My Valentines Day review is dedicated to my Valentine! Brooklyn Half Marathon is very very popular. I've been here with my daughter a couple times. I'm a fan of runners and cheer them on every opportunity I can. I'm the Coach, Fan Club, and most importantly the Photographer! I love the medals she receives from each run. Some do tarnish over time. Just like me! A half marathon is quite an accomplishment. There's always fun activity at these events for me to enjoy. If you don't run I still advise you to go and enjoy the vibes. It's free! read more

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Attended the Brooklyn Half Expo to pick up my race day bib and gear along with meeting up with my running team. Perfect weather and setting last evening. Great way to spend some time while getting ready to run the half this weekend. Food trucks, drinks, entertainment, and items to purchase for participants under the expo tent. read more

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Expo/Pre-party: It's located at the Brooklyn Bridge Park, pier 2. Bib pick-up is really easy. You just get into any line and show them your QR code. They'll then assign you a bib and your corral. You then shop for official merchandise and visit the vendor booths. There's music, food, and beer outside for you to enjoy afterwards. Course: The start line is at the Brooklyn Museum with a nice beautiful foot tour through Prospect Park in the middle, ending at the finish line located at the famous Coney Island. Post-race: I like that NYRR always hands out post-race snacks and drinks in a recovery bag. That way it would prevent inconsiderate participants from hoarding all of the post-race food. Getting out of the post-race area can be tough with race security these days. Just be patient. read more

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Ran the AirBNB Brooklyn Half marathon for the first time in 2016 and loved every bit of the experience. This was also my first ever official run. - The tickets sell out fast, so look for the opening dates and enroll immediately! - Don't miss out on the pre-race party. Awesome local eats, fun activities, Manhattan skyline views, and live music makes Pier 2 at Brooklyn Bridge Park the place to be. Checkout my pics! - Like any other NYRR races, they have everything a runner would need, from start of the race till the end. From the clean porta-potties to snacks & drinks' stalls every few miles to the medical stalls, everything was in place, making the run very comfortable. - This is one of the most popular races by NYRR, so running with ~27K other runners was exhilarating. Love the energy level of volunteers - these are people who have run many half marathons and know the pain! - Your loved ones can track your progress the entire time like most other runs. - The race ends at the beautiful Coney island boardwalk. You are awarded the much-coveted medal and some goodies at this point. There's also a photo-op with the official photographers if you have any left-over energy for it. - Cherry on top is the after-party at the MCU park. - Use your bib number to download free official photographs! read more

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I have run the Brooklyn Half for the past six years...there have been a couple of not so great years but 2012 was awesome. Over 14,000 runners starting on Eastern Parkway, running down Washington, up Flatbush, around Grand Army Plaza, back down Flatbush, on the outside of the park, then into Prospect Park for one loop, then out to Ocean Parkway all the way to the Coney Island boardwalk. Today was a beautiful day for a race! I had a lot of friends running it and everyone enjoyed it. Very well organized NYRR event. read more

Brooklyn Half Marathon - finish 2012! - Races & Competitions Near Me

Great event! I was sponsored by my work institution so didn't have to worry about the registration fees. But the swag they give (esp the shirt) is high quality and cool design. Perfect to use for everyday running or just to wear while o it and about. The event itself was amazing. It was my first half marathon and I was impressed by how many people come out to support the runners and cheer them on along the way read more

First time running a half marathon and I was so glad to do it in the borough that stole my heart 11 years ago. I trained pretty well and I tried to play it cool the days leading up to the big 13.1, but seriously people, I was nervous as hell, and apparently so were many of the 25,000 runners. Those port-a-potties were filled to the brim by blast off at 8am. Well done NYRR for having a ridiculous amount of bathrooms available throughout the course. In years past, it just seemed like excess but they were certainly needed. Since this was my first, I really have nothing to gauge this against. All I know was that the streets, sights, and sounds of this course took away my heart and my breath (literally, I decided my lung was collapsing at mile 12). Kicking it off at the beautiful Brooklyn Museum, running around the lovely lush Prospect Park, down that freakin' long stretch we know as Coney Island Avenue, and finally making it to the boardwalk of Coney Island was amazing. The runners; fast, slow, superbly able, those with disabilities. The supporters; all ages, and colors coming out to support was incredibly inspiring and fun. First time running this baby beast and it certainly won't be my last. read more

