Running News Daily

The TCS New York City Marathon is preparing to mark a major milestone in its history, and runners crossing the finish line on November 1 will take home a medal designed to celebrate five decades of the iconic five-borough course.

New York Road Runners (NYRR) has unveiled the official 2026 finisher medal, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the course that transformed the race after it moved beyond Central Park in 1976. The anniversary also marks 50 years since NYRR first introduced a finisher medal for the event.

The new medal combines elements of New York City and the marathon into a distinctive sculptural design. An abstract skyline spreads outward in a sunburst pattern, while the five bridges encountered along the marathon route are incorporated into the design, creating a visual connection between the race and the city through which it travels.

At the heart of the concept is an unbroken circular skyline, symbolising the five boroughs coming together as one. It reflects one of the defining characteristics of the New York City Marathon: a single 26.2-mile journey that connects Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan.

The 2026 medal will be produced in zinc with an electroplated gold finish and measures 3.5 inches across, making it slightly larger than the standard medal in recognition of the anniversary. Despite the larger overall size, the central medallion remains 2.12 inches, the same measurement used for the 2025 edition.

The ribbon also pays tribute to the race's history, drawing inspiration from the visual style of the 1970s. It features the marathon logo, the 50th-anniversary emblem and references to all five boroughs, completing a design that blends the event's past with its present.

For thousands of runners, the medal will represent far more than simply a race souvenir. It will be a lasting reminder of the miles covered through one of the world's most recognisable cities and of the personal achievement of reaching the finish line in Central Park.

NYRR chief marketing and digital officer Juliette Morris said the design was created to capture the unique character of the marathon, from the atmosphere of New York City to the shared experience that brings runners and spectators together every year.

As the 2026 edition approaches, the special medal adds another layer of significance to a race already steeped in history. For those who complete the journey on November 1, it will serve as a tangible symbol of both their individual achievement and the 50-year legacy of the modern New York City Marathon.

The TCS New York City Marathon is set for a small but significant change to its iconic 26.2-mile course, with runners facing a revised section in the Bronx between Miles 20 and 21.

For 15 years, every New York City Marathon runner passed through the exact same stretch of the Bronx around Mile 20, navigating a short loop that surrounded a neighborhood supermarket and a 24-hour laundromat for much of race day. This November, that familiar loop will disappear.

New York Road Runners (NYRR) is making its first course change to the marathon in 15 years. Instead of looping near East 140th Street, runners will head north on Alexander Avenue, turn onto Third Avenue and then cut south on 138th Street toward the Madison Avenue Bridge.

The adjustment removes two turns from the Bronx section, reducing the number from seven to five. While that may sound insignificant for a race covering 26.2 miles, the change comes at a point when runners are already deep into the marathon and every turn, road surface and change in rhythm can become more noticeable.

However, the primary reason for the change is not to make the course faster or help runners shave seconds from their finishing times.

Bronx resident Jennifer Alicea told The New York Times that the previous route made it extremely difficult to reach her only nearby grocery store on marathon day. NYRR's Metellus, who grew up in the Bronx, described the affected blocks as food deserts and saw the course's required recertification as an opportunity to address the problem.

The timing also carries added significance. This year marks 50 years since the New York City Marathon expanded beyond Central Park in 1976, becoming the five-borough race that has since grown into one of the world's most famous marathons.

The route will still cover the same 26.2 miles through New York's five boroughs, but the Bronx experience will be slightly different. For elite athletes, two fewer turns could mean a smoother rhythm during the crucial closing stages. For thousands of recreational runners, the bigger difference may be felt by the communities living along the course rather than on the race clock.

The New York City Marathon has long been celebrated not only for its elite competition but also for the connection between the race and the communities it passes through. The latest adjustment reflects that relationship, showing how even an established course can evolve while preserving the character of the event.

So, two fewer turns, the same five boroughs and the same 26.2 miles — but potentially one less headache for residents of the Bronx.

For runners taking on New York this November, the question remains: will you even notice those two fewer turns when you reach Mile 20? 

The road to New York has never been more competitive.

Organizers at New York Road Runners (NYRR) have confirmed that more than 240,000 runners from over 160 countries submitted applications for the 2026 edition of the TCS New York City Marathon. The figure represents nearly a 20 percent increase from 2025, marking the second straight year of record-breaking demand for one of the world’s most celebrated road races.

The numbers tell a powerful story: global appetite for the five-borough spectacle continues to accelerate at an unprecedented pace. Yet for the overwhelming majority, the dream will remain just that. With only about one percent of applicants ultimately securing a place through the highly competitive drawing process, earning a bib has become as formidable as completing the 26.2-mile journey itself.

For time qualifiers outside the NYRR program, the bar was set exceptionally high. Athletes were required to run 22 minutes and 52 seconds faster than the published qualifying standards for their respective age and gender categories. Even then, only the top 10 percent of those applicants were accepted — a reflection of both the race’s prestige and the extraordinary depth of performance now seen in global marathoning.

The soaring demand comes on the heels of a historic 2025 race, which established a world record as the largest marathon ever held, with 59,226 finishers crossing the line in Central Park. That landmark achievement further cemented New York’s reputation as the sport’s grandest stage.

The 2026 edition, scheduled for November 1, will carry added emotional weight. It marks the 50th anniversary of the iconic five-borough course — a route that threads through Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan before culminating in Central Park. Over five decades, the course has evolved into more than a race route; it is a cultural corridor where elite ambition meets everyday courage.

As the marathon approaches its golden milestone, the extraordinary surge in applications underscores a simple truth: the New York City Marathon is no longer just an event on the global running calendar — it is a coveted experience, a symbol of endurance, and, for hundreds of thousands each year, a dream worth chasing against daunting odds.

Every November, the streets of New York City transform. Five boroughs become a stage. Dreams meet asphalt.

The 2025 TCS New York City Marathon is fast approaching — and for runners, coaches, and fans alike, it remains one of the most electric events on the global running calendar.

The Big Picture

• Date: Sunday, November 2, 2025

• Field size: More than 55,000 runners representing over 130 nations will take on the 26.2-mile journey from Staten Island to Central Park.

• Defending champions: Abdi Nageeye (Netherlands) and Sheila Chepkirui (Kenya) return to defend their crowns.

• Debut stars: Marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge and Olympic champion Sifan Hassan will make their long-awaited New York debuts — a storyline that has the running world buzzing.

• Classic route: The course again threads through all five boroughs, starting at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island, crossing the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, and finishing in Central Park.

• Sustainability focus: Organizers at New York Road Runners (NYRR) continue to expand environmental initiatives, including recyclable aluminum water bottles and reduced single-use plastics.

Course Records

• Men’s Record: 2:04:58 – Tamirat Tola (2023)

• Women’s Record: 2:22:31 – Margaret Okayo (2003)

Both marks remain tough to challenge on New York’s rolling, bridge-laden course — but with Kipchoge, Chebet, and Nageeye in the men’s field, and Hassan, Obiri, and Lokedi among the women, the potential for history is very real.

Men’s Elite Highlights

• Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) – two-time Olympic champion, 2:01:09 PB, running NYC for the first time.

• Abdi Nageeye (Netherlands) – defending champion and Olympic silver medalist.

• Evans Chebet (Kenya) – two-time Boston Marathon champion.

• Benson Kipruto (Kenya) – Chicago 2022 winner.

• Albert Korir (Kenya) – former NYC champion.

• Joe Klecker (USA) – U.S. Olympian making his marathon debut.

• Hillary Bor (USA) – U.S. steeplechase champion transitioning to the roads.

• Charles Hicks (USA) – NCAA cross-country champion now turning professional.

Women’s Elite Highlights

• Sifan Hassan (Netherlands) – Olympic champion, winner in London (2023) and Chicago (2024).

• Hellen Obiri (Kenya) – Boston 2023 and NYC 2023 champion.

• Sharon Lokedi (Kenya) – NYC 2022 winner, still a local favorite.

• Sheila Chepkirui (Kenya) – defending NYC champion.

• Emily Sisson (USA) – current American marathon record holder (2:18:29).

• Molly Seidel (USA) – Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist.

• Fiona O’Keeffe (USA) – 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials marathon champion.

• Susanna Sullivan (USA) – Top-10 finisher at Boston 2023, consistent national contender.

This year’s field features 49 Olympians and Paralympians, nine past major marathon winners, and 16 medalists from Olympic or World Championship events — arguably the deepest lineup in New York history.

What Makes New York Unique (and Brutal)

• Rolling terrain and bridges: The Verrazzano, Pulaski, Queensboro, and Willis bridges each sap rhythm and energy.

• Crowd power: Two million spectators line the course, creating unmatched atmosphere — and volume.

• Late-season unpredictability: Weather can swing from cold drizzle to crisp fall perfection.

• Tactical racing: With its uneven pacing demands, NYC rewards strategy over pure speed.

Storylines to Watch

• Kipchoge’s debut: The marathon GOAT takes on the sport’s loudest stage. Can he master New York’s relentless hills and twists?

• Hassan’s bold quest: Coming off London and Chicago wins, can she complete the trifecta in her first NYC appearance?

• Lokedi vs. Obiri: The Kenyan duo continue their fierce rivalry on familiar ground.

• Nageeye’s defense: Last year’s champion faces his toughest test yet with Chebet and Kipruto in pursuit.

• American charge: Sisson, Seidel, O’Keeffe, and Sullivan lead the most complete U.S. women’s team in years — while Klecker and Bor look to ignite the next chapter for American men’s marathoning.

• Record watch: Tola’s 2:04:58 may finally be tested, and Okayo’s 22-year-old mark could fall if conditions align.

For Runners and Coaches

• Train the bridges. Practice long tempo runs that mimic New York’s undulating rhythm.

• Respect the pace. The roar of Brooklyn can trick even the best into going out too fast.

• Fuel flexibly. NYRR’s eco-station setup may differ from other majors — plan accordingly.

• Stay mentally sharp. The final 10 K through Central Park can break anyone unprepared for its hills.

• Layer smartly. Start slightly chilled; the crowds and effort will warm you fast.

The Bottom Line

The 2025 TCS New York City Marathon blends star power, unpredictability, and history like no other race. From Kipchoge’s long-awaited debut to the fiercest women’s field ever assembled in New York, every mile promises drama.

For runners chasing personal bests, and for millions of spectators lining the streets or watching from afar, November 2 will again remind us why this marathon is more than a race — it’s a celebration of endurance, spirit, and the human story that unfolds across 26.2 miles of the world’s greatest city.

The 2025 United Airlines NYC Half Marathon is set to captivate runners with a historic course alteration and a lineup of elite athletes. Scheduled for Sunday, March 16, 2025, this year's race introduces a significant change: participants will traverse the iconic Brooklyn Bridge for the first time in the event's history.

Course Modification: Crossing the Brooklyn Bridge

Due to ongoing construction on South Street in Manhattan, the New York Road Runners (NYRR) have rerouted the course to cross the Brooklyn Bridge instead of the Manhattan Bridge, which had been part of the race since 2018. This adjustment not only offers runners a fresh perspective of the city but also marks the inaugural inclusion of the Brooklyn Bridge in an NYRR race.

The revised course begins on Washington Avenue near the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, leading runners through Prospect Park. Upon reaching the junction of Flatbush Avenue and Tillary Street, participants will turn left onto Tillary Street, then right onto Brooklyn Bridge Boulevard to cross the Brooklyn Bridge.

After descending the bridge’s exit ramp, runners will join the FDR Drive in Manhattan, continue through the Lower East Side, proceed into Midtown, experience the rare opportunity to run through Times Square, and ultimately finish in Central Park.

The 2025 United Airlines NYC Half Marathon promises to be a landmark event, blending a historic course update with the anticipation of elite athletic performances, all set against the vibrant backdrop of New York City.

