The NYC Running Blog

Last night, NYRR leader Mary Wittenberg has posted a message to a thread in the NYRR Facebook group about the New York City Half Marathon:

We are finalizing the date for the NYC Half. Due to some conflicts, the date will not be August 30. Expecting to finalize by the end of this week. If we have an option, share your thoughts – what’s better – mid july or mid august?

Mary also posted the to the group’s wall about general scheduling difficulties:

Let me take this chance to share with you a recent challenge. This year, for a few reasons, has been especially hard in terms of finalizing and maintaining the race schedule. Please know that it is not from lack of trying by us or our city partners. Some quick updates for you – Brooklyn is May 30. The NYC Half date should be finalized within the next week or two. Thanks for your patience. keep running, Mary

Two significant changes have been made to the New York Road Runner’s calendar that may affect New York City area runners’ racing plans:

• The 2009 NYC Half Marathon is no longer listed on the calendar (it was previously scheduled for August 30th).
• The Queens Half Marathon was moved from August 9th to September 20th, which is also the day of the Continental Airlines 5th Avenue Mile.

UPDATE 3/31/09: The Continental Airlines 5th Avenue mile has been moved to September 26th.

Nike has a few more ways to get entry into the NYC Half-Marathon.  While the information is somewhat vague, it seems that the basic idea is that the more you run the Nike training runs, try their shoes, use Nike+, log a run with the runner’s station or bring a friend to a training run, the more of a chance you have at getting entry into the race in August.

For those of you who did not make it into the NYC Half-Marathon in the lottery, Nike will be holding a raffle for entries into to the race (and other prizes) after a training run on the evening of Thursday, May 31st. This is according to an e-mail sent out by Nike last night. The training run will convene at Pier I Cafe at West 70th Street and the Hudson River at 6:30 p.m.

NYRR has announced that the NYC Half-Marathon lottery results will be posted and e-mailed this evening at 5:00 p.m. Also tonight is the American Heart Association Start! Wall Street Run & Heart Walk at 6:30 p.m. in the Financial District.

Registration for the NYC Half-Marathon will be closing at 11:59 p.m. on this Wednesday, May 16th.  For those that do not have guaranteed entry into the race, lottery results will be available on Tuesday, May 22nd.

This year’s NYC Half-Marathon will have three preferred start corrals.  From the race information page on the NYRR site:

To be eligible for one of the three preferred start corrals you must have run a 10K race or longer in 2006 at a 7:20 pace/mile or better if you are male, or 8:20 or better if you are female.

NYRR has has posted details regarding the 2007 NYC Half-Marathon to their website. The application processing fee is $5, and is non-refundable, even if you are not accepted into the race. If you are accepted, the registration fee is $65 for NYRR members and $75 for nonmembers. In addition to the guaranteed entry through running four out of five half-marathons in the 2006 Half-Marathon Grand Prix series, there will also be guaranteed entry through raising charity funds for Team For Kids and through certain qualifying times listed on the site. The application appears to be available now.

NYC Running Blog readers who have run at least four out of five half-marathons in the 2006 Half-Marathon Grand Prix Series are reporting that they have received e-mails informing them that they have guaranteed entry for the 2007 NYC Half-Marathon. This confirms the previously posted rumor.

Another rumor regarding the NYC Half-Marathon: Runners who have completed a four out of five half-marathons in the 2006 Grand Prix Series will have guaranteed entry as well as those with certain qualifying times. NYC Running Blog is unsure of the accuracy of these claims.