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This was my first ever half marathon so it's special to me! I ran on a sprained ankle and finished right at the "cut-off" time at 3 hours... The route is scenic for the most part with few hills mainly inside Prospect Park. There is a long boring part in the middle when you are running towards Coney Island on Ocean Parkway (the whole time you're counting down the Avenues, good thing they're alphabetized). Then it gets you pumping when you see Luna Park in the distance and fun rollercoasters on the horizon. I like NYRR races because they provide enough water stations and medical sites. Of course, you get a t-shirt and a medal. Out of all the 5 borough races, this one is the most scenic and fun. It usually takes place in May, which is perfect running weather in NY! read more

I would run this again. It was a pretty fun course minus the park. But there's really no avoiding that in any NYC runs. My allergies flared up from the horse droppings. They were sure to keep you well hydrated throughout the run. The only thing I didn't like about this course was the rugrats who would just run out and get in the way, but that's not their fault. That's just poor parenting. The aid station at the end was great. My sister go injured and they took care of her and gave her a bottle of Gatorade, which these types of runs don't do. They typically just hand out bottled of water. For a half marathon, they gave a bunch of snacks: bagel, pretzels, banana, and Power Bars. It's a good run though Brooklyn and I would recommend giving it a go. read more

Volunteered for the Brooklyn Half through the NYRR. This was my first time doing this race. It started raining at about 4:01am as i am entering the park after getting off the subway. It never stopped til i got too my meeting at 2:30. I was station at water station 6. Just water and gatorade. It was amazing watching all the runners go pass us. I look forward to running this race next year. read more

One year after my First Half BK marathon. More people (Last year was 15,000 Runners) with almost 22,000 runners. Great Job New York Road Runners for a Great system, Volunteer, Staff, Medical needs. the Route was the same, but weather was a bit cooler this year. Passing by great views of Prospect park, Museum, Eastern Parkway and the New Conney Island that was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. Enough water for every runner, Medical Staff on Site in every 2 miles. read more

It has been two years since Airbnb became a new sponsor and I have to say my second year running with them was a lot better experience, even though I ran this course 5 times already. The security was a lot smoother this year compare to last year. If you thought TSA was bad, you should have seen the chaos from last year. But this year, much to everyone's amazement, there was hardly any bottlenecking going through the security. However, there are bottlenecks by the corrals that's because it's mixed in with the lines to go to the portal potties. I suppose there's really no other way to handle that. Overall, it was a great day for running. Cloudy but no rain and low humidity. While it was a great race, I think I'm going to have to officially retire from this race until they get a new sponsor. Nothing against Airbnb but it would be nice to get a new medal design and t-shirt. read more

This was my third half marathon with NYRR and I PR'd by 10 minutes finishing in 1:42. It didn't go as well as I hoped, but I'm happy with the faster time. That being said, of the other half marathons ran with NYRR, this was my least favorite. The energy level just wasn't the same. I remember running through a tunnel that had a DJ playing music in both Staten Island and the NYC Half that gave an extra push to the runners. There was no such thing in Brooklyn. The only entertainment along the route was some dude dressed up like cookie monster playing the xylophone and some hipsters playing melodic tunes. WTH? The crowds in the earlier part of the race were great though.The route itself was pretty boring until we came up to Coney Island. Other things that bothered me was the lack of enforcement in the corrals. NYRR stated that runners must be in their correct corral and if you wanted to be with friends you had to go back to their corrals. I was in the 10,000s and there were people next to me with numbers is the 30000s. Also, the whole Wave 1 corrals close at 6:30 was BS. People were walking in and out until the start of the race. I'm just saying if you're going to have rules be sure to enforce them. The guy who was supposed to be checking numbers wasn't even paying attention. All in all a decent course, not terribly hilly aside from Prospect Park and finishing in Coney Island was ok. I have to give NYRR props because as always this was a well organized race. Not sure if it's one I'll be running again though. read more

