New York City Mayor’s Office and agency partners, Olympians, Paralympians, and Rising New York Road Runners Youth Ambassadors join New York Road Runners to kick off world’s premier half marathon with 27,000+ athletes anticipated.

The Press Preview ahead of the 2025 United Airlines NYC Half—one of 60 annual adult and youth races produced by New York Road Runners (NYRR), the nonprofit that runs New York City—will serve as the kickoff to race weekend for the world’s premier half marathon. To celebrate the race’s iconic course, which runs over the Brooklyn Bridge and through Times Square—one of only two times a year Times Square is closed to traffic—the Press Preview will feature speakers and photo opportunities with the “Crossroads of the World” as the backdrop. Participants will include New York Road Runners leadership, New York City Mayor’s Office and agency partners, Olympians, Paralympians, and youth runners from NYRR’s Rising New York Road Runners Youth Ambassadors program. The event will be followed by one-on-one interview opportunities as requested.   

WHO:  

  • Rob Simmelkjaer: CEO, New York Road Runners 
  • Ted Metellus: Chief Event Production Officer & Race Director, New York Road Runners
  • Fabien Levy: New York City Deputy Mayor for Communications
  • Tania Kinsella: First Deputy Commissioner, NYPD 
  • Robert Tucker: Commissioner, FDNY 
  • Sue Donoghue: Commissioner, NYC Parks 
  • Ydanis Rodriguez: Commissioner, NYC DOT  
  • Javier Lojan: Commissioner, DSNY
  • Rising New York Road Runners Youth Ambassadors: Members of NYRR’s free public-speaking program for New York City youth
  • Conner Mantz: 2024 U.S. Olympian and American half marathon record holder
  • Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal: Defending United Airlines NYC Half champion and four-time Olympian
  • Susannah Scaroni: Defending three-time United Airlines NYC Half champion, defending and two-time TCS New York City Marathon champion, and six-time Paralympic medalist  

 

2025 UNITED AIRLINES NYC HALF FAST FACTS:

  • Nonprofit New York Road Runners will host more than 27,000 athletes of all ages and abilities during the United Airlines NYC Half Sunday, March 16.
  • For nearly two decades, the United Airlines NYC Half has been the world’s premier half marathon and will take athletes on a 13.1-mile tour of Brooklyn and Manhattan.
  • The race, known as the One to Run, features an iconic new course dedicated to an iconic city, with athletes starting near the Brooklyn Museum, going over the Brooklyn Bridge—marking the first time an NYRR race has run across the Brooklyn Bridge—into Manhattan, up the FDR, continuing through Times Square—one of only two times a year it is closed to traffic—and finishing in Central Park. 
  • Professional athletes from 14 countries—including 30 Olympians and Paralympians, several national record holders, and all four 2024 United Airlines NYC Half defending champions—will be participating.
  • Members of eight New York City government agencies and the Mayor’s Office will participate in the second year of the expanded Commissioner’s Cup, a friendly competition within the United Airlines NYC Half to highlight their decades-long partnership with NYRR. Two-time reigning champions from the NYPD will look to defend their title.
  • Also taking place in Times Square during the United Airlines NYC Half is the Times Square Kids Run, one of more than 20 free Rising New York Road Runners youth events the nonprofit hosts during the year to encourage kids to be physically active and build their confidence to cross any finish line. More than 1,500 kids will participate in dashes and races alongside the professional athletes and adult runners for a fun and rewarding experience.
  • To enhance the race-day experience, participants, spectators, and supporters can download the new year-round NYRR App Developed by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to track runners, view live leaderboards, get race-day information, alerts and course maps, and watch live coverage of the professional athlete field. The app beta launched in time for the United Airlines NYC Half and will be used for every event on the NYRR calendar, keeping users connected to every race, runner, and milestone with one convenient app.