42nd edition of the race becomes largest in event history; More than 1,000 youth run alongside half marathoners at Boardwalk Kids Run
New York, May 18, 2024 – New York Road Runners (NYRR), the nonprofit that produces 60 adult and youth events annually, hosted more than 28,000 runners at the RBC Brooklyn Half on Saturday to become the largest half marathon in the country in 2024 and largest in event history. The race, which has been in existence for over four decades, celebrated New York City’s most populated borough and took runners on a 13.1-mile tour of Brooklyn, ending on the iconic Coney Island boardwalk.
Ryan Cutter of Brooklyn Track Club won the men’s race in a winning time of 1:04:09, while Olympian Kim Conley won the women’s race in 1:12:43, and S.C. Ferral of Brooklyn Track Club won the non-binary division in a time of 1:14:09. Among the 28,000+ finishers were notable and inspiring runners, such as:
Jennifer Connelly: Award-winning actress
Nev Schulman: TV personality
Zac Clark: TV personality who ran on behalf of Release Recovery
Esmé and Schuyler Fox: Daughters of actor Michael J. Fox who ran on behalf of The Michael J. Fox Foundation
Christopher Lawrence: Mental health professional and guidance counselor who ran in honor of his late training partner
Sabine Bellevue: Brooklyn native who has found solace and healing through running and NYRR Group Training
Mandy Kwan: Marine Park NYRR Open Run member who has made running a family affair; ran with her mother and her three sons participated in the Boardwalk Kids Run
First run in 1981, NYRR’s RBC Brooklyn Half is the borough’s premier running event. The event started with several hundred finishers on a course run entirely in Prospect Park and has since grown to be the country’s largest half marathon in 2024. Approximately 20% of the finishers hailed from the borough, an indication of Brooklyn’s vibrant running community. Many of the Brooklyn-based finishers are part of the nearly 100 run clubs in the borough. Year-round, NYRR offers races, NYRR Group Training, and free programming for people of all ages, from youth to seniors, in Brooklyn.
In addition to the RBC Brooklyn Half, more than 1,000 kids ages 2-18 participated in the free Boardwalk Kids Run dashes and one-mile races on Ocean Parkway.
The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) served as both the exclusive title partner and exclusive financial services and investment banking partner of the RBC Brooklyn Half for the third year. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, RBC donated $1 to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization for every photo shared on social media with #RBCBrooklynHalf.
About New York Road Runners (NYRR)
NYRR’s mission is to help and inspire people through running. Since 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, virtual races, community events, free youth running initiatives and school programs, the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people each year with the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR’s premier event is the TCS New York City Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features a wide population of runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.