Well, you're doing most of the work since it is a half-marathon, but I must say the Brooklyn Half is an awesome race. I completed my second Brooklyn Half recently and found it to be an enjoyable, well-organized race with a beautiful and easy course to boot. As a Brooklyn native, it's fun to participate in such a high-profile event and to cover some interesting ground in the process. Things just seem to come together here to make this a half-marathon worth running... Cool weather, nice sights, etc. make it an easy finish, and if it can be a PR at 1:42:50, even more YAY. Being a member of New York Road Runners and a participant in many of their short races in Central Park and other areas, I'm used to the drill with them by now, but they have it all under control even with 20,000+ runners as in this year's event. The start, adjacent to the Brooklyn Museum is well-laid out with lots of toilets and clear signs to get you where you need to be. This year's bib pick-up scheme took everyone to Dumbo which was fine except that the facility they chose is a bit of a hike from the subway (I know that is an ironic complaint from someone about to run 13 miles, but whateva!). Maybe I'm just spoiled since I live "in the 'hood" by NYRR's HQ on East 89th Street, so that obviously would've been preferable. As for the course, a loop around Grand Army Plaza, around and into Prospect Park, down Ocean Parkway and a dazzling finish on the Coney Island Boardwalk make this a really special experience and one I'm glad I did. The finish area this year was kind of a madhouse but I guess that's par for the course with a race this big. The Brooklyn Half is definitely a race I will look forward to year after year. read more

great race. great weather. well organized. nice finish line. water/gaterade at nearly every mile. wimpy on the post race treats. all we got were bagels and apples. less organized with baggage claims. would have been nice to have free dogs from nathan's... the line at nathan's was longer than the time it took to complete the race read more

Brooklyn Half Marathon - 4 minutes until start - Races & Competitions Near Me

*****PHENOMENAL OVERALL EXPERIENCE -- GREAT TASTE OF BROOKLYN***** Highly recommend this to anyone in the NY area considering running a half. Just be sure to put sign-up day on a calendar since all the spots go right away. COURSE: The first 7 miles are in Prospect Park, which is absolutely gorgeous on a May morning. There is a little initial climb then descent in the first couple miles as you loop around Grand Army Plaza and then the most serious climb from about Mile 4 to Mile 5. It then goes downhill over the next 2 miles. You exit the park and descend along Ocean Ave for a slightly downhill, completely straight stretch, going down the alphabet through all the Brooklyn avenues, until you get to Coney Island, where you make a right turn on Surf Ave for about the longest half mile ever before finishing the last couple hundred meters on the Coney Island Boardwalk. Woo. The last 3.1 miles feed just as long as the first 10 for me. Be careful not to start sprinting right when you make the turn! It's still a long way to the Coney Island Boardwalk (at least, it feels like an eternity). LOGISTICS: Bib pickup is smooth; this year it was Wed-Fri at Brooklyn Bridge park, where they set up a "pre-party," with a concert setup, merchants selling running related products, food trucks, samples of water/gatorade used in race, a detailed map of the course and strategy sessions. And of course comp race dry-fit shirts. It's cool they do this at another very iconic and accessible location in Brooklyn. Depending on destination, consider taking the water ferry! It has a stop right at the park. The lines were relatively long for me on a Friday evening though and I had to wait a couple ferries to get on, but the ride was worth it! Post-race they have another concert/concessions/celebration "post-party" in the Brooklyn Cyclones stadium which is a nice touch. Texting is slow but doable, more intensive cellphone data usage unlikely with the crowds. There's always huge crowds around Nathan's but lines move quickly. There's also a Grimaldi's, Totonno's and L&B Spumoni nearby for those more pizza inclined. VOLUNTEERS: Lots of energy and kind spirits. And TONS of them everywhere, but all of their hard work is well appreciated! There were water and gatorade stations after every mile, and a running gel station after 8 miles. Of course they are there to also hand out water and snack bags after the race. One complaint from this year is that at the very end of the pier past where snacks/medals were being given out, many runners were sitting on the ground and benches, and one Volunteer repeatedly kept asking us to keep moving. I'm willing to give NYRR benefit of the doubt since I'm sure they don't want overcrowding, but it didn't feel too packed and we were all exhausted! Oh, and I think they had bagels post-race in 2015 but none were to be found in 2016. Ugh. The incredibly diverse and enthusiastic crowd of supporters throughout the race is awesome though. TRANSPORT: I've done both car and subway. You can park at the Aquarium (which is right next to the finish) and take the subway up. This is what they recommend and it probably makes the most sense. If you take the subway, give yourself plenty of time! I almost missed my start because I didn't realize 2/3 trains were running local on the weekend. Be sure to get off at the correct stop for your wave! Post-race, subway access at the Stillwell station is good but all the trains take a while to get to Manhattan. FINAL VERDICT: There's not much to improve upon. Well organized, beautiful scenery, good vibes. This is a great post-winter-hiberation motivational "get in shape" race, when the weather is JUST right. read more

