25,000 Runners Expected For America’s Fastest Growing Race Featuring Key Course Enhancements, More Charity Runners Supporting Local Causes, And A New Hub For Brooklyn-Based Businesses
Race Partner Oatly To Keep Runners On Their Toes With The Halfway Halftime Show And Half-A-Finisher-Area
Brooklyn, New York (April 23, 2025) – A record number of runners will hit the streets of Brooklyn for the 2025 NYCRUNS Brooklyn Experience Half Marathon this Sunday, April 27, it was announced today by Steve Lastoe, CEO & Founder of NYCRUNS, the event’s owner and operator.
“We’re ready for Brooklyn’s best day,” said Lastoe. “We’re expecting 25,000 runners from around the world to take to the streets of NYC’s greatest borough with the help of an amazing group of city agencies, NYCRUNS staff, volunteers, vendors, event partners, and local businesses. We’ll have runners of all ages and abilities running for local charitable causes, personal goals, or just to experience running Brooklyn in a one-of-a-kind way.”
The NYCRUNS Brooklyn Experience Half Marathon takes runners on an authentic Brooklyn journey along historic streets, through legendary neighborhoods, and under iconic bridges with spectacular skyline views. The race starts in popular North Brooklyn on the border of Williamsburg and Greenpoint and winds around the East River waterfront under the historic Williamsburg, Manhattan, and Brooklyn Bridges. The route then heads from DUMBO through downtown Brooklyn, up the historic concourses of Fulton Street and Flatbush Avenue before passing through Grand Army Plaza and ending in Prospect Park with a celebratory finish in the Nethermead lawn.
Along the way, runners will be celebrated by race partner Oatly, the world’s original and largest oatmilk company. In a first for the race, Oatly has created The Halfway Halftime Show to energize runners halfway through their run. Located just past the halfway point of the race (at the corner of Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues), the runners’ “better halfs” will be taken care of as well with free cold brew with Oatly Barista. After the race, runners will bask in their achievement with Oatly at the Half-A-Finish-Area with free swag and recovery smoothies. Runners can also expect to be both entertained and educated on Oatly’s climate impact each step of the “half” way.
An impressive group of race partners will join Oatly in enhancing the runner experience, including smartwater, Threes Brewing, The Walking Dead: Dead City, Lucky Energy, Deliciously Ella Oat Bars, and Smorgasburg. Additionally, runners and their friends and families are being introduced to a number of Brooklyn-based small businesses through the NYCRUNS Brooklyn Experience Local Business Initiative.
The event is a platform for runners participating in the NYCRUNS Local Charity Running Program, featuring more runners supporting local causes than ever before.
There will be winners in five divisions: Women’s, Men’s, Nonbinary, Wheelchair, and Handcycle. A range of elite runners are expected to compete, including runners from the NYCRUNS Local Elite Athlete Program.
The NYCRUNS Brooklyn Experience Half Marathon Expo will take place at ZeroSpace (345 Butler Street) in Gowanus, Brooklyn, from Thursday, April 24 – Saturday, April 26. This is where runners pick up their official race bib and race shirt, learn more about the race, shop for official race merchandise, and visit with vendors.
Launched in 2011 as the NYCRUNS Brooklyn Marathon with 262 finishers running multiple loops around Prospect Park, the half marathon was added in 2018. In 2023, the event became a standalone half marathon, setting a new event record in 2024 with 21,726 finishers.
The Official NYCRUNS Brooklyn Experience Half Marathon App is available for download at the Apple App Store and Google Play. The free app provides runners and their supporters with live runner tracking, an interactive event map, the Go Local! hub connecting runners with small Brooklyn-based businesses, and much more.
For more information on the 2025 NYCRUNS Brooklyn Experience Half Marathon, go to the event website at brooklynexperience.com or visit the event on social @brooklynexperiencehalf.
Check here for information about street closures and impacts on parking in neighborhoods along the course.