 

At its core, Global Running Day is about community and solidarity. It's a day when runners from all corners of the world come together

Global Running Day, celebrated annually on the first Wednesday of June, is a worldwide celebration of running that encouragespeople of all ages and abilities to get moving. It is a day to recognize the positive impact running has on physical and mental health, as well as the sense of community it fosters.

The initiative, led by the New York Road Runners (NYRR), aims to inspire people to lace up their shoes and experience the joy of running. Whether it’s a short jog around the block or a longer distance, Global Running Day welcomes everyone to participate and embrace a healthier lifestyle.

The day serves as a reminder of the many benefits associated with running, including improved cardiovascular health, increased energy levels, stress reduction, and enhanced mood. It also promotes the social aspect of running, encouraging people to connect with others through group runs, races, or virtual challenges.

The Spirit of Togetherness

At its core, Global Running Day is about community and solidarity. It’s a day when runners from all corners of the world come together, not just to run but to share their stories, goals, and experiences.

Whether you’re a seasoned marathoner or a beginner taking your first steps into the world of running, Global Running Day welcomes you. The inclusive nature of this celebration fosters a sense of belonging, reminding us that running is a universal language that transcends borders and cultures.

Promoting Health and Wellness

Running is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to maintain physical and mental health. Global Running Day serves as a reminder of the numerous benefits of running, from improved cardiovascular health and stronger muscles to reduced stress and enhanced mood. By encouraging people to participate in this activity, the event aims to inspire healthier lifestyles and promote the importance of regular exercise.

Inspiring Future Generations

Global Running Day is much more than a date on the calendar; it’s a movement that encapsulates the joy, community, and benefits of running.

It’s a day to celebrate the collective love for running, inspire new runners, and promote health and wellness across the globe. As we lace up our shoes and hit the road, we’re reminded that every step we take brings us closer together, creating a healthier, happier world. So, whether you’re running alone, with friends, or as part of a larger event, take a moment to appreciate what Global Running Day means to you and the global community of runners.

The best quotes from Eliud Kipchoge

Eliud Kipchoge is an inspiration for runners. The double Olympic champion in the Marathon (Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020) is also the only human to have run the 42.195 kilometers in less than two hours. He also holds the world record for the Marathon with a time of 2:01:39, which he achieved in Berlin.

Kipchoge is an athlete born in Kenya. Running comes naturally to him; he has been doing it since he was a child when he had to run 8 kilometers to get to school and another 8 kilometers to return home.

Besides having a technique that can be considered perfect, Eliud Kipchoge has managed to convey to runners around the world the joy of running and the importance of the mental factor.

Here are some phrases from Kipchoge and some other runners, which are an inspiration to celebrate this Runner’s Day 2022 together.

“Humans have no limits; they can achieve whatever they set their minds to. You must think beyond your own limits, run against the unthinkable.” – Eliud Kipchoge

“Athletics is not so much about the legs. It’s about the heart and mind.” – Eliud Kipchoge

“Only the disciplined in life are free. If you are undisciplined, you are a slave to your moods and passions.” – Eliud Kipchoge

“There are no secrets in my training. What is truly crucial is believing that progress is possible… believing that you can do anything.” – Eliud Kipchoge

“The ability to achieve your goals is not possible without hard work and self-confidence.” – Eliud Kipchoge

“I always aim to give my best until I reach the finish line.” – Eliud Kipchoge

“Never stop running for fun.” – Eliud Kipchoge

“Passion is a choice. You have to choose to be great. It’s not an opportunity; it’s a choice.” – Eliud Kipchoge

“When you feel pain, try to forget that pain. The only way to achieve this is by smiling, being happy, and enjoying running.” – Eliud Kipchoge

“Marathon is life. And life is where you progress.” – Eliud Kipchoge.

Fiona O’Keeffe, Emily Sisson, and Dakotah Lindwurm to headline world’s original women-only road race, which has garnered more than 200,000 finishers since 1972.

New York Road Runners (NYRR) has recruited the 2024 U.S. Olympic Women’s Marathon Team – Fiona O’Keeffe, Emily Sisson, and Dakotah Lindwurm – to headline its Mastercard® New York Mini 10K taking place Saturday, June 8 in Central Park.

O’Keeffe won the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February with an event record in her 26.2-mile debut and will now make her NYRR race debut. O’Keeffe joined the professional ranks in 2021 after a decorated career at Stanford University, where she was a six-time NCAA All-American.

“I’m excited to step to the line of my first road race since the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials at the Mastercard New York Mini 10K on June 8,” O’Keeffe said. “It’s my first time running the Mini and I’m looking forward to running alongside a great group of women, some of whom I’ll be seeing in Paris later this summer.”

Sisson, the American record-holder in the marathon, finished runner-up at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials to qualify for her second Olympics and first in the 26.2-mile distance. She is a six-time national champion and has been successful in New York, finishing as runner-up at the United Airlines NYC Half twice and winning the USATF 5K Championships. Sisson was fourth at last year’s Mastercard® New York Mini 10K.

“The Mastercard New York Mini 10K is one of those special races that I always have circled on my calendar,” Sisson said. “Although my summer will look a little different this year with a marathon in Paris in August, I wouldn’t miss the chance to race with New York Road Runners in Central Park with my Olympic teammates and thousands of women from around the globe.”

Lindwurm finished third at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and first gained notoriety after winning back-to-back titles at the Grandma’s Marathon in 2021 and 2022. Her highest finish at an NYRR race previously was sixth place at the 2023 United Airlines NYC Half.

“I’m really excited to join my Olympic teammates Fiona and Emily for the Mastercard New York Mini 10K,” Lindwurm said. “I’ve heard great things about the Mini my entire career, but it’s never quite worked with my racing and training schedule. This year, it works as a great step toward the starting line in Paris.”

New York Road Runners started the Mini 10K in 1972 as the first women-only road race, known then as the Crazylegs Mini Marathon. Seventy-two women finished the first race, and three weeks later Title IX was signed into law, guaranteeing girls and women the right to participate in school sports and creating new opportunities for generations of female athletes.

The Mastercard® New York Mini 10K is now one of non-profit NYRR’s 60 adult and youth races annually and has garnered more than 200,000 total finishers to date.

The 2024 Mastercard® New York Mini 10K will offer $39,500 in total prize money, including $10,000 to the winner of the open division.

Mastercard® will serve as title sponsor of the event for the fourth year, and as part of its ongoing partnership with NYRR will also serve as the presenting sponsor of professional women’s athlete field.

The event will be covered locally in the tri-state area by ABC New York, Channel 7 with live news cut-ins. The professional race will be covered by a livestream, distributed by ESPN+, abc7ny.com, and NYRR’s digital channels beginning at 7:40 a.m. ET.

The full professional athlete field for the Mastercard® New York Mini 10K will be announced later this month.

Getting into marathon majors like Boston and New York is hard enough, now picture the rejection email having your face on it. Well, that was the case for New York’s own Nick Parisi, as reported by NBC New York. Parisi applied for a spot in the 2024 New York City Marathon, only to receive an email with his own image giving finger guns, saying better luck next year.

When Parisi received the email on March 28, he did not expect to be the face of rejection. He also did not expect his rejection story to go viral. Almost 160,000 rejection emails went out from the New York Road Runners (NYRR), all of them with Parisi’s image on them. (But he was the only runner to see his own face.)

The photo generated the nickname Negative Nick online. “I did not expect to become an internet meme,” Parisi said. 

The story has a happy ending for Parisi, though. The viral photo reached the NYRR marketing team, and they felt they had to make it up to him. NYRR CEO Rob Simmelkjaer showed up at Parisi’s club Front Runners NYC last week, apologizing for the mix-up and offering him a guaranteed spot at the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon start line with the bib “Positive Parisi.”

Parisi, who ran his first marathon in New York last year, is entered in his second marathon this September in Berlin. A few weeks before he races New York again this year, he will be running Berlin in honour of his mother, who passed away in 2022 from a rare form of skin cancer (mucosal melanoma). He is raising funds for Fred’s Teams and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. To go along with the apology, NYRR will match Parisi’s final donation amount. He has raised nearly USD $2,000 so far.

In November, more than 50,000 runners will run the New York City Marathon on an iconic route that includes numerous bridge crossings, including, at the start, the spectacular Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, which connects Staten Island with Brooklyn. Both upper and lower portions of the bridge have been used for the marathon since 1988.

As The New York Times reports, however, this year, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (M.T.A.), is demanding that the New York Road Runners (NYRR), who organize the marathon, pay $750,000 for lost toll revenue while the bridge is closed to traffic.

This demand has sparked a standoff, with the M.T.A. initially threatening to confine runners to the bridge’s lower deck, then deciding to allow use of the upper level, albeit contingent on a payment agreement.

NYRR, highlighting the marathon’s significance as a homegrown institution and an economic boon for the city, has appealed to Governor Kathy Hochul for intervention. It argues that the event’s benefits outweigh the lost toll revenue, citing increased subway ridership on race day as evidence. NYRR began paying the personnel costs of closing the bridge in 2021; last year, the organization says it paid $150,000.

Should the two groups not come to an agreement, NYRR says it may have to extend the length of the race to allow all runners to finish (resulting in longer road and bridge closures and more competitors running in the dark) or reduce the number of participants accepted.

For the first time in her running career, Jenny Simpson faced a decision that she’d never considered in a race. At mile 18 of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, her debut at the distance, the most decorated U.S. 1500-meter runner in history made the difficult choice to drop out of the competition on February 3.

The marathon leaves runners vulnerable to a number of challenges—nutrition issues, tough terrain, the rigors of high mileage—which can derail even the most experienced runners on a bad day. When Simpson, 37, started cramping with 16 miles left in the race, the setback shocked her. After spending months transforming her body from an explosive middle-distance runner to a long-distance athlete on the roads, Simpson felt ready to take on 26.2, which made the race in Orlando, Florida, all the more confusing.

“One of the beautiful things about running is that so often what you put in is what you get out, but the [Olympic Marathon Trials] wasn’t that way at all,” Simpson told Runner's World.

After the race, Simpson took time to reflect. For two days, the three-time Olympian relaxed with her family in Oviedo, Florida, her hometown located just outside Orlando. In between playing with her nieces and enjoying home-cooked meals, she expected to feel sad following the race. But to her surprise, that feeling never came. Instead, Simpson felt motivated to find another opportunity to show her fitness.

While riding in an Uber on the way home from the Denver airport to her house in Marshall, Colorado, Simpson sent a text message to a contact at the New York Road Runners (NYRR), asking if there were any spots available to race the NYC Half. The event in New York City on March 17, one of 60 adult and youth races organized by NYRR throughout the year, will include Simpson in her third half marathon.

Coming out of a tough few years of personal and professional hardships, Simpson has a new perspective on disappointment. For her, the Olympic Trials is just another exercise in the importance of having faith in the process and her ability to bounce back.

“The race didn’t turn out the way I wanted, but I still believe in myself,” Simpson said. “I’m up at the plate, gripping the bat and I swung once, totally missed, but I’m gonna swing again because I believe I’m ready for it.”

Marathon metamorphosis

After spending well over a decade dominating American middle-distance running and collecting medals on the global stage—including world championship gold (2011), two silver medals (2013 and 2017), and Olympic bronze at the 2016 Rio Games—Simpson’s streak of making U.S. teams ended during the pandemic. In 2021, she made the finals of the 1500 meters at the Olympic Trials, but she finished 10th.

That fall, she started to transition to the roads with her first 10-mile race. But at the end of 2021, her life was upended by injury, the conclusion of a longtime sponsorship with New Balance, and a devastating wildfire that she and her husband, Jason, narrowly escaped on December 30, 2021. While their home was spared, most of their neighbors’ houses were destroyed. For three months, the couple was displaced while damage was repaired.

