The Al Gordon Brooklyn 4 Mile had 4,737 runners cross the finish line (2,439 men and 2,298 women). Registrants of this race received a pair of winter gloves from New Balance with the race logo and name on it.

The NYRR brought their usual well oiled machine preparedness to this race and had a very well organized bag check, bib pick up, plenty of bathrooms to use, and even had some fun music playing before the race to keep spirits high. Runners gathered in the center of Prospect Park in Brooklyn, NY and geared up for a race that would take them slightly over one loops of the park.

The first mile of this race has runners starting east on Center Drive and turning left on the park’s main loop drive which will head north towards Battle Pass Hill. After ascending Battle Pass Hill runners will follow the main road west as they run through some gently rolling terrain in the second mile. The third mile starts to head south down a long, gentle hill. At this point runners will have a great view of Prospect Park Lake that will be on their left. Terrain here will be mostly flat. This is a great time for runners to open up their pace and have some fun. Don’t push too hard as you’ll have one more gradual hill till climb in the fourth mile. As runners near the race’s finish the lake will remain on the left and runners will turn to start running north towards the finish. This fourth mile is a gentle hill climb the whole way so dig deep. As runners approach Center Drive, they will turn left and race to the finish at the starting point.

This race is a TCS NYC Marathon 9+1 program qualifier and definitely one I would recommend to runners. It’s a fun, shorter distance and it gives you plenty of fun elements throughout the course. Battle Pass Hill provides a great hill workout (that runners will also run during the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon), you have great sights of Prospect Park Lake, and the park itself gives runners some great scenery to occupy them during the run.