I highly recommend this race. Extremely well organized and an amazing race course.

This was my first time running this race....but it was everyone’s first time running this particular course...as the 2018 course was completely new. This is also my first time writing a race review, so here goes...

WHY THIS RACE: I chose this race for two primary reasons. First, I have always wanted to run the NYC Marathon (full), but I have never been successful in gaining entry via the lottery. But if you can meet specific qualifying times (varies by age) in a New York Roadrunners sponsored half marathon, you can gain automatic entry into the NYC Marathon, and the United Airlines Half was one of those races. Secondly, Central Park is such an iconic place to run, I have always wanted to run there...with the added bonus of a long weekend in NYC.

THE EXPO: The Expo was just “ok”. It was well organized and efficient. But given the size of the race (~22,000 runners), it was a little underwhelming. I was expecting a larger expo with more vendors. But it was “ok”and hassle free, and you get a nice long-sleeved shirt. If you are looking for a great running store, New York Roadrunners (Jackrabbit) has a great store on Columbus Circle (right next to Central Park). It was the nicest running store that I have ever been in.

THE COURSE: As mentioned earlier, this was a completely new course this year...and it was fantastic. Starts in Brooklyn at Prospect Park...straight out Flatbush Avenue...up/over Manhattan Bridge into Manhattan...along the East River to the United Nations building...then down 42nd Street...thru Times Square...up 7th Avenue and into Central Park for the finish. The most memorable parts of the course: (1) the sun was at our back as we went over the Manhattan Bridge with the Brooklyn Bridge on our right and the illuminated Manhattan skyline ahead of us, (2) running thru an empty Times Square (no cars only twice per year; once for New Years Eve and for this race) and (3) winding our way thru Central Park.

THE START (Part 1): I stayed at a hotel near Central Park so it would be easy to walk from the finish back to the hotel...but that meant I was a long way from the start. I don’t know my way around NYC very well, so I was a little anxious about how I was going to get from Manhattan to the start in Brooklyn. But it turned out to be very easy. I was able to catch the Q subway train at 57th Street...for a straight trip to the Prospect Park and the start of the race. The race started at 7:30am, and I was at the subway station at 5:15am....I had to wait until 5:30am to catch the subway train (not very frequent early Sunday mornings). I knew I was in right place and going in the right direction, as there were lots/lots of other runners doing exactly the same thing. After 35 minute train ride...we were at Prospect Park...then a ~5 minute walk thru security to the race start.

THE START (Part 2): There were 22,000 runners, divided into two waves...with each wave divided into corrals. The corrals were time-based, and those times were your self-reported expected paces. The two waves were side-by-side on Flatbush Avenue separated by a long/long alternating row of porta-potties...so even once you were in your corral you still had access to porta-potties. It was cold race morning at 28 degrees with a wind. But most people (thankfully including me too) brought throw-away sweatshirts and sweatpants to keep warm...and there were blue Goodwill bins in each corral to discard the throwaway clothes. It was definitely cold waiting for the start, but nice running weather once we started running. In hindsight I got to the race start about 30 minutes too early...so I suffered in the cold longer than necessary...but that was still better than the stress of arriving late to the start in a new location.

THE RACE (Part 1): My wave (#1) went off at 7:30am, and the other wave (#2) went off at 8:15am. I was in corral D....and each corral went off with about 1 minute or so spacing. It was a big race (22,000 runners), but it did not seem crowded and my running was never impeded. Two reasons for this. The start spacing of the waves and the numerous corrals. Secondly, the race started on Flatbush Avenue for a little more than 2 miles...and Flatbush Avenue is very wide and straight...so people could spread out and find their pacing without much weaving.

THE RACE (Part 2): The race had more elevation gain than I was expecting. Also there was a headwind in parts of the race. I knew about the bridge....but it was early in the race (around mile 3) and adrenaline was still pumping combined with the awesome view, so this was not too bad. And I knew Central Park had “hills”, but was not really sure what that meant. They were not too bad...more like rolling hills...I felt these more than the bridge as they came in the last 4 miles of the race. There was also some overpasses that we had to climb elsewhere on the course. This is not a “flat” city course. But the atmosphere was so awesome, that the “modest” elevation gain was just all part of the experience. NYRR really knows how to organize a race...lots of volunteers and lots of aid stations. And lots of spectators along the way. The one negative of running in a big city with skyscrapers is that your running watch will occasionally lose its GPS signal which mine did at mile 9 just before entering Central Park....which it made it more “exciting” as I was trying to beat a specific finishing race time.

THE FINISH: You finish in Central Park...where you get a nice finisher’s medal, a foil wrap to get warm, a bag of fuel (water, banana, etc)...and then a relatively long walk out of the park. They have an app to let friends follow your progress, and they posted the race results very quickly.

CONCLUSION: Despite my comments on the “hills” and the wind....I was able to PR and also qualify for the NYC Marathon in 2019....enjoyed the race and had a great weekend in NYC. Nothing in NYC is inexpensive....but this event was well worth it and I strongly recommend this particular race or any other race organized by NYRR...if you are looking a brilliantly organized big city race. Well done NYRR! I now look forward the the 2019 NYC Marathon!