By the spring of 2022, things started to turn around for Simpson. Her sports hernia was healing, she and her husband returned to their home, and she was in conversations with shoe companies. That fall, she signed with Puma and shared her intent to focus on the roads.

In January 2023, she made her debut in the half marathon with a 1:10:35 in Houston. That summer, she announced her plans to race the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, her first 26.2.

In collaboration with her longtime coaches, Mark Wetmore and Heather Burroughs, Simpson threw herself into the event. She built up to 100-mile weeks during the training cycle, worked with a nutritionist on mid-race fueling, and spent three weeks in Orlando acclimating to the heat in preparation for the championship.

Lessons learned

On race day, Simpson started out at a pace that felt manageable (she ran between 5:23 and 5:38 per mile through the first 10), resisting the urge to go with the blazing pace set by the leaders. Just past halfway, Simpson got a side stitch, and then she started cramping, first in her toes and then in her calf and hips. “Over the course of a few miles, I went from being able to race, to feeling like I was in trouble being able to move through my normal range of motion,” she said.

Simpson tried to double down on hydration at the aid stations, but the muscle cramps got worse as the race progressed. While battling through the setback, Simpson ultimately decided to accept the loss. For an athlete who is used to being on the podium, dropping out was an agonizing choice, but the crowd’s support on the course helped her cope.

“It’s one thing for people to say, ‘We’re proud of you no matter what,’ and I’ve heard that my whole life. I’ve been the woman who can make the team,” Simpson said. “To actually be in the position where I’m not doing well and I’m not making the team and everyone is good on that promise to be proud of me no matter what, I’m just so grateful.”

Now almost three weeks out from the race, Simpson and her team are determining takeaways from the competition. After spending many years following a set schedule of Diamond League competitions and international championships on the track circuit, Simpson wants to choose races that excite her. Right now, that means conquering a half marathon through Times Square and Central Park.

“2024 for me is gonna be about embracing the freedom to dial in on the experiences that I want to have before this is all over,” Simpson said. “It’s not going to last forever, and that doesn’t mean I’m retiring tomorrow or anytime soon, but we’ve been through some tough years, and I still think life is beautiful.”

On Thursday, the New York Road Runners (NYRR) announced the field for the 2024 NYC Half on March 17, which will feature Canadian marathoners Malindi Elmore and Tristan Woodfine alongside 11 Olympians and one of the world’s most decorated distance runners, Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele.

This will be Bekele’s first time at the NYC Half and only his second career road race in New York City. (He finished sixth at the TCS New York City Marathon in 2021.) Bekele is one of the most prolific runners of all time, having been at the top of the sport for more than two decades. His personal best of 2:01:41 from the 2019 Berlin Marathon still stands as the Ethiopian national record, and makes him the third-fastest marathoner in history.

Bekele will headline the men’s race alongside top U.S. marathoners Conner Mantz and Clayton Young, who are fresh off finishing first and second, respectively, at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 3. Also joining the men’s field is Cobden, Ont.’s Woodfine, who is coming off an impressive 2:10:39 personal best and sixth-place finish at the 2024 Houston Marathon. The 30-year-old is currently training for the 2024 Boston Marathon, where he hopes to place in the top five to potentially secure a spot on the Canadian Olympic marathon team in Paris.

The women’s elite field will be full of established distance runners, including Olympians Des Linden, Jenny Simpson, Edna Kiplagat and Elmore, who was recently nominated to her third Olympic Games. Elmore secured her spot on the Canadian team last fall with a 2:23:30 clocking at the 2023 Berlin Marathon, the second-fastest Canadian women’s marathon time. Like Woodfine, Elmore is also training for the 2024 Boston Marathon, which she hopes will prepare her for the hilly marathon course at the 2024 Paris Olympics, which is expected to be the hilliest Olympic marathon course to date.

The men’s and women’s elite field will lead more than 25,000 runners during the United Airlines NYC Half, the world’s premier half marathon, which runs from Brooklyn to Manhattan, passing historic landmarks, diverse neighbourhoods and sweeping views of The Big Apple before finishing in the middle of Central Park.

Weini Kelati, Courtney Frerichs, Keira D’Amato, Woody Kincaid, and Zach Panning to race for world’s largest 5K prize purse; Nearly 10,000 runners to follow in footsteps of pros by racing Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K.

Five Olympians, one Paralympian, and four athletes who competed at this year’s World Athletics Championships will race in the 2023 USA Track & Field (USATF) 5K Championships at the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K on Saturday, November 4. The event will take place in Midtown Manhattan the day prior to the TCS New York City Marathon and will be broadcast live on USATF.TV. Abbott will return as the title partner of the event which features a $79,500 prize purse – the largest of any 5K race in the world.

In the women’s race, two-time NCAA champion Weini Kelati will return in search of her third consecutive title in the event. Each of the last two years she has smashed the event record, taking the tape in 15:18 in 2021 and 15:15 in 2022. She will be challenged for the top spot on the podium this year by three-time national champion Keira D’Amato, 2023 U.S. cross-country champion Ednah Kurgat, and U.S. Olympians Abbey Cooper, Courtney Frerichs, Colleen Quigley, and Rachel Smith.

“Doing the Abbott Dash 5K is becoming a little bit of a early season tradition for me,” Kelati said. “Although my fall season looked a little bit different this year because of the opportunity I had to represent Team USA at the World Road Running Championships in Latvia, I’m really happy I get to come back to New York to try for my third straight 5K national title.”

Woody Kincaid, the U.S. 10,000-meter champion and American record-holder in the indoor 5,000 meters, will lead the men’s field. Lining up against him will be Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz, the top American finisher at the World Athletics Championships marathon this year Zach Panning, 2023 B.A.A. 5K champion Morgan Beadlescomb, and last year’s fourth through sixth-place finishers in New York, Ahmed Muhumed, Alec Basten, and Brian Barraza.

“I still see my career being mostly on the track for the next few years, but I like the idea of throwing in some more road races when it makes sense,” Kincaid said. “As I look towards the Paris Games, the Abbott Dash will be a nice jump-start to my 2024 training, and it will be cool to be in the middle of the big city marathon hoopla without having to go the full 26.2.”

Following in the footsteps of the professional athletes, nearly 10,000 runners will participate in the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K, including top local athletes and many runners in the marathon on November 5.

Abbott, the title sponsor of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, is the sponsor of the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K for the seventh time. Abbott, a global healthcare leader, helps people live more fully with life-changing technology and celebrate what’s possible with good health.

The Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K annually provides TCS New York City Marathon supporters, friends, and families the opportunity to join in on the thrill of marathon race week. The course begins on Manhattan’s east side by the United Nations, then takes runners along 42nd Street past historic Grand Central Terminal and up the world-famous Avenue of the Americas past Radio City Music Hall. It then passes through the rolling hills of Central Park before finishing at the iconic TCS New York City Marathon finish line.

The Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K and USATF 5K Championships will be broadcast live via USATF.TV. The broadcast is scheduled to begin at 8:20 a.m. ET with the first race starting at 8:30 a.m. ET.

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.

 

This week, New York Road Runners (NYRR) updated the organization’s pregnancy and postpartum cancellation policy in an attempt to become a “more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and socially responsible organization.” The Boston Marathon changed its pregnancy policy in January, and the London Marathon did so in 2022. Chicago and Berlin have also similar policies in place.

The guidelines and procedures section of the website details how the new policy works for NYRR’s three marquee events with race drawings: the Brooklyn Half, NYC Half, and New York City Marathon. In partnership with the advocacy organization &Mother, NYRR will allow athletes registered for any of those three races an opportunity to cancel their entry if they become pregnant or are postpartum.

“Pregnant or postpartum athletes will receive non-complimentary guaranteed entry for one of the next three subsequent NYRR races for which they originally registered,” the policy states.

So if, for example, an athlete is registered for the 2023 New York City Marathon and their cancellation request is approved, they can choose to register for the 2024, 2025, or 2026 marathon.

According to the rules, “If an athlete has been approved for a Pregnancy and Postpartum Cancellation, they do not need to state which year they intend to claim guaranteed entry for. The athlete will receive non-complimentary guaranteed entry for the next year, and if they do not claim the guaranteed entry, it will automatically roll over into the following year until the three year guaranteed entry period is complete.”

To be eligible for a Pregnancy and Postpartum Cancellation, athletes only need to meet one of three criteria: they will be pregnant at the time of the race they are registered for, they will be postpartum (defined as one year following the birth of a child) at the time of the race they are registered for, or the entrant had been pregnant and experienced pregnancy loss up to six months prior to the race they were registered for.

Entrants must be officially registered for the event they are requesting a cancellation for, and the policy requires that they cancel their entry on their NYRR account and request a cancellation via support request by no later than 11:59 p.m. the night before the scheduled event date. NYRR requires entrants to fill out a medical authorization form and have it signed by a physician, registered midwife, or other licensed health care provider.

The first Wednesday of June is celebrated as Global Running Day by the New York Road Runners (NYRR). This year, the day will be celebrated on June 7. The day will be marked with events and programs highlighting the benefits and importance of running for our health. The theme for this year’s celebrations is “Embracing the Joy of Running.” The day serves as a global platform to promote the joy, benefits, and inclusivity of running.

Global Running Day serves as a universal platform that transcends experience levels, inviting both seasoned runners and beginners alike to embrace a more active way of life. It stands as a reminder that this day is not centered around competing in the sport, but rather emphasizes the numerous health benefits it offers to individuals and communities at large.

Today is Global Running Day, a worldwide celebration of running that encourages people to get moving, so there is no better time to grab your trainers and give the exercise a go.

Getting outside for a jog does more than just improve your physical health and help you maintain a healthy lifestyle - the sport has a whole host of great benefits.

Are you keen to take up running? Well, Richard Robinson, Senior Fitness Product Manager at Garmin, has shared a bunch of helpful tips to consider when trying out your new hobby.

Tailor your running plan

Running is a versatile sport that can be specifically tailored to each person. If you're just starting out, make sure you don't do too much too soon otherwise you could injure yourself.

"First and foremost, if you're new to running, it's crucial that you pace yourself and increase volume gradually to avoid injury. Remember, slow and steady wins the race," Richard says. "If you're a beginner or an intermediate runner, having a focused training plan that's built on science and adapts based on your goals and performance is vital."

Consider the weather

If you are running in the heat, you need to consider how this will impact you and your run. You will sweat more, which could cause dehydration. Richard recommends taking fluids with you on your run and wearing sunscreen and lightweight clothes. He also suggests wearing SPF-rated fabrics, mesh caps and polarised sunglasses.

Recovery

Rest days are crucial for runners because this time off can improve your training and prevent injuries.

"They give your body the much-needed time to recover, allowing your muscles to repair and get stronger, replenish your energy-levels and prepare to succeed in your next workout," Richard explains. "Failing to recover sufficiently will mean your performance long-term will be compromised. Understanding your body battery and knowing your recovery times is key to long-term success."

There are two different types of recovery - passive, where you have a day off from exercise completely, and active, where you do low-intensity exercise instead.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Garmin Forerunner watch, which can help you understand your body better to assist you in achieving your personal goals. It has everything you need to support you and your run this Global Running Day.

New York Road Runners (NYRR) has unveiled its new brand campaign and logo for the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon that takes place on November 5. The TCS New York City Marathon is one of the city’s most anticipated and iconic annual sporting events, attracting runners and spectators of all backgrounds, ages, and abilities from around the world. Last year, the marathon made its triumphant return to full capacity with nearly 50,000 runners.

“The TCS New York City Marathon is unlike any other marathon – it is the biggest, the boldest, and the most diverse,” said Rob Simmelkjaer, CEO, NYRR. “As NYRR embarks on its next chapter, the organization has created a new dynamic brand identity and campaign aimed to match the emotions and energy the marathon brings each year.”

