New York City Half Marathon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids New York City Half Marathon
Times Square during inaugural race in 2006
Date	Usually the 3rd Sunday in March
Location	New York City
Event type	Road
Distance	Half marathon 13.109 miles (21.097 km)
Primary sponsor	United Airlines
Established	2006 (18 years ago) (2006)
Course records	59:24 (men) 1:07:41 (women)
Participants	24,663 finishers (2019)

1:30 pace group on 7th Avenue passing Park Central Hotel, 2008

Port Authority Bus Terminal in 2013

World Financial Center in 2016

The New York City Half Marathon (branded as the United Airlines NYC Half) is an annual half marathon road running race from Brooklyn's Prospect Park to Manhattan's Central Park via the Manhattan Bridge, held since 2006. It passes through or by Times Square, Grand Central, and both Grand Army Plazas. New York Road Runners (NYRR) administers the race.

History

Numerous world class runners have participated in the race, including marathon record holders Haile Gebrselassie and Paula Radcliffe, Olympic marathon medalists Catherine Ndereba, Meb Keflezighi, and Deena Kastor, 2008 U.S. Olympic marathoner Dathan Ritzenhein, and American half marathon record holder Ryan Hall.

Gebrselassie set the men's course record in 2007, with a time of 59:24. On March 20, 2016, Molly Huddle set the women's record with a time of 1:07:41.

In its earlier years, the event was run on various dates in the summer; in 2010, it was moved to March. The 2010 race had a field of 14,821 registered runners and 11,604 finishers. Mary Wittenberg, president of the NYRR, said in 2010 that she expected a possible growth of over 20,000 participants in future years.

On October 8, 2014, United Airlines, which was the sponsor of many of the NYRR races, became the title sponsor of the NYC Half Marathon.

All races since 2020 were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All registrants are given the option of obtaining a full refund or guaranteed, non-complimentary entry to the next future race.

Course

2006–2008

From 2006 through 2008, the course started in Central Park near East 85th Street and looped clockwise for approximately 7.6 miles (more than one full loop) until runners exited Central Park onto Seventh Avenue and through Times Square. Runners made a right turn onto West 42nd Street, followed by a left turn onto the West Side Highway, adjacent to the Hudson River. The race ended on the West Side Highway by Rector Street, near the southern tip of Manhattan.

2009–2017

From 2009 through 2017, the course started near East 72nd Street with a counter-clockwise 6.2-mile (10 km) loop around hilly Central Park. The course then flattened and went along Seventh Avenue to Times Square, where it followed 42nd Street to the West Side Highway, adjacent to the Hudson River. The race passed through Battery Park and finished at Wall Street near the southern tip of Manhattan.

Since 2018

In October 2017, NYRR announced a course change for the 2018 race. The course begins in Prospect Park and heads northwest along Flatbush Avenue, and then crosses the Manhattan Bridge. Runners then proceed through the Lower East Side towards FDR Drive, and exit onto 42nd Street. At Times Square, the course heads north on Seventh Avenue into Central Park. Runners follow the main loop in Central Park clockwise, cut across the park on the 102nd Street Transverse, and then finish near 75th Street on the west side of the park.

Winners

2012 winner Kenyan Peter Kirui passing Ethiopian Deriba Merga in Central Park about 4 miles (6 km) in

Finisher medal from 2016

Key:        Course record (in bold)

Ed.	Year	Date	Men's winner	Time	Women's winner	Time	Rf.
1	2006	August 27	Nyariki, TomTom Nyariki (KEN)	1:01:22	Ndereba, CatherineCatherine Ndereba (KEN)	1:09:43
2	2007	August 5	Gebrselassie, HaileHaile Gebrselassie (ETH)	0:59:24 59:24	Kibet, HildaHilda Kibet (KEN)	1:10:32
3	2008	July 27	Tola, TadeseTadese Tola (ETH)	1:00:58	Ndereba, CatherineCatherine Ndereba (KEN)	1:10:19
4	2009	August 16	Tola, TadeseTadese Tola (ETH)	1:01:06	Radcliffe, PaulaPaula Radcliffe (GBR)	1:09:45
5	2010	March 21	Kamais, PeterPeter Kamais (KEN)	0:59:52 59:52	Yamauchi, MaraMara Yamauchi (GBR)	1:09:17
6	2011	March 20	Farah, MoMo Farah (GBR)	1:00:23	Rotich, CarolineCaroline Rotich (KEN)	1:08:52
7	2012	March 18	Kirui, PeterPeter Kirui (KEN)	0:59:39 59:39	Dado, FirehiwotFirehiwot Dado (ETH)	1:08:35
8	2013	March 17	Kipsang, WilsonWilson Kipsang (KEN)	1:01:02	Rotich, CarolineCaroline Rotich (KEN)	1:09:09
9	2014	March 16	Mutai, GeoffreyGeoffrey Mutai (KEN)	1:00:50	Kipyego, SallySally Kipyego (KEN)	1:08:31
10	2015	March 15	Korir, LeonardLeonard Korir (KEN)	1:01:06	Huddle, MollyMolly Huddle (USA)	1:08:31
11	2016	March 20	Sambu, StephenStephen Sambu (KEN)	1:01:16	Huddle, MollyMolly Huddle (USA)	1:07:41
12	2017	March 19	Lilesa, FeyisaFeyisa Lilesa (ETH)	1:00:04	Huddle, MollyMolly Huddle (USA)	1:08:19
13	2018	March 18	True, BenBen True (USA)	1:02:39	Diriba, BuzeBuze Diriba (ETH)	1:12:23
14	2019	March 17	Tilahun, BelayBelay Tilahun (ETH)	1:02:10	Jepkosgei, JoycilineJoyciline Jepkosgei (KEN)	1:10:07
	—	cancelled since 2020 due to coronavirus pandemic