The RBC Brooklyn Half on Saturday, May 20 was the largest half marathon in the United States this year when nearly 26,000 runners crossed the finish line at Coney Island. The race, which was established in 1981, is now one of the country’s premier half marathons with accompanying youth races and a three-day pre-party to celebrate Brooklyn.
Yenew Alamirew Getahun broke the men’s event record with a winning time of 1:03:07, while Maggie Montoya won the women’s race in 1:11:38, and Galo Vasquez won the non-binary division in a new event-record time of 1:12:07. Notable runners who participated in the general field included TV personality Nev Schulman, former NFL star Tiki Barber, and YouTube sensation Casey Neistat.
The RBC Brooklyn Half took runners through the unique and diverse neighborhoods of Brooklyn, beginning at the Brooklyn Museum, passing the scenic Grand Army Plaza, and running through Prospect Park and along Ocean Parkway to the finish line on the famous Coney Island boardwalk. The course had a party-like atmosphere with 10 entertainment locations, including local DJs and bands.
The whole family joined in on race day activities, as kids ages 8-18 took part in the free Boardwalk Kids Run at the RBC Brooklyn Half as part of the Rising New York Road Runners youth program. Participants raced 1,500 meters on a new out-and-back course this year that started and finished on Brighton Avenue and Ocean Parkway.