To launch NYRR into the next generation, the organization worked with renowned brand consultancy Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv to create a new brand identity. The new design and visual identity strengthen the logo by making it simpler and bolder. It keeps the conceptual origins but evolves and modernizes its visual aesthetic. In this updated design, the stripes of the five boroughs converge into Lady Liberty, and the colors reflect the official flag of New York.

In alignment with the brand identity, NYRR tapped creative agency YARD NYC to enhance and set the stage for its new campaign, which elevates the iconic “It Will Move You” campaign by establishing a new focus on the entirety of the marathon, not only the runners, but also the unique, interconnected roles everyone plays. By broadening the aperture of “It Will Move You,” the campaign conveys the indescribable feelings the day imprints each year, and illustrates how every action, big or small, builds a crescendo toward race day.

The new brand campaign and identity will launch in conjunction with the start of the participant journey when runners start applying for entry to the marathon.

The application for the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon entry drawing includes the following dates:

Important Dates for Runners

February 8: Application for the entry drawing opens at 12:00 p.m. ET

February 22: Application window closes at 11:59 p.m. ET

March 1: Drawing takes place and runners are notified of their status

If runners do not receive entry through the drawing, they can still obtain entry to the TCS New York City Marathon through the methods outlined at this link. For more information and to apply for the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon, visit tcsnycmarathon.org.

 

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and New York Road Runners (NYRR) launched the official 2022 TCS New York City Marathon App with a groundbreaking Second Screen feature that will transform the marathon experience for runners and fans alike. For the first time in the history of major marathons, the professional men’s and women’s wheelchair and open division races will be livestreamed on the app in their entirety, empowering fans to swipe between feeds and watch the race of their choice.

The Professional Runner Feed, available free on the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon app, will enhance the broadcast coverage through a Second Screen that features uninterrupted coverage of the leaders in all four races. It will complement the race broadcast available domestically on WABC/ESPN and internationally in 182 countries and territories so that spectators from around the world can watch every move as the fastest marathoners in the world battle for victory on the streets of New York City. The 51st running of the TCS New York City Marathon will take place on November 6.

“I’m excited to race the TCS New York City Marathon again as I go for my sixth title, and it’s so incredible that everyone around the world can follow along the professional wheelchair races in full in the TCS Mobile App,” said Tatyana McFadden, a five-time TCS New York City Marathon champion and 20-time Paralympic medalist. “It’s so important to have platforms such as this that reach the masses to showcase our sport and bring parity to the wheelchair division.”

The TCS New York City Marathon has historically broken ground and set the pace for equal opportunities for both women and wheelchair athletes. This year, every step taken by the leaders can be seen on the app – from the big lead pack often seen in Brooklyn to the surges on 1st Avenue that separate the competitors. Fans can watch every race-defining move throughout the marathon.

“Livestreaming the pro races on the TCS New York City Marathon app is a win for fans and a win for athletes,” said Des Linden, a two-time Olympian and 2018 Boston Marathon champion. “Allowing the long form stories to develop over the course of 26.2 miles will give fans the chance to learn about the contenders and appreciate the nuances of racing that they’ve never seen before.”

The 2022 TCS New York City Marathon App also sets a new standard for runner tracking. The app allows spectators to track the elapsed time and pace of an unlimited number of runners. The first of its kind Course Camera feature lets fans watch a live feed of their favorite runners at five key points along the course – at the start, mile 8 in Brooklyn, mile 17 in the Upper East Side, mile 20 in the Bronx, and at the finish. This new feature also gives runners the comfort that their family and friends can watch them at key points on the course and cheer for them from anywhere in the world.

“Fans of an iconic global event like the TCS New York City Marathon deserve the most technologically advanced race app,” said Suresh Muthuswami, Chairman of North America, TCS. “We are proud to raise the bar this year by bringing all of the exciting action from the streets of New York City to the world in an inclusive fan experience.”

"Every year, it is exciting to see the TCS New York City Marathon partnership come to life through the mobile app, and this year’s enhancements will elevate the experience to a whole new level for both spectators and viewers,” said Christine Burke, NYRR Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Runner Products. “Whether it be fans following the every stride of their favorite professional athletes or checking out the Course Camera feed to find their family and friends, the new features in the app are guaranteed to bring in a whole new audience.”

TCS is the first ever premier partner of NYRR, a relationship that began in 2012. From the beginning, TCS and NYRR committed to enhancing the marathon experience for runners, spectators, and fans around the world through technology. The award-winning TCS New York City Marathon app is typically downloaded a half-million times every year.

Other Key Features

Share Tracking: This feature on the Runner Details page allows users to share a link that initiates an automatic app download with a specific runner already selected to be tracked during the race.

Optimized Spectator Guides: The app’s spectator guide helps fans create an itinerary to navigate New York City, so they’re able to see runners on the course. The shareable guide provides a runner’s estimated times of arrival, along with transportation directions and recommended viewing locations along the course.

Cheer Cards: Allows fans to support runners using the app to share messages on social media.

Live Pro Athlete Leader Board and Bios: Closely track the race day leaders in real time, as well as have access to bios, records, and images of professional athletes running the race.

Team Inspire Profiles: For the first time, the app will include stories of Team Inspire, a group of runners with some of the most inspiring stories in this year’s mass runner field.

The mobile app for the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon is available now for iPhone and Android devices on the App Store and Google Play, respectively.

For the first time at any Abbot World Marathon Majors event, the 2022 New York Marathon will award prize money to the top runners who identify as non-binary. On Tuesday, New York Road Runners (NYRR) rolled out non-binary time qualifying standards, team awards, club points and prize money throughout all NYRR races in 2022.

At this year’s marathon, non-binary runners finishing first through fifth will receive cash prizes. The winner will receive $5,000, with the prize amount decreasing by $1,000 for each placement; the fifth-place finisher will win $1,000.

NYRR’s CEO, Kerin Hempel, said in a press release that the organization is “focused on ensuring all of our athletes feel welcome and included.”

The race became an industry leader as the first Abbott World Marathon Major to add a non-binary category (which happened in 2021).

The term non-binary is used by people who do not identify as male or female.

Many road races have started offering non-binary runner categories in recent years; the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon was one of the first major races in North America to offer a non-binary category in 2019. At the 2022 race, 24 non-binary runners ran the half-marathon, while five completed the marathon.

The Boston and London Marathons announced in September that their races will include non-binary categories for the first time in 2023.

Nina Kuscsik, a trailblazer for women’s running, will receive the Abebe Bikila Award this year, an honor which is presented each year from New York Road Runners (NYRR) to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the sport of distance running. The award will be presented to Kuscsik at NYRR’s Night of Champions during TCS New York City Marathon race week.

“I am very proud. It was such a long time ago when I was advocating for more opportunities in women’s running; it just seemed like the right thing to do,” Kuscsik said. “I attended all the meetings of the AAU in person, and I learned how to file appropriate legislation.

I also had other men and women helping me so that we could get the rules changed, so myself and other women runners would have the right, and be eligible, to run marathons. It is so wonderful to see the results of it all today.”

Kuscsik transformed the sport of running by breaking through the “boys’ club” barrier to change the rules so they included women. After she ran the 1969 Boston Marathon — unofficially, as women weren’t allowed to enter — she presented a proposal to the Amateur Athletic Union, asking for an end to the ban on women entering races. The committee agreed to raise the maximum distance of AAU-sanctioned events for women from five to 10 miles and added that “certain women” could run marathons. The rules still required a separate women’s start.

On June 3, 1972, together with NYRR president Fred Lebow and Kathrine Switzer, Kuscsik helped launch the Crazylegs Mini Marathon, the world’s original women-only road race now known as the Mastercard New York Mini 10K.

Four months later, on October 1, 1972 at the New York City Marathon, Kuscsik and five other women huddled together just before the Central Park start. When the gun went off, they sat down, protesting the women’s separate-start status. After the press got their story, the women got up and started with the men’s start. Kuscsik won the race, becoming the first woman to triumph in New York and Boston in the same year. Those six women — Lynn Blackstone, Jane Muhrcke, Liz Franceschini, Pat Barrett, Cathy Miller, and Kuscsik — are known around the world today as the “Six Who Sat.” This Saturday will mark exactly 50 years since their actions changed the trajectory of women’s running for the generations that followed.

Kuscik would return to New York in 1973 to win the marathon once again, and in 1977, she completed the annual NYRR 50-Mile in Central Park in 6:35:53, an American record. She was then among the group that successfully lobbied for a women’s marathon to be added to the 1984 Olympics.

For Aliphine Tuliamuk, the decision to run in the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon was a no-brainer. The 33-year-old ran the event back in 2019, finishing 12th, and she never thought it would take three years before a return trip to Staten Island’s start line.

“It was not even, you know, a matter of if – it was just when can I get to New York? So, it was not even a decision. Easy,” explains the Kenyan-born American long-distance runner, who made a name for herself in February 2020 when she won the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.

But the Covid-19 pandemic hit immediately after her Trials win, postponing the Olympics and canceling that year’s edition of the NYC Marathon. During the forced hiatus, she started a family with partner – now husband – Tim Gannon, welcoming daughter Zoe in January 2021. Injury struck later that year while she was training for the postponed Tokyo Olympics, and Tuliamuk withdrew about 20k into her Olympic debut with severe hip pain and hasn’t competed in a marathon since.

Her return to marathon competition has Tuliamuk fired up, both literally and figuratively.

“I’m faster than I’ve ever been before,” she recently told On Her Turf. “And it kind of makes me excited and nervous to see what (the) New York City Marathon brings, because this is going to be the first time I am actually going to complete a marathon since the 2020 Olympic Trials. That’s like, almost three years. So it’s going to be super exciting.”

Tuliamuk won’t have to wait until November, however, to enjoy a visit to the Big Apple. She’ll lace up her sneakers this Saturday, Aug. 13, as a “running buddy” to the young women who participate in the New York Road Runners (NYRR) Run for the Future program. The free, seven-week program introduces 11th- and 12-grade female high schoolers to the sport of running and culminates with this weekend’s NYRR Percy Sutton Harlem 5K.

“Running transformed my life into the life that I have today,” she explains. “I mean, without running I wouldn’t be where I am today. And to know that these girls did not have running experience before, they knew nothing about running, and then they were able to get into running through New York Road Runner feeder program, and now they will be graduating, and I get to run with them? I think that’s just incredible.”

The opportunity comes with an extra layer of “grateful” after Tuliamuk’s most recent injury. She sustained a concussion in February after slipping while training in icy, snowy conditions. She also suffered headaches and temporary memory loss, both of which subsided after about a week but left a lasting impression.

“It just gives you a perspective that like your life could literally, in a second, just turn and be something else,” she says. “This is just me being dramatic, but I could have forgotten completely. And the life that I had would have been something like a past life. I think after that, I was like, ‘Okay, I’m going to try to live life to the fullest.’ I’m going try to be present as much as I can, because you just never know.”

New York Road Runners (NYRR) today announced that Nnenna Lynch is nominated to serve as the next Chairwoman of the NYRR Board of Directors. It is a historical appointment as she will become the first woman and the first African American in the position.

Since 2014, Lynch has served on the NYRR Board of Directors. Additionally, she serves as the Chair of the NYRR Community Impact Committee, and she is helping to lead the CEO search process for the organization.

Lynch has a long history in real estate development, government, public policy, and finance. She previously served as the Senior Advisor to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, where she set the strategy for growing New York City’s economy and oversaw over 10 city agencies with a collective budget of USD 5 billion and more than 20,000 employees. Currently, she is the founder and CEO of Xylem Projects, a New York City based and mission-driven real estate investment and development firm with a focus on high-impact urban mixed-use, affordable and mixed-income housing.

