The annual United Airlines New York City Half Marathon returns on Sunday, March 16. For the first time in the race’s history, runners will cross the Brooklyn Bridge to enter Manhattan because of construction on the Manhattan Bridge. The 13.1 mile race will feature 27,000 participants with a route that starts near the Brooklyn Museum, moves through Prospect Park, across the East River, along the FDR Drive, up Times Square, and finishing in Central Park. Ahead, here’s everything you need to know about this year’s event, from the route and start times to the best ways to watch (or avoid) the race.
Where is the route?
The 13.1-mile race kicks off at 7 a.m. on Washington Avenue near the Brooklyn Museum, entering Prospect Park through Battle Pass Hill before exiting and looping around Grand Army Plaza. The route continues along Flatbush Avenue, passing landmarks like the Barclays Center, before crossing the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan.
Runners will then head up the FDR Drive, turn onto East 42nd Street, continue along West 42nd Street onto Seventh Avenue, and move through Times Square, which closes to traffic just twice a year. The course then turns right onto Central Park South, left at Grand Army Plaza, crosses the 72nd Street Transverse, and finishes on West Drive in Central Park.
This year marks the first time the race will cross the Brooklyn Bridge, a change that race organizers, the New York Road Runners, plan to keep in place for the “foreseeable future.”
You can learn more about the route and the many sights along the way here.
Which roads will be closed?
Many roads will be closed across Brooklyn and Manhattan to make way for the runners:
| Street | Closing time | Reopening time |
| Eastern Parkway from Grand Army Plaza to Bedford Ave | 12:00 a.m. | 10:30 a.m. |
| Eastern Parkway Service Road from Grand Army Plaza to Bedford Ave | 12:00 a.m. | 10:30 a.m. |
| Washington Ave from Eastern Parkway to Empire Blvd. | 12:00 a.m | 4:00 p.m. |
| Classon Ave from Eastern Parkway to President St. | 12:00 a.m. | 4:00 p.m. |
| Union St. from Classon Ave to Franklin Ave | 12:00 a.m. | 4:00 p.m. |
| President St from Classon Ave to Franklin Ave | 12:00 a.m. | 4:00 p.m. |
| Carrol St from Washington Ave to Franklin Ave | 12:00 a.m. | 4:00 p.m. |
| Empire Blvd from Flatbush Ave to Bedford Ave | 4:00 a.m. | 10:30 a.m. |
| Sullivan Place from Washington Ave to Bedford Ave | 4:00 a.m. | 11:30 a.m. |
| Flatbush Ave from Eastern Parkway to Ocean Ave/Empire Blvd (South Side) |
5:30 a.m. | 11:30 a.m. |
| Flatbush Ave from Grand Army Plaza to Atlantic Ave | 5:30 a.m. | 11:30 a.m. |
| Flatbush Ave from Atlantic Ave to Tillary St | 5:30 a.m. | 11:45 a.m. |
| Tillary St from Adams St/Brooklyn Bridge Blvd to Gold St. | 5:30 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. |
| Tillary St from Cadman Plaza to Adams St (Eastbound) | 5:30 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. |
| Adams St (Brooklyn Bridge Blvd) from Fulton St to Brooklyn Bridge (Northbound) | 5:30 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. |
| Jay St from Willoughby St to Tillary St (Northbound) | 5:30 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. |
| Jay Street from Sands St to Tillary St (Southbound) | 5:30 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. |
| Sands St & Jay St from Jay St & Sand St to Brooklyn Bridge (Westbound) | 5:30 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. |
| Flatbush Ave extension from Flatbush Ave to Concord St (Southbound) | 5:30 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. |
| Pearl St from Prospect St to Sand St (Southbound) | 5:30 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. |
| BQE: Exit 29 B (Tillary St- Queens) Entrance / Exit Ramps | TBD | TBD |
| BQE: Exit 29 (Tillary St – Staten Island) Entrance / Exit Ramps | TBD | TBD |
| BQE Exit 28 A Cadman Plaza West/Brooklyn Bridge Exit Ramp | TBD | TBD |
| BQE: Exit 28 B Brooklyn Bridge Exit Ramp | TBD | TBD |
| FDR Drive from Brooklyn Bridge to 62 St (Northbound) | 5:40 a.m. | 1:30 p.m. |
| FDR Drive from Pearl St Entrance Ramp to Exit 9 – E 42nd St (Manhattan Northbound) | 5:40 a.m. | 1:30 p.m. |
| FDR Drive Montgomery St Entrance Ramp off Montgomery St to Exit 9 – E 42nd St (Manhattan bound – North) | 7:30 a.m. | 5:31 p.m. |
| W 63rd from Broadway to Central Park West | 5:40 a.m. | 1:30p.m. |
| Exit 7 – E 20-23rd St. Exit Ramp (Northbound traffic) | 5:40 a.m. | 1:30 p.m. |
| Exit 8 – E 34th St/Midtown Tunnel Entrance and Exit Ramps (Northbound traffic) | 5:40 a.m. | 1:30 p.m. |
| Exit 9 – E 42nd St (Northbound traffic) | 5:40 a.m. | 1:45 p.m. |
| 42nd St from 1st Ave to 7th Ave | 7:00 a.m. | 1:30 p.m. |
| 7th Ave from 42nd St to 56th St | 4:30 a.m. | 1:45 p.m. |
| 7th Ave from 56th St to Central Park South | 7:00 a.m. | 1:45 p.m. |
| 43rd St from 7th Ave to 6th Ave | 3:00 a.m. | 1:45 p.m. |
| 44th St from 7th Ave to 6th Ave | 3:00 a.m. | 1:45 p.m. |
| 45th St from 7th Ave to 6th Ave | 3:00 a.m. | 1:45 p.m. |
| 46th St from 7th Ave to 6th Ave | 3:00 a.m. | 1:45 p.m. |
| Central Park South from Columbus Circle to Grand Army Plaza | 7:15 a.m. | 2:00 p.m. |
| Central Park West from 59th St to 72nd St | 6:00 a.m. | 3:00 p.m. |
| W 61st St from Broadway to Central Park West | 6:00 a.m. | 3:00 p.m. |
| W 62nd from Broadway to Central Park West | 6:00 a.m. | 3:00 p.m. |
| W 63nd from Broadway to Central Park West | 6:00 a.m. | 3:00 p.m. |
| W 64th from Broadway to Central Park West | 6:00 a.m. | 3:00 p.m. |
You can learn more about road closures here.
Where are the best spots to watch?
Prime viewing spots to cheer on the runners are along Flatbush Avenue, in Times Square, or near the finish line in Central Park.
Other events
The Times Square Kids Run will also take place, featuring 1,500 children ages 2 to 18 racing on a closed course through Times Square. The event includes three stages: the first stage consists of non-competitive short dashes for children ages 2 to 11; the second stage is an untimed, non-competitive one-mile run for ages 8 to 18; and the third stage features a timed, competitive one-mile race for ages 12 to 18.
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