I tried this half out last year thinking it’d be simpy be something I can cross off my list of races to do but I liked it so much in 2018 I came back to do it again in 2019, ha.

The course feels a bit weird traveling from Brooklyn into Manhattan but in my second go-around now it’s honestly a unique experience to be crossing a bridge into Manhattan for such a big race (outside of doing the NYC Marathon at least, ha), and you get a bit of energy as you finally land in “the city” and make you’re way from South Street up to Central Park.

Times Square definitely is the highlight here; even though I’ve seen it a million times since I work in Manhattan, it’s pretty special to run through it car (and tourist, ha) free! Having the kids race running alongside you for a stretch of Times Square is a cute little aspect too, especially if you have kids running it (I saw a couple of runners stop to look for/cheer on their children, ha).

The only complaint I have for the 2019 edition was that at some point in the later waves they ran out of medals... thankfully I didn’t have that problem but talking to a few of my friends who finished later on NYRR apparently didn’t bring enough medals to the finish line, which is disappointing for a race this big... I’m sure now that such an embarrassment has happened they’ll make sure it’ll never happen again but I still feel for those that reached the finish line only to be disappointed...

Definitely a must-do half if you can get in, but hopefully NYRR gets things right with the medals next year.

I signed up for this one not being sure if I’d be able to do it (I work for sanitation, so any chance of snow and I’m stuck at work for 12 plus hours, ha) but thankfully things worked out (worked an overnight shift) and I was able to tackle this race.

This was definitely the worst weather conditions I’ve ever done a half in but to be honest, it’s January... if you’re signing up expecting the weather is going to break perfectly than you’re not being reasonable, ha. It was a miserably cold rain all race long, compounded by the repeated hills of Central Park (and also me getting over the flu from days earlier!), but I training in winter conditions in the weeks leading up to this one helped, as well as the great job NYRR and it’s volunteers (can’t believe so many volunteers made it out here in this weather, ha) did with water stations, post-race snacks and (mercifully, ha) those heat blankets they gave out before soggily trotting over to the bag pick-up.

I don’t know if I’ll get to do this one again next week (work and snow permitting!) but I hope so; it’s a challenging course in a difficult time of the year, but thankfully NYRR seems to do a great job on this race dedicated to Fred. Be sure to look for his statue on the east side of the park as you go!

I had the day off and this was a short trip into Pennsylvania, so I figured I’d give a chance. This was definitely the most low-key half I’ve ever done, but I definitely appreciate it for what it is, ha. This was a nice break from the overcrowded races I’m used to like the NYC Half or Brooklyn, and the course was a nice break too; very flat and it’s pretty much a straight run along the water, a turnaround at about the halfway mark and then the same straight run back.

This race had the feel of my weekly informal Sunday group runs, and even with the mud and light rain (and hail for a few minutes too!) the course was relaxing and scenic.

There was even a few people there cheering us on at points, which was unexpected for such a small race but definitely appreciated, ha. I missed out on a shirt (I signed up day of) but I got a nice bag full of goodies and I really loved the race medal (I love taking hikes and nature walks, and the half medal centered on a silhouette of a heron flying, definitely a nice design!)! I definitely have to keep this race in mind again next November!

My hometown island, “Shaolin”! This is the perfect way to explore a part of “the city” you may not know much about, as well as being a great warm-up for the NYC Marathon a few weeks later! I’ve done this Half four times now (2015-2018) and it’s a tougher course than the Brooklyn or NYC Half, but it’s not anything to really worry about if you’ve done the training leading up to it. The start line is right outside the Ferry (and there’s probably parking not too far away if you insist on driving), so it’s not impossible to get to.

As for the course itself, it’s a bit hilly up until about mile 4, then you get a bit of a break by doing four flat miles on Father Capodanno Blvd (with views of the boardwalk!) before resuming a battle with hills at mile 8, ha, but with some nice sights such as Fort Wadsworth, the Verrazano Bridge and the Alice Austen House (it’s a beautiful historic home but you could easily miss it if you don’t know to look for it around mile 11!).

Mile 12 is probably the only part I don’t like about the course; a choppy back road that’s only redeeming quality is a view of the water. The finish line has moved further away from the Ferry/Stadium on Bay St but in honesty, yes, it’s a less exciting finish than crossing home plate in the stadium (the old course), but it’s also less crowded post-race now that they’ve moved it to Bay St, so I don’t mind the change as much.

There is no day-of packet pick-up, so you’ll have to trek to midtown to get your bib. The medal and shirt are really nice and there’s a recovery bag at the finish which is great. It seems to always rain the day of this race but I think just recent bad luck more so than it being the norm.

This is a nice way to discover that Staten Island is more than just home to the ‘the Dump’, Wu-Tang and the Ferry! Hopefully this was helpful to you, have fun visiting my hometown!

I’ve done this race three times now (2016-2018), and it’s a nice half to look forward to every Labor Day. Street parking can be hard to come by but there’s plenty of parking garages and the New Haven Green is a scenic spot for both the race festival and the starting line!

The course is mostly traveling through the streets of New Haven, with a few scenic spots here and there. Yale, the New Haven Green (which you’ll see at the start, the middle and the finish), East Rock Park and the Peabody Museum (with a Triceratops in front!).

There’s a few hills but there’s nothing that’s too tough. In terms of weather it can range from comfortable to hot. The race festival on the Green is a nice to walk through while you’re cooling down post-race, and there’s plenty of nice places to eat nearby (even vegan options which is great for me, ha).

The shirt and medal are always nice and the styles vary greatly each year (none of the three medals or shirts I have from 2016-201 are similar to each other at all, which is nice!) They seem to strive for a unique style each year, not a palette swap of the previous year’s designs which makes for something new to look forward to.

I first did this race in 2016 on a whim but will definitely be back for a fourth year next September!