Runners cross the finish line of the Brooklyn Half Marathon at Coney Island.
File photo by Erica Price
About 26,000 runners will cover 13.1 miles from Prospect Park to Coney Island in the RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon on Saturday, passing through dozens of neighborhoods en route to the finish line.
Here’s everything you need to know about the race and its impact on your neighborhood!
The New York Road Runners Brooklyn Half Marathon began in 1981 and has grown significantly since then. Only a few hundred people participated in the first races, a far cry from the nearly 30,000 people who will cross the finish line on Saturday. According to Road Runners, about 20 percent of participants in the RBC Brooklyn Half are from Brooklyn themselves — and about 2,000 are part of Brooklyn-based running clubs.
“For the past 42 years, the RBC Brooklyn Half has demonstrated the best of Brooklyn and the best of the running community,” Road Runners CEO Rob Simmelkjaer said in a statement. “Whether it’s reinvigorating Coney Island after Superstorm Sandy or spotlighting local restaurants, vendors and artists during pre-race festivities, the RBC Brooklyn Half has become an integral part of the borough.
Where to watch
There will be a few designated “cheer zones” along the route. The New Balance Cheer Zone will be set up on Ocean Parkway between Gravesend Neck Road and Avenue W at Mile 11. The RBC Cheer Zone is located on Surf Avenue at the corner of West 10th Street as runners turn toward the home stretch . And of course, spectators are always welcome at the finish line on the boardwalk.
You can also cheer on the runners from anywhere along the route – you don’t have to be in one of the cheering zones.
The Brooklyn Half also includes a children’s race on the promenade for runners aged 2 to 18 years old. Free races are open to young runners of varying ages and experience levels – one race, for example, is aimed at 2-11 year olds who are new to running. Another welcomes competitive runners aged 12 to 18.
After crossing the finish line and collecting their medals, runners are invited to an after-party at Maimonides Park, which also provides a great place for participants to reunite with family and loved ones.
The route and road closures
The race starts at 7 a.m. next to the Brooklyn Museum. Runners will pass the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, loop around Grand Army Plaza, then take a lap around the park before exiting onto Ocean Parkway, where they will run a little over 5 miles before turning onto Surf Avenue. From there, they will run to the boardwalk, where the race will end just past the amusement parks.
To host the race, the city close a number of streets for several hours Saturday. These roads are:
- Eastern Parkway between Grand Army Plaza and Bedford Avenue – 12:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- Washington Avenue between Eastern Parkway and Empire Boulevard – 12:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
- Empire Boulevard between Washington Avenue and Flatbush Avenue – 6 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
- Flatbush Avenue between Empire Boulevard and Grand Army Plaza – 6 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
- Place de la Grande Armée (entire circle)
- Ocean Avenue between Flatbush Avenue and Parkside Avenue – 6:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
- Parkside Avenue between Ocean Avenue and Park Circle – 6:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
- Ocean Parkway between Ocean Parkway entrance ramp and Surf Avenue – 6 a.m. to 12 p.m.
- Surf Avenue between Ocean Parkway and West 10th Street – 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.
- West 10th Street between Surf Avenue and Boardwalk – 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
- Surf Avenue between West 10th Street and West 20th Street – 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.
- Stillwell Avenue between Surf Avenue and Boardwalk from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
- West 12th Street between Surf Avenue and Boardwalk from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
- West 15th Street between Surf Avenue and Boardwalk – 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
On many roads, parking will be prohibited from the evening of May 17. Check out the Road Runners website for the full story details.
Transit changes
The MTA is changing some of its routes for the RBC Brooklyn Half — and some trains that runners or spectators might normally ride are out of service due to planned service changes.
On Saturday morning, trains 2, 3 and 4 will not stop at Eastern Parkway-Brooklyn Museum between 4 a.m. and 9 a.m., according to the MTA. The agency recommended that riders heading to the start line take a Brooklyn-bound 2, 3 or 4 train to Franklin Avenue, a Brooklyn-bound 2 train to Grand Army Plaza or a Q train bound for Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue to 7th. Street.
Due to planned service improvements, the F train will not stop between Kings Highway and Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue, and the D trains will not run between Bay 50th Street and Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue. Free Shuttle Buses will run between Kings Highway and Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue, or riders can take the N or Q trains to the end of the line.
The road closures will also impact several bus routes – the MTA encouraged straphangers to check its website or the MTA app for real-time updates.
