time, he began running. He’d wake up at 5:30am three times a week and run along the Hudson River. In therapy, Vazquez was challenged to consider why he’d left many of these hobbies behind. He was interested in running, but he was only now exercising. He loved to cook, but he always ate out. Vazquez's therapist suggested he surround himself with people who enjoyed doing those same things. One day, while running along the river, Vazquez passed a running group and joined. He fell in love with it.

He also fell back in love with cooking, limiting carbs and sweets. He replaced cravings with protein shakes and started cooking more grilled chicken and greens. He also began watching the time of day he was eating. The late, after-work Popeye trips became a thing of the past.

He downloaded apps like Ladder and subscribed to GNC’s Pro Box. He started supplementing his running with 30 minutes of morning gym work in order not to strain his joints. “Waking up every day, seeing people–life just got better,” says Vazquez. He continued therapy. He started going on dates. He got a promotion at work. And the pounds started coming off.

Vazquez is now down 54 pounds and preparing for the Popular Brooklyn Half Marathon, which he'll run next week. Brooklyn was supposed to be his first official race, but Vazquez says others popped up that he couldn’t resist. He’s done three already this year and is signed up for a total of 14.

(05/11/2019) Views: 2,462 ⚡AMP

The NYRR Brooklyn Half Sold out today in just over two hours

The New York Road Runners-organized half-marathon famously requires fast-acting registration as the race has sold out in minutes in recent years. In 2016, the Brooklyn Half sold out in 52 minutes. In 2017, it took exactly half that amount of time for the registration to close, a staggering 26 minutes. The official 2018 figure, per the NYRR, took two hours and 17 minutes for upwards of 27,500 runners to register for the May 19 half marathon. (01/31/2018) Views: 1,816 ⚡AMP