This was my first half back in 2015, and I’ve done it three more times since then; it’s a great introduction for those that are new to 13.1 and a fun annual event to look forward to for experienced runners!

As for the race itself, really you can mentally break it up into two races; the a little hilly first 6-7 miles around Prospect Park, and the last 6 miles as a straight mostly flat run towards Coney Island. Once you’re past Prospect Park it’s a bit monotonous, but there’s usually plenty of cheering spectators and the end makes up for it (one of my favorite finishlines!) with a scenic finish on the boardwalk.

There is no day-of packet pick-up so you’ll have to make the trek beforehand out to Brooklyn Bridge Park for the Expo, which is a beautiful but hard to get to spot... (you’re going to have to pay for parking, use the subway, run, bike or some combination of the aforementioned to get there) The same goes for race day; If getting dropped off/picked up isn’t an option I’d recommend parking within a mile walking distance of the finish (still can be tough to find a parking spot, ha) and then take the train up to the starting line. Be sure to give yourself lots of time to get there so that you’re not cutting it too close to your start time.

The medals and shirt are always nice, and there’s a great recovery bag at the finish (except for the apples, ha, they’re always bruised ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, but everything else in there is good) and if the weather is nice (temperatures are usually perfect for a race but it could rain) you can explore Coney Island a bit during the post-race.

Hopefully you find this helpful, have fun out there in Brooklyn!