Lynch will succeed George Hirsch in June 2023 after formal approval by the Board of Directors at its 2023 Annual Meeting. Hirsch, who has served for 17 years, will become Chairman Emeritus. Hirsch is the founding publisher of New York magazine, was the long-time worldwide publisher of Runner’s World and he is a founder of the five-borough New York City Marathon.

“I am honored to serve as the new NYRR Chairwoman of the Board supporting the world’s premiere community running organization. Running has been a lifelong passion of mine, and after eight years of serving as a Board Member supporting NYRR’s community impact initiatives, I’m looking forward to serving in this role to help further NYRR’s presence in the community for future generations,” said Nnenna Lynch.

“I am thrilled to have Nnenna serve as our future Chairwoman of the Board,” said George Hirsch, Chairman of the Board, NYRR. “As a lifelong runner and with her deep experience in the New York community, we know her passion will further our organization’s commitment to the sport as well as supporting our community initiatives throughout the five boroughs. Nnenna is ideally suited for the role.”

Lynch currently holds many leadership positions including Co-President of the Association of American Rhodes Scholars. In addition, Lynch is a Trustee of Villanova University, a board member of the Van Alen Institute, and a former board member of the New York City Housing Authority. She earned an M.A. in Anthropology at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and a B.A. in Sociology at Villanova where she won five NCAA titles in track and field. Lynch is a born and raised New Yorker and since her childhood growing up seeing the urban blight of 1980s New York she has been passionate about revitalizing neighborhoods.

Twelve Olympians and five Paralympians will line up in Central Park for the 50th anniversary of the Mastercard® New York Mini 10K, the world’s original women-only road race, on Saturday, June 11, New York Road Runners (NYRR) announced today.

U.S. Olympians Emily Sisson, Molly Seidel, Aliphine Tuliamuk, and Rachel (Schneider) Smith will lead a strong American contingent that will go up against previously announced Olympic, TCS New York City Marathon, and Boston Marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir, United Airlines NYC Half champion and 5K world-record holder Senbere Teferi, and two-time Mini 10K champion Sara Hall.

Sisson will come into the race after claiming her sixth national title last month in an American record 1:07:11 at the USATF Half Marathon Championships. She made her Olympic debut in Tokyo last summer after winning the 10,000 meters at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, where she broke the 17-year-old Trials record set by Deena Kastor in 2004. She has been very successful in her last three trips to New York, finishing as the runner-up at the United Airlines NYC Half twice and winning the USATF 5K Championships.

“After breaking the American record in the half-marathon, I’m excited to step down in distance and compete in the Mastercard® New York Mini 10K for the first time,” Sisson said. “It will be a privilege to take part in such a powerful event that has paved the way for so many women over the last 50 years.”

Seidel owns a bronze medal from the Tokyo Olympic marathon last year and in her last trip to New York set an American course record and recorded a fourth-place finish at the TCS New York City Marathon. Tuliamuk won the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and then gave birth to her daughter before running in the Olympic marathon in Tokyo. She will be making her first trip to New York since 2019 and is coming off winning the 25km national title, bringing her national title count to 11. Smith represented the U.S. at the Tokyo Olympics in the 5,000 meters after finishing third in the distance at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials.

The deep U.S. women’s contingent also includes American marathon record-holder Keira D’Amato, the top American finisher at the last two Boston Marathons Nell Rojas, 2019 New York Mini 10K runner-up Stephanie Bruce, U.S. national champion Erika Kemp, and the top American finisher at the 2022 United Airlines NYC Half Lindsay Flanagan.

Returning to the event 10 years after her victory will be Kenya’s Edna Kiplagat, a two-time world champion in the marathon who won the 2010 New York City, 2014 London, and 2017 Boston marathons, and was the runner-up in Boston in 2019 and 2021.

“Winning the New York City Marathon 12 years ago changed my life, and now, 10 years after also winning the Mini 10K, I still enjoy my racing and am happy to still be competing at a high level,” Kiplagat said. “NYRR always invites the highest quality fields, so I always like lining up in New York with the best in the world. There are so many inspiring women who have participated in this race over the years who set a positive example for everyone – both runners and non-runners – and I’m lucky to be part of such a prestigious group.”

Last year’s TCS New York City Marathon runner-up and Mastercard® New York Mini 10K runner-up Viola Cheptoo of Kenya and former NCAA 10,000-meter champion Sharon Lokedi of Kenya will contend for the title as well.

The professional wheelchair division will be headlined by two-time Paralympic medalist and three-time Mastercard® Mini 10K defending champion Susannah Scaroni. Since the addition of the professional wheelchair division in 2018, Scaroni is the only athlete to have won the race.

“The Mastercard New York Mini 10K is a special one to me for so many reasons, and I’m excited at the chance to race on what will be a milestone day for women’s running in Central Park,” Scaroni said. “Not only is the Mini 10K the world’s original women-only road race, but it is also one of the only women-only wheelchair races at the present time, which will hopefully pave the way for future generations of women’s wheelchair racers in the next 50 years.”

Lining up against Scaroni will be U.S. Paralympians Jenna Fesemyer, Yen Hoang, Hannah Dederick, and Eva Houston.

The Mini 10K, which began in 1972 as the Crazylegs Mini Marathon, was the first women-only road race and has gone on to garner more than 200,000 total finishers to date. Former NYRR President Fred Lebow named the race after the miniskirt, which back then was in vogue. A total of 72 women finished the first race, and three weeks later, Title IX was signed into law, guaranteeing girls and women the right to participate in school sports and creating new opportunities for generations of female athletes.

The Mastercard® New York Mini 10K will offer $45,000 in total prize money, including $10,000 to the winner of the open division and $2,500 to the winner of the wheelchair division. The professional athlete races will be streamed live on USATF.TV beginning at 7:40 a.m. ET. Mastercard® will serve as title sponsor of the event for the second time, and as part of its on-going partnership with NYRR will also serve as the presenting sponsor of professional women’s athlete field.

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.

With one month to go until the 50th anniversary of the Mastercard® New York Mini 10K, New York Road Runners (NYRR) announced today that Olympic, TCS New York City Marathon, and Boston Marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir, United Airlines NYC Half champion and 5K world-record holder Senbere Teferi, and two-time Mastercard® New York Mini 10K champion Sara Hall will headline the professional athlete field for this year’s race.

The Mini 10K, which began in 1972 as the first women-only road race known as the Crazylegs Mini Marathon, has gone on to garner more than 200,000 total finishers to date. Former NYRR President Fred Lebow named the race after the miniskirt, which back then was in vogue. A total of 72 women finished the first race, and three weeks later, Title IX was signed into law, guaranteeing girls and women the right to participate in school sports and creating new opportunities for generations of female athletes.

Jepchirchir, of Kenya, is the only athlete – male or female – to have won the Olympic, New York City, and Boston marathons, and is also a two-time world champion in the half marathon. Last year, she won gold in the Tokyo Olympic marathon by 16 seconds, and then four months later ran the third-fastest time in TCS New York City Marathon history (2:22:39) to win the race in her U.S. debut. In April, in a back-and-forth race that came down to the final mile, she fended off Ethiopian Ababel Yeshaneh to take the Boston Marathon title in her debut in the event and will now be racing the Mastercard® New York Mini 10K for the first time.

“I have heard about the Mini and how it is a wonderful celebration of women and running,” Jepchirchir said. “It is very important to me that I use my success to inspire young women and girls coming after me. It is very special to be able to return to New York City after my marathon victories in New York and Boston to be a part of the 50th anniversary of this race.”

Teferi, of Ethiopia, is a two-time Olympian, two-time world championships silver medalist, and the 5K world-record holder. Earlier this year, she set both the course and event records at the United Airlines NYC Half, finishing in a time of 1:07:35 to win the race. She followed that up a month later by winning the B.A.A. 5K in a course-record time of 14:49. In her NYRR race debut, Teferi won the 2019 UAE Healthy Kidney 10K with a time of 30:59, breaking the previous course record set in 2014 by Joyce Chepkirui.

“My first race in the United States was in New York City in 2019, and I broke the event record at the Healthy Kidney 10K in Central Park,” Teferi said. “Then, earlier this spring, I broke the event record at the United Airlines NYC Half, again crossing the finish line in Central Park. I cannot promise another record on June 11, but I am happy to return to Central Park for my first Mini 10K, and look forward to be joined by thousands of my sisters-in-running.”

Hall, of the United States, who has 10 national titles to her name, ran what was then an American record-breaking 1:07:15 half marathon at the Houston Half Marathon in January. She was the runner-up at the 2020 London Marathon and that same year clocked what was then the second-fastest marathon ever by an American woman at The Marathon Project. She is the two-time reigning champion of the Mastercard® New York Mini 10K, having won the 2019 event that also served as the USATF 10 km championships and then following it up in 2021 with another victory.

“My three races at the Mini have all aligned with big important milestones in the history of the event: The first time hosting the USA Championships in 2019, the first big NYRR race coming out of the pandemic in 2021, and now the 50th anniversary in 2022,” Hall said. “I’m very aware that many of the opportunities I’ve had as an athlete are because of the groundbreaking work of the women who came before me, and of my duty to inspire the young women who will follow me, including my daughters. I will do everything I can to honor all of them with another top finish on June 11.”

The Mastercard® New York Mini 10K will offer $45,000 in total prize money, including $10,000 to the winner of the open division and $2,500 to the winner of the wheelchair division. The professional athlete races will be streamed live on USATF.TV beginning at 7:40 a.m. ET. Mastercard® will serve as title sponsor of the event for the second time, and as part of its on-going partnership with NYRR will also serve as the presenting sponsor of professional women’s athlete field.

To mark the 50th anniversary, several legends and pioneers of the sport will also be joining the Mastercard® New York Mini 10K race weekend festivities this year, including Jacki Marsh-Dixon, the first Mini 10K champion; Kathrine Switzer, the 1974 New York City Marathon champion who also ran the first Mini 10K; Deena Kastor, Olympic medalist and 2004 Mini 10K champion; and Lynn Blackstone, Pat Barrett, Jane Muhrcke, and Nina Kuscsik, four of the “Six Who Sat” at the 1972 New York City Marathon. Both Switzer and Blackstone will run the Mini 10K again this year.

New York Road Runners (NYRR) today announced that runners taking part in its 2022 adult races will be required to show proof of COVID-19 full vaccination to participate. With COVID variants and cases increasing, the decision was made in collaboration with medical and public health experts and state and local government officials.

The new health and safety protocol will begin with the NYRR Midnight Run on December 31 and continue with races moving forward.

“We are excited to have our traditional calendar of events safely return in the new year,” said Kerin Hempel, CEO, NYRR. “The health and wellness of all of those involved continue to remain at the forefront of our organization.”

All entrants will be required to show proof of full vaccination series authorized by the Emergency Use Authorization by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) or on the World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Use lists.

Runners who have already registered for a 2022 race will have the option to receive a refund or gift card or donate their race entry fee to NYRR’s youth and community programs.

Guidelines and protocols may continue to evolve and subject to change. NYRR will revise its operational plans as necessary. 

New York Road Runners (NYRR) has announced the return of the United Airlines NYC Half on March 20, 2022, after being cancelled in 2020 and not held in 2021 due to the pandemic.

Next year’s race will get back at full scale with an expected field of 25,000 runners – marking the first NYRR race to return to its traditional field size. The event is one of the organization’s signature races taking a 13.1-mile run from Brooklyn to Manhattan.

“In early March 2020, the United Airlines NYC Half was one of the first mass sporting events to be cancelled during the onset of the pandemic,” said Kerin Hempel, CEO, NYRR.

“We are extremely excited for the glorious return of this popular race. It will be reflective of our city’s vigour and serve as a defining moment as we bring our races back to full scale.”