Awesome half marathon. Not too horribly hilly. It goes round and round in Prospect Park, which was ok. We ran past GoogaMooga. Yeah, everyone else is at Electric Zoo or GoogaMooga while I chose to torture myself here. Anyways, no regrets, I'm glad I did it. After running in Prospect Park, its a straight path down the road to Coney Island. Nice, flat course on the road, loved it. As I approached Coney Island, I could smell the ocean. Yes, I knew I was near the finish, come on Steph, just a few more miles, you can do it! I ran past the NY Aquarium and finally finished on the boardwalk of Coney Island. I happily claimed my medal and met my fellow running buddies on the beach. Too bad it was chilly! We rode the Cyclone, which was scary, yet fun. Not that many food vendors were open, I wish more places were open, especially when you have a bunch of starving runners who can't wait to dig into something hot and greasy. Even Nathan's hot dog was closed :( Anwyays, it was a fun race! I would love to do it again! read more

Fantastic race! This was my first half marathon and it blew away my expectations. I thought I'd be lucky if I finished within 2:15-2:30, but I was astounded to see I was much faster than that. Lots of crowds and energy (my favorite was the Brooklyn cheer squad at Grand Army Plaza). The course is everything you've been hearing - nice, fast, and flat. Everything was operated smoothly (pre-, during-, and post- race), and I'd gladly do it again. Highly recommended as a first half marathon. read more

The Brooklyn Half is the largest half marathon in the world and it certainly feels like it. Organization could have been a little better as pickup was a zoo and there was no merchandise left the day before the event. Finding people at the end is also very difficult as the stadium and the huge number of people means phones don't work well. Set a meeting point ahead of time. It's nice to end on the boardwalk and right near Nathan's for a post race snack and drink. The course is nice and fairly flat though it spends a really long portion on Ocean Avenue which is a bit desolate and gets boring. read more

This is one of my favorite races. It's with over 20,000 runners for a popular race that closes out within an hour of the registration opening. It's a point to point race so get a taxi or subway train to get back. read more

One of my favorite New York races, and I've ran quite a few. This year will be my 3rd time running it. Reasons why it's so great: 1. The distance. Yes, half marathon is a challenging distance, but it's still less scary than a full marathon. You can train for it together with friends and feel very accomplished when you finish. 2. The organizers. NYRR is great from being a non-profit organization & helping so many people to simply being awesome and making New York a great place for a runner. The race fee is tax deductible! 3. Time of year. Mid - May is perfect - not too cold, not too hot, just amazing! 4. The route. You start in Central Park, very pretty and a bit hilly, but the second half of the course is flat flat flat - no surprises, plus it's pretty cool to run down ocean parkway opened just for runners! 5. Finish line placement. The race finishes by Coney Island and that is the best place to end up on a Saturday when you are ready celebrate! Tons of food places, restaurants and post-race activities, you will want to hang around for a bit! Oh did I mention its the biggest half marathon in the country?! Overall, cannot wait to run it and again and hopefully PR! :D read more

The race is too big for the space that it occupies. The starting corals were poorly organized, with an insufficient number of entrances and not enough porta-potties. These problems led to a chaotic start, in which many faster runners were impeded by runners from slower corrals. If you are looking for a PR, either show up several hours early, or race somewhere else. read more

First, THANK YOU to the awesome, dedicated, enthusiastic race volunteers, spectators & law enforcement. Your support is so appreciated. First time I ran the Brooklyn half. Nice course & happy I did it. Probably will not run again because logistically challenging to get race packet & expensive. Disappointed with NYRR: we traveled so far to pick up race pack only to be told they ran out of shirts...pretty bad considering the cost of the race, the fact that our shirts were pre-ordered & that's all you get...your shirt & bib number. NYRR should order more than they think & if there are extras...give them to the lovely volunteers. Other races offer runners generous schwag bags... But not NYRR. Love Brooklyn & not sorry I ran it. read more