The RBC Brooklyn Half draws thousands of runners

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Saturday, May 18, 2024
The RBC Brooklyn Half draws thousands of runners
Janice Yu has more on the RBC Brooklyn Half.

BROOKLYN (WABC) -- More than 28,000 runners gathered for the RBC Brooklyn Half on Saturday.

The event, which has existed for over four decades, celebrates New York City's most populated borough and takes runners on a 13.1-mile tour past iconic sites, including the Brooklyn Museum, Grand Army Plaza, and Prospect Park, ending on the famous 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
  • Marcus Solis is live in Brooklyn with details on the Road Runners marathon.

    Known as the unofficial kickoff to summer, the RBC Brooklyn Half features thousands of runners from Brooklyn, many of whom are part of the borough's nearly 100 running clubs and highlight New York Road Runners' year-round presence in the borough.

    The event started in 1981 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.

    Many of the Brooklyn-based finishers are part of the nearly 100 run clubs in the borough.

    New York Road Runners, the New York City-based nonprofit, produces 60 adult and youth races annually, including the Brooklyn Half.

    The RBC Brooklyn Half also inspired the next generation of runners with more than 1,000 youth ages 2-18 participating in the free Boardwalk Kids Run dashes and one-mile races on Ocean Parkway.

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