The course showcases New York City’s historic landmarks, popular parks, views from the Manhattan Bridge, and diverse neighbourhoods. Starting at Prospect Park in Brooklyn the race passes Grand Army Plaza, the United Nations, Grand Central Terminal, and Times Square, before ending near the TCS New York City Marathon finish line in Central Park.

Additionally, the race will host hundreds of children taking part in the Rising New York Road Runners youth event featuring a 1,500m out-and-back course on Seventh Avenue in Times Square.

The 2022 United Airlines NYC Half field will consist of both guaranteed and non-guaranteed entrants. Runners can receive guaranteed entry through a variety of methods, e.g., for NYRR members who complete four qualifying events in 2022 and have an active membership by the last qualifying event.

Non-guaranteed applicants can register for a chance to run through the entry drawing. The application period for all guaranteed entrants and the entry drawing for non-guaranteed entrants opened at 13:00 EST on November 18 and closes at 23:59 EST on December 1.

The drawing for non-guaranteed applicants will take place on December 8, and runners will be notified of their entry status.

To mark the 50th running of the TCS New York City Marathon, several of the First Finishers from the inaugural 1970 race will be honored at the TCS New York City Marathon Opening Ceremony Presented by United Airlines on Friday, November 5, and at the Marathon finish line on Sunday, November 7. 

The first New York City Marathon, organized by New York Road Runners, took place on September 13, 1970, in Central Park, with an entry fee of $1 and a budget of $1,000. Of the 127 registered runners, there were 55 finishers. The race ultimately expanded to all five boroughs in 1976. To date, the event has seen more than 1.2 million finishers. 

“The TCS New York City Marathon has influenced and inspired so many people around the world for more than five decades, and to think it all started with 127 runners in Central Park is incredible,” said Ted Metellus, Vice President of Events for NYRR and Race Director of the TCS New York City Marathon. “We are honored to bring back some of the First Finishers from the 1970 race to have them with us on marathon day this year, and to honor them for being the first to take part in what has grown to become the world’s premier marathon.” 

Former FDNY firefighter Gary Muhrcke was the first New York City Marathon champion, coming off the night shift at work to win the race. He still runs weekly in Central Park to this day, and his wife makes the laurels that the champions wear after their victories.   

Larry Trachtenberg will be the sole runner from 1970 who will run in the 50th marathon. He was born and raised in Queens, and ran at Long Island City High School and regularly in Van Cortlandt Park, where he trained for the first marathon.  

Joining Muhrcke and Trachtenberg in New York will be a number of other First Finishers from 1970, including:  

·       Arturo Montero – He came to the U.S. from Chile in 1960. He has run more than 100 marathons, 31 of them New York City Marathons (2016 being the last one). The 1970 race was his first marathon. 

·       Bill Newkirk – Born in the Bronx, he regularly ran around Central Park and met Fred Lebow during his runs. He has now participated in more than 20 marathons, including more than 10 New York City Marathons. He also helped NYRR by measuring courses with his friend, Ted Corbitt. 

·       Ed Ayres – After growing up in New Jersey, he ran the 1970 race with his brother, Glen; both of them finished in the top 10. He went on to start Running Times magazine. 

·       Gerald Miller – The oldest living First Finisher at 92 years old is originally from Queens and moved to the Upper West Side of Manhattan after he got married. He heard about the first marathon at the YMCA. He has run more than 20 New York City Marathons and got his whole family into running. 

·       Jim Isenberg – He grew up in Boston and has run in more than 100 marathons, including the New York City Marathon four times. He ran for Princeton University and is friends with Larry Trachtenberg, who told him about the first marathon. He was a professor of physics and mathematics at the University of Oregon. 

·       Joe Martino – He took his first trip to New York as a teenager with Rick Sherlund, sleeping on a mattress the evening before the marathon at the local YMCA. He also ran the marathon in 1978 and became friends with two-time winner Tom Fleming.  

·       Moses Mayfield – He was the fastest African American marathoner in history at the time with a time of 2:24:29; he led the 1970 marathon for 24 miles of the race before being passed by Muhrcke. 

·       Ralph Garfield – Originally, from England, he came to the U.S. in 1961 and would regularly run in Central Park on the Reservoir. He has run 14 marathons (eight New York City Marathons) and still jogs/walks to this day.  

·       Rick Sherlund – At 16 years old, one of the youngest runners of the first marathon, he traveled to NYC with his friend, Joe Martino, to participate in the marathon. He ran the first 20 miles and then had a cream soda before cramping and having to walk the last six miles. 

·       Steve Grotsky – Originally from the Bronx, he was a fixture in the New York running scene; he went on to run for Princeton University and completed 50 marathons. 

·       Tom Hollander – He ran the marathon after graduating from high school in Connecticut, and ran again in 1977. In 1972, he won the Cherry Tree Marathon. 

·       Vince Chiappetta – Along with Fred Lebow, he co-directed the first New York City Marathon and is a co-founder of NYRR. He has run in more than 100 marathons. 

·       Nina Kuscsik – She changed the sport of running by breaking through the “Boys’ Club” barrier and changing the rules so they included women. She opened doors for future generations. While she did not finish the race, she is the only woman among the 127 entrants who ran in the 1970 New York City Marathon. 

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.  

The 2021 Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K and USA Track & Field (USATF) 5K Championships on Saturday, November 6, will feature five Olympians and 28 athletes who competed at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials.

The event will take place in Midtown Manhattan the day prior to the TCS New York City Marathon and will be broadcast live on USATF.TV. Abbott will return as the title partner of the event which features a $60,000 prize purse – the largest of any 5K race in the world.

The men’s field will be led by two-time Olympic medalist and eight-time national champion Paul Chelimo and Rio 2016 Olympic gold medalist and seven-time national champion Matthew Centrowitz. Chelimo, who won an Olympic 5,000-meter silver in 2016 and bronze in 2021, won the 2018 USATF 5K Championships in New York in a course-record time of 13:45. They will be challenged by 2021 national champions Eric Avila (mile), Sam Chelanga (10K), and Biya Simbassa (10 mile and 25K).

“I learned a lot in my experience racing in NYC at the Fifth Avenue Mile earlier this fall, but the 5K is my event, and as the course-record holder at the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K the way I see it, all these other guys are coming into my house,” Chelimo said. “I look forward to the challenge and will run my heart out for another USATF 5K title. Go hard or suffer for the rest of your life!”

Two-time NCAA champion Weini Kelati and two-time U.S. champion Erika Kemp will headline the women’s field. They will be joined by Rio 2016 Olympic triathlon gold medalist Gwen Jorgensen, who won the Dash to the Finish Line 5K in 2014, and two-time Olympian and Team New Balance athlete Kim Conley.

“Winning the 10K for Women in Boston earlier this month gave me a huge confidence boost as I get ready for the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K and USATF 5K Championships,” Kelati said. “That I broke Molly Huddle’s event record, who won the USA 5K Championships six times, makes me believe that I can compete against the very best and add my name to that list of national champions. I can’t wait to run my first New York City road race.”

Following in the footsteps of the professional athletes will be more than 7,000 runners participating in the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K, including top local athletes and many runners participating in the marathon the following day.

Abbott, the title sponsor of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, will be the sponsor of the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K for the fifth time. Abbott, a global healthcare company, helps people live fully with life-changing technology and celebrates what’s possible with good health.

The Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K annually provides TCS New York City Marathon supporters, friends and families the opportunity to join in on the thrill of marathon race week. The course begins on Manhattan’s east side by the United Nations, then takes runners along 42nd Street past historic Grand Central Terminal and up the world-famous Avenue of the Americas past Radio City Music Hall. It then passes through the rolling hills of Central Park before finishing at the iconic TCS New York City Marathon finish line.

The Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K and USATF 5K Championships will be broadcast live via USATF.TV. The broadcast is scheduled to begin at 8:20am ET with the first race starting at 8:30am ET.

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, and the largest marathon in the world, 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.

New York Road Runners (NYRR) has announced its celebrity lineup for the 50th running of the TCS New York City Marathon on November 7. The marathon annually attracts big names across sports, entertainment, music, fashion and lifestyle.

The marathon’s golden celebration will bring together former US Women’s National Soccer Team teammates with Olympic gold medalists Abby Wambach, Lauren Holiday, Kate Markgraf and Leslie Osborne running and supporting the JLH Fund. Other leading athletes include New York Giants former running back Tiki Barber, returning for his seventh New York City Marathon.

Many renowned and recognized luminaries run to support and raise funds for charitable causes. Mumford & Sons band member Marcus Mumford will run for Children in Conflict and his bandmate Ben Lovett will support the Robin Hood Foundation.

Tony-award winning and Grammy-nominated actress Kelli O’Hara will also support a meaningful cause by running for Cancer Support Community. Additionally, she will perform the US National Anthem prior to the men’s open professional race.

Television anchors and personalities will take on the 26.2-mile course including TODAY Show and Morning Joe co-host Willie Geist running in support of the Michael J Fox Foundation and Good Morning America’s Will Reeve running in support of the Reeve Foundation. In addition, producer and host of MTV’s Catfish: The TV Show Nev Schulman will run in his fourth New York City Marathon.

Many stars of Bachelor Nation will hit the streets including friends Matt James and Tyler Cameron who will be running together for the Andrea Cameron Foundation. The Bachelorette’s Tayshia Adams will run in her first-ever marathon after her fiancé, Zac Clark, introduced her and shared his love of running as he takes on his seventh New York City Marathon on behalf of Release Recovery.

Legendary fashion model Christy Turlington will make her return 10 years after running in her first New York City Marathon, representing her charity, Every Mother Counts. Additionally, Shoe4Africa will have model and actress Kristine Froseth running to support its worthy cause.

The full list of notable runners in this year’s marathon includes:

Abby Wambach – Olympic gold medalist and FIFA World Cup champion; supporting JLH Fund

Ben Lovett – Mumford & Sons; supporting Robin Hood Foundation

Christy Turlington – Model; supporting founder of Every Mother Counts

CJ Hobgood – ASP World Championship surfer

Daniel Humm – Chef and owner of Eleven Madison Park/Make It Nice

Kate Markgraf – Olympic gold medalist and general manager of U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team; supporting JLH Fund

Kelli O’Hara – Broadway and Tony award-winning actress; supporting Cancer Support Community

Kristine Froseth – Model and actress; supporting Shoe4Africa

Lauren Holiday – Olympic gold medalist and FIFA World Cup champion; supporting JLH Fund

Leslie Osborne – Olympic gold medalist; supporting JLH Fund

Marcus Mumford – Mumford & Sons; supporting Children in Conflict

Matt James – The Bachelor; supporting ABC Food Tours and Andrea Cameron Foundation

Nev Schulman – Host of MTV’s Catfish: The TV Show; supporting NYRR Team for Kids

Nicole Briscoe – ESPN SportsCenter anchor

Ryan Briscoe – Professional race car driver

Tayshia Adams – The Bachelorette; supporting World Vision

Tiki Barber – NY Giants legend, host of Tiki & Tierney; supporting NYRR Team for Kids

Tyler Cameron – The Bachelorette; supporting Andrea Cameron Foundation

Will Reeve – Good Morning America; supporting Reeve Foundation

Willie Geist – TODAY Show, Morning Joe co-host; supporting Michael J. Fox Foundation

Zac Clark – The Bachelorette; supporting Release Recovery.

Tata Consultancy Services  a leading global IT services, consulting and business solutions organization and title sponsor of the TCS New York City Marathon, and New York Road Runners (NYRR), the world's premier community running organization, launched the official 2021 TCS New York City Marathon app. For the first time, the new version of the app allows fans to simultaneously track runners on the racecourse as well as those who are competing virtually from anywhere in the world.

The 50th running of the TCS New York City Marathon will take place on November 7 and the Virtual Marathon from October 23 to November 7.

