NYC Half

Racing it

1. 01

   Hold back in Brooklyn

   The first 5.4 km climb 27 m out of Brooklyn, so keep the effort controlled before the East River crossing rather than chasing the crowd early.

   From the elevation profile

2. 02

   Use the long descent

   From km 5.4 to 13.1 the route drops 32 m through Manhattan and Times Square — the stretch to find rhythm and let the legs turn over.

   From the elevation profile

3. 03

   Dress for a cold start

   The 07:30 start typically meets 5°C, so wear layers you can shed and keep moving in the start area rather than standing still.

   From the start time, temperature

4. 04

   Plan the point-to-point

   The race runs from Brooklyn to a Central Park finish, so sort travel to the start and a meeting point at the finish before race morning.

   From the layout

5. 05

   Save something for the park

   The closing 5 km lose 15 m on rolling park roads, with km 16.1 to 20.1 dropping 17 m, so keep enough in reserve to finish strongly.

   From the elevation profile

In New York

• Subway on race morning

  Road closures make the subway the practical way to the Brooklyn start and back from Central Park; trains are busy before the gun.

• Where to watch

  Spectators gather along the Manhattan avenues, in Times Square and at the Central Park finish; crossing the course mid-race is hard.

• After the finish

  A slow walk in Central Park or along Brooklyn's waterfront helps afterwards, and the street grid makes moving between districts easy.