The 2021 TCS New York City Marathon App is a true hybrid platform that enables in-person and virtual runners, along with their supporters and spectators, to share in the marathon experience. Virtual runners will appear on the marathon course map in red and in-person runners will be in blue. Elapsed time and pace will be available for all runners, every 5K of their respective races. In addition, a new Marathon City: 3D Map feature uses Augmented Reality (AR) technology to allow everyone to experience the marathon course map as never before.

Virtual runners can share their GPS location with two spectators, so they can be tracked wherever in the world they are running the marathon. All other spectators tracking virtual runners will see their location that corresponds with the distance they have covered on the TCS New York City Marathon racecourse. For example, virtual runners between miles 16 and 18 will appear to be running up First Avenue in the app.

The location and estimated finishing time of in-person runners will be calculated based on performance of training runs and past marathons. This enhanced tracking capability will create the most accurate opportunities for spectators to catch runners live on the course.

"As we return to the iconic TCS New York City Marathon racecourse across the city's five boroughs, we are witnessing the race experience transform like never before," said Surya Kant, Chairman of North America, TCS. "Our 2021 Marathon App is filled with innovations that will help make this year's event a truly global experience, bringing both in-person participants as well as virtual runners across the world together on one platform."

"Together with our title partner TCS, we are looking forward to making the 50th running of the TCS New York City Marathon the most technologically advanced marathon in history," said Christine Burke, Senior Vice President, Strategic Partnerships and Runner Products, NYRR. "This will be a historic year for the event in so many ways, and as we embark on another eight years with TCS, there's no better way to have them engage with our runners than through their most innovative marathon app ever."

The TCS New York City Marathon app features additional enhancements to create a more immersive experience for virtual runners.

At numerous dedicated mile markers in the virtual marathon, the app will automatically play audio files with words of encouragement from past marathoners and iconic sounds from the in-person race. For example, all virtual marathon runners will begin their race with the sound of a cannon going off, simulating a similar experience to what in-person runners hear as their waves begin just south of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.

The app will also allow virtual runners to do an unlimited number of 5K "Practice Runs" prior to their marathon journey to ensure they are comfortable using the app on race day. On race day, virtual runners can restart or pause an unlimited number of times but have 24 hours to complete the 26.2-mile race.

At the finish line, virtual runners will have access to a digital certificate and a selfie filter with an AR medal that can be shared on social media to celebrate their accomplishment.

Marathon City: 3D Map Details

Runners, spectators and fans can explore the TCS New York City Marathon course map in AR through the Marathon City: 3D Map, including:

Points of interest along and around the racecourse

Race day starting times for various groups

Elevation changes along the course

Interactive map showing the Start Village in Staten Island

This new AR experience was created by TCS in a stylized "low-poly" design similar to Marathon City: Sprint to Win and Marathon City: Spin to Win, two inclusive gaming experiences that mimic racing the last 100 meters of the TCS New York City Marathon racecourse through Central Park.

Other Key Features

Share Tracking: This feature on the Runner Details page allows users to share a link that initiates an automatic app download with a specific runner already selected to be tracked during the race.

Optimized Spectator Guides: The app's spectator guide helps fans create an itinerary to navigate New York City, so they're able to see runners on the course. The shareable guide provides a runner's estimated times of arrival, along with transportation directions and recommended viewing locations along the course.

Cheer Cards: Allows fans to support runners using the app to share messages on social media.

Live Pro Athlete Leader Board and Bios: Closely track the race day leaders in real time, as well as have access to bios, records and images of professional athletes running the race.

To download the TCS New York City Marathon App powered by Tata Consultancy Services, go to the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.

About Tata Consultancy Services

Tata Consultancy Services is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organization that has been partnering with many of the world's largest businesses in their transformation journeys for over 50 years. TCS offers a consulting-led, cognitive powered, integrated portfolio of business, technology and engineering services and solutions. This is delivered through its unique Location Independent Agile™ delivery model, recognized as a benchmark of excellence in software development.

A part of the Tata group, India's largest multinational business group, TCS has over 528,000 of the world's best-trained consultants in 46 countries. The company generated consolidated revenues of US $22.2 billion in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021 and is listed on the BSE (formerly Bombay Stock Exchange) and the NSE (National Stock Exchange) in India. TCS' proactive stance on climate change and award-winning work with communities across the world have earned it a place in leading sustainability indices such as the MSCI Global Sustainability Index and the FTSE4Good Emerging Index. For more information, visit www.tcs.com.

To close out their seasons, 15 Tokyo Olympians, three Olympic medalists, and two past event champions will race down Manhattan’s most famous thoroughfare in the professional athlete heats at the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile on Sunday, September 12.

The 40th running of the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile – the world’s most iconic road mile race since 1981 – stretches 20 blocks along the east side of Central Park. In addition to age-group heats, there will be an NYPD/FDNY heat taking place to mark the 20th anniversary weekend of 9/11, a Back to School Mile for youth ages 12-18, a George Sheehan Memorial Mile for seniors and NYRR Road Mile Championship heats.

“The New Balance 5th Avenue Mile is an iconic race which invites people of all ages and abilities to run down one of the most famous streets in New York City,” said Ted Metellus, Vice President of Events, NYRR and Race Director, TCS New York City Marathon. “This year will be incredibly exciting with a number of Olympians joining us after their top performances in Tokyo, and we are looking forward to showcasing the city’s resiliency and honoring the work of those participating in the FDNY/NYPD heat to mark 20 years since 9/11.” 

The NYRR Road Mile Championships and professional athlete races will be live streamed on USATF.TV free beginning at 11:35 a.m. ET, with a webcast replay for on-demand-viewing available on USATF.TV+.

Leading the way in the professional men’s race will be three-time U.S. Olympian Matthew Centrowitz who won Rio 2016 Olympic gold in the 1,500 meters and the 5th Avenue Mile in 2012, and two-time U.S. Olympian Paul Chelimo, who won bronze in Tokyo and silver in Rio in the 5,000 meters.

“I’m excited to return to New York for my sixth race down 5th Avenue, a race I first won nine years ago,” Centrowitz said. “Heading back East and ending my season there is like a great end-of-summer tradition, and I’m looking to show the rest of the guys I’ve still got a step or two left in 2021.”

“I’ve already run a 5K and half marathon in New York, so now I just need to check the mile and the marathon off my list,” Chelimo said. “Running a straight line down 5th Avenue is very different than running laps on a track, and I’ve got more road racing experience than the other guys in this field. I’m confident in my finish, so if I can keep it close through halfway, I think I can beat the milers at their own game. Go hard or suffer for the rest of your life."

Challenging them will be two-time U.S. Olympian and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist in the 800 meters Clayton Murphy, Olympian and 2018 event champion Jake Wightman, and Olympian and European Indoor Championships gold medalist Adel Mechaal.

A trio of other Americans to watch will be Tokyo Olympians Joe Klecker, Mason Ferlic, and Hilary Bor, with Ferlic racing the event for the third time and Klecker and Bor making their debuts in the event after competing in Tokyo earlier this year.

The professional women’s race will see a first-time winner, with top contenders including USATF Road Mile Championships runner-up Shannon Osika, British indoor record-holder and Olympian Jemma Reekie, and European Indoor Championships gold medalist Amy-Eloise Markovc.

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, and the largest marathon in the world, 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.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) a leading global IT services, consulting, and business solutions organization, announced that it has signed an eight-year contract with New York Road Runners (NYRR) to extend its title and technology sponsorship of the TCS New York City Marathon through 2029. TCS’ sponsorship of global running events will also be highlighted in a new advertising campaign which debuts today. 

TCS’ extended partnership with NYRR follows its announcement earlier this month that it will become the new title sponsor of the London Marathon starting in 2022. Collectively, TCS plans to invest $30 million to $40 million annually in global running sponsorships and related community programming from 2022 to 2029.

“We are delighted to extend our sponsorship of the TCS New York City Marathon, the foremost running event in the world,” said Surya Kant, Chairman, North America, TCS. “We sponsor running events across the world because we want to inspire local communities to live healthy and active lifestyles, and also because of the obvious parallels between marathons and the growth and transformation journeys that we help our customers undertake. Running a marathon makes you feel that there’s nothing you can’t do. With each step, you’re building on belief.”

As part of the sponsorship, TCS will launch a new version of its TCS New York City Marathon App that incorporates augmented reality (AR) features that became popular for virtual races during the pandemic. The new version will include features to support both in-person and virtual runners along with surprise-and-delight AR experiences. Fans and athletes will be able to access real-time runner tracking, digital cheer cards, and a finishing-time predictor.

The other pillar of TCS’ sponsorship focuses on redoubling its efforts to encourage communities to adopt active, healthier lifestyles. TCS will donate $4 million to NYRR’s youth and community programs including  Rising New York Road Runners, a free, nationwide NYRR program that incorporates physical education into the school day. TCS will also develop a marathon version of its award-winning goIT STEM education contest that will challenge students to develop an app concept that promotes active lifestyles and inclusivity. Lastly, TCS will host the Team TCS Teachers Program, which will select 50 teachers from across North America who demonstrate an ability for sharing their passion for running with students. Selected teachers will receive free race entries, a VIP race day experience, and marathon-themed lesson plans for students from TCS’ STEM education program, Ignite My Future in School.

The company’s new advertising campaign titled We Believe is anchored in its marathon sponsorships, and complements TCS’ new brand direction. Using marathon supporters and fans as the heroes of the story, the campaign is centered around a runner’s journey and the team of individuals it takes to turn a belief into reality.

“At NYRR, we are thrilled to extend our incredible partnership with TCS for the next eight years,” said Kerin Hempel, CEO, NYRR. “Since 2014, TCS has helped us transform our runners’ experience through technological advancements, while also providing tremendous support of our community programs across the five boroughs. TCS and NYRR have shared core values, commitment to service, and passion for innovation, and I can’t wait to see what we co-create in our next chapter together.”

The moves come in the wake of a law firm investigation into workplace issues and amid lost revenue from canceled events.

New York Road Runners (NYRR) has made another round of large-scale staff cuts following the cancellation of almost a year’s worth of road races amid the pandemic.

Additionally, NYRR announced to its employees on January 8 that Jim Heim, race director of the New York City Marathon who has been with NYRR the past 13 years, and Chris Weiller, senior vice president of media, public relations, and professional athletics who joined the nonprofit in 2013, will be leaving the organization.

Those departures come on the heels of the news that this week 87 full- and part-time staff who had been furloughed in July 2020 would be permanently laid off, an NYRR spokesperson confirmed to Runner’s World.

The organization’s staff of 229 has been cut nearly in half since July. Some furloughed employees had held out hope that they would be brought back, but the resurgence of COVID-19 cases in New York is slowing the return of events.

The 2021 NYC Half, a multi-borough half marathon with thousands of competitors every March, was canceled for the second year in a row on December 2.

Meanwhile, the departures of Heim and Weiller are the most recent of several leadership changes in the wake of allegations of mistreatment of employees of color and women that became public last September.

After the allegations surfaced, NYRR’s board of directors hired a law firm, Proskauer Rose, to conduct an investigation into the workplace culture at NYRR. CEO Michael Capiraso’s departure from NYRR was announced on November 30, and Kerin Hempel was named the interim CEO.

Today’s staff shakeup makes it six leadership-level employees who have left the nonprofit since the end of November, according to internal emails and conversations with current staffers.

In addition to Capiraso, Heim, and Weiller, Michael Rodgers, who was the vice president of youth and community runner engagement, left for a job with the Nature Conservancy. Bari Greenfield, the vice president of strategy, planning, and organization operations, is still listed on the company website but is leaving to pursue other opportunities. Michael Schnall, the vice president of government relations & community investment, was furloughed in July and is among those not being brought back.

Staging the New York City Marathon, the world’s largest 26.2 with more than 50,000 runners every year, is a high-wire act that includes several waves of runners starting on both levels of the Verrazano Bridge in Staten Island. That job now falls to Ted Metellus, who has been named race director of the five-borough event.

Trina Singian will oversee PR, broadcast, and pro athletes.

The 2021 United Airlines NYC Half is cancelled due to health and safety concerns related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The race, which takes place annually in March, is one of the world’s largest half marathons. The decision was made in consultation with the Mayor’s Office of New York City, and was announced today by New York Road Runners (NYRR), the event organizers.

The cancellation marks the second consecutive year the United Airlines NYC Half has been cancelled. This year’s event, which had been scheduled for March 15, 2020, was canceled at the outset of the COVID-19 outbreak. The event annually features 25,000 participants on a course that runs from Brooklyn to Manhattan. 

Runners who had previously registered for the cancelled 2020 United Airlines NYC Half and opted to defer entry to 2021 will have the option to choose a full refund for their 2020 entry fee or defer entry to the 2022 event. Runners who earned entry to the 2021 race through an NYRR incentive program do not need to take any action; runners will receive an email informing them their entry will be deferred to 2022.

All runners impacted by the 2021 cancellation will be contacted directly by NYRR. Runners from around the world will be invited to participate in the 2021 Virtual United Airlines NYC Half. Details will be announced soon.     

NYRR normally hosts approximately 50 in-person running events annually. In addition to the cancellation of the 2021 United Airlines NYC Half, NYRR will not be organizing its normal schedule of races in the first quarter of 2021.

This fall, NYRR re-introduced in-person running events through the Return to Racing Project, which feature many new health and safety protocols. The races are limited to a few hundred runners in compliance with city and state event guidelines. More information on the 2021 race calendar will be shared at a later date.

New York Road Runners (NYRR) today announces that a leadership transition plan has been initiated. Michael Capiraso, President and Chief Executive Officer, will depart on December 31. An external search for the new Chief Executive Officer is underway. 

“Over the past several months, the Board of Directors has listened to the concerns raised and recommendations offered by the community NYRR serves, including its employees and members of the broader running community. In order to achieve our mission to help and inspire people through running, we will recruit new leadership to the organization,” said George Hirsch, Chairman of the Board of New York Road Runners. “The entire Board of Directors and I thank Michael Capiraso for his 10 years of contributions and dedication to this organization.” 

“I am grateful for the opportunity to have served the NYRR running community for the past 10 years. I am proud of the growth the organization and I have achieved and the impact we have had, and I wish NYRR continued success,” said Capiraso.

Kerin Hempel has been appointed interim Chief Executive Officer. In this capacity, Kerin will provide daily oversight of the organization while the Board conducts a search for a permanent Chief Executive Officer.

“I strongly believe in the future of NYRR and its ability to positively impact lives all over the world,” said Hempel. “I look forward to once again working with NYRR’s talented staff and helping navigate the organization through this critical period, as we identify the best candidate to lead NYRR over the long-term.”

Kerin has a long history with NYRR, including serving as the organization’s Vice President of Strategy & Planning from 2010 to 2014. She has worked in strategy and advisory roles for several prominent companies and organizations, both in-house and as a consultant with McKinsey & Co. and Sparrow.

A record-breaking number of applicants have entered to run the 2020 TCS New York City Marathon in the 50th anniversary edition of the most anticipated and iconic annual mass sporting events in New York City and the largest marathon in the world.  This year’s race, set for Sunday, November 1, will feature the sport’s top professional athletes along with runners of all ages and abilities from countries around the globe.

New York Road Runners (NYRR), the world’s premier community running organization, has organized the race since it began in 1970 as a four-lap race in Central Park. One hundred twenty-seven runners started that first race and 55 finished. Fifty years later, over 1.2 million runners have crossed the race’s legendary finish line. Last year’s field featured the world’s largest marathon with 53,640 finishers. 

“We are extremely proud to celebrate 50 years of this amazing event that’s meant so much to so many in New York City and around the world,” said Michael Capiraso, president and CEO of New York Road Runners.  “This year’s TCS New York City Marathon will be extra special for all the runners and supporters who will represent the millions who have helped create one of the most historic sporting events of all time.” 

Due to the overwhelming popularity of the race, NYRR provides runners with various opportunities to gain entry. Each year thousands of runners earn an entry though a range of methods (Entry methods link).  Others apply to gain a spot through the entry drawing, which has been taking place since 1980. This year’s marathon drawing will be the largest ever, with approximately 185,000 applications, which is 50% higher than in 2019.

Approximately 4,200 runners will be accepted through the drawing. Applications were received during a two-week open registration period from January 30 to February 13, as well as a special application held during the 2019 TCS New York City Marathon. Applicants who were not among the 50 runners selected in the special application were automatically entered into this drawing. 

Guaranteed entry claims were also the highest in history, increasing by 20% over the 2019 total.  The most popular forms of guaranteed entry featured a series of NYRR initiatives including the 9+1 program, which was the most popular form of guaranteed entry and saw a 21% jump from 2019.  Runners qualifying on time at an NYRR marathon or half marathon in 2019 saw a 42% rise in entries.

Other guaranteed entrants include participants in NYRR virtual racing, runners who have completed 15 or more New York City Marathons, and entrants who officially canceled their entry to the 2019 TCS New York City Marathon. 

Runners who do not gain entry through the drawing or a guaranteed method can still participate in this celebratory event by running for a charity or registering through an international tour operator. The TCS New York City Marathon provides an incredible platform for charities to fundraise. The NYRR Official Charity Partner Program raises millions of dollars annually and includes more than 450 nonprofit organizations with the aim to support their missions and services. Participating charities can offer guaranteed entry to runners who fundraise on their behalf. Among the charities, NYRR Team for Kids is the TCS New York City Marathon’s largest charity and raises funds for NYRR’s free youth running programs.

In honor of the 50th anniversary, the 2020 TCS New York City Marathon will be recognized in a year-long celebration showcasing the marathon’s history and the impact it has had on New York City and millions of people around the world. Approximately 53,000 runners are expected to take part in this historic and memorable race.

Aliphine Tuliamuk will race her second TCS New York City Marathon and has had previous success in Central Park with three consecutive podium finishes at the 2016, 2017, and 2018 NYRR New York Mini 10K.

Earlier this year, she finished third at the Rotterdam Marathon in 2:26:48, becoming the first American woman to hit the Olympic qualifying standard for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Ethiopia’s Worknesh Degefa, winner of the 2019 Boston Marathon, has scratched from the 2019 TCS New York City Marathon after suffering from metatarsalgia in her left foot which caused her to lose too much training time.

This year’s professional athlete field will include all four previously announced defending champions: Kenya’s Mary Keitany, Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa, the United States’ Daniel Romanchuk, and Switzerland’s Manuela Schär. Keitany will go for her fifth career title in New York, Schär will race for her third consecutive crown, and Desisa and Romanchuk will look to post back-to-back victories.

In total, 13 Olympians and 18 Paralympians will toe the line, including Rio 2016 U.S. Olympians Des Linden and Jared Ward and 17-time U.S. Paralympic medalist Tatyana McFadden.

The 2019 TCS New York City Marathon will be televised live on Sunday, November 3, on WABC-TV, Channel 7 in the New York tristate area, throughout the rest of the nation on ESPN2, and around the world through various international broadcasters.

The TCS New York City Marathon is the largest marathon in the world and the signature event of New York Road Runners (NYRR), the world’s premier community running organization.

The race is held annually on the first Sunday of November and includes over 50,000 runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to runners of all ages and abilities, including over 9,000 charity runners. Participants from over 125 countries tour the diverse neighborhoods of New York City’s five boroughs—Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan. Race morning also features the Rising New York Road Runners Youth Invitational at the TCS New York City Marathon, a race within Central Park that ends at the marathon finish line.

More than one million spectators and 10,000 volunteers line the city’s streets in support of the runners, while millions more watch the globally televised broadcast. The race is a founding member of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, which features the world’s top marathons—Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York.  Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading global IT services, consulting, and business solutions organization, is the premier partner of NYRR and the title sponsor of the TCS New York City Marathon.

I’m excited to announce that I’ll be racing the TCS New York City Marathon on November 3rd!

Not only do I feel that I’m in the best shape of my life beginning this training cycle, I’m fueled with more inspiration and motivation than ever thanks to my incredibly supportive and encouraging wife Kristin McCandless, and our sweet baby Levi.

I’m thankful to the New York Road Runners (NYRR) for the opportunity, my coach and former NYC Marathon champion Steve Jones & our team Boulder Harriers for always pushing me past my limits, my sponsors Altra Running & rabbit and my family and friends for all the support and positive mojo.

Marathon training requires a big commitment. However, unlike most “professional athletes” I balance training with trying to be the best husband and father I can be as well as working full-time as an atmospheric scientist.

Follow my journey to NYC in a few months, filled with 100+ mile weeks, dirty diapers, publishing scientific research and (hopefully) inspiring you on the way to get out and pursue your dreams too. 

Peter Ciaccia, President, Events for New York Road Runners and Race Director of the TCS New York City Marathon will be presented with the Distinguished Leadership in Safety and Security Award during the 2018 National Sports Safety and Security Conference & Exhibition on July 9-12 in Louisville, KY. The Distinguished Leadership Award recognizes a professional in the field whose career includes multiple achievements and contributions with respect to sport safety and security. To warrant this prestigious honor, the recipient’s service, commitment, ingenuity and integrity must have elevated the profession to new levels. For 18 years, Ciaccia has worked for New York Road Runners (NYRR), which manages and produces the TCS New York City Marathon, the largest marathon in the world. Ciaccia’s vision was to develop a best-in-class event management system incorporating the best principles of Incident Command System (ICS), crisis management, crisis communications and business continuity. Using technology to create “air-traffic control” to track all runners on and off the course was an integral part of event planning. Over the past decade, he has committed significant resources to this effort and has created a nimble reactive system that has allowed NYRR to respond quickly to significant events affecting their races including adverse weather, bird flu, 5-alarm fires on the marathon course, multiple simultaneous system failures, race cancellations, suspicious packages, etc.

Peter Ciaccia, the Race Director of the TCS New York City Marathon and President of Events at New York Road Runners (NYRR), has announced he will retire following the 2018 TCS New York City Marathon on November 4.   “Over the past 18 years, I have had the privilege of working with some of the most creative, innovative and dedicated individuals in the industry, and for that I will be forever grateful,” said Ciaccia. “Together we deliver first-class events and community initiatives that change lives, and I love every minute of it.  But, I am now at an age when the word retirement feels right.  After the marathon I’ll move into the next phase of my life, reconnect with family and friends and travel off to new adventures that I had put on hold. In the months ahead, I will spend each day the only way I know how, working with Michael, George Hirsch, and our fantastic team at New York Road Runners to deliver the world’s best events and a spectacular TCS New York City Marathon in November.” Ciaccia, who will celebrate his 65th birthday this summer, has been instrumental in the redesign and production of NYRR’s events, from logistics and entertainment to broadcasting and elite athletes, as well as guiding NYRR’s critical relationships with city officials to ensure a consistently safe and secure event experience.  During his tenure, he was responsible for introducing many NYRR innovations, from the marathon’s wave start plan and seeded corral program at weekly races, to the advancement of race day emergency management operations.  

The window to register for the 2018 TCS New York City Marathon is closing, so if you haven’t committed to run this year, this week is your last chance. Registration for the race on Nov. 4, 2018, opened on Jan. 15 and will close at 11:59 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, online. For a guaranteed spot, eligible runners must have hit the New York Road Runners (NYRR) time-qualifier, which is based on age, in a previous race. For example, a male runner who is between the ages of 18 and 34 must have run at least a 2:53 marathon or a 1:21 half-marathon. A female runner of the same age must have run a marathon in 3 hours and 13 minutes or a half-marathon in 1 hour and 32 minutes.