COURSE
The course begins in Times Square at 47th and Broadway, runs north through Manhattan, over the Henry Hudson Bridge into the Bronx, through trails, parks, greenways and waterside paths, over the Triborough Bridge into Queens, through the Queens park corridor, including Flushing Meadows Park/Unisphere, then to Rockaway Beach, Coney Island, and the Brooklyn Bridge back to Manhattan and Times Square at 42nd and Broadway.
The course will be marked with arrows on the ground but runners must be alert and attentive to markings and directions to avoid a wrong turn. Note that some sections will not be marked: the start through the exit of Central Park, the Rockaway and Coney Island Boardwalks/Promenades, and the bridges, although the bridge approaches and exits will be marked. Trail sections might be marked with yellow ribbons, signage, or other methods. The terrain is generally flat to gently rolling, a total of approximately 3,000 feet of total elevation change, with the biggest hills coming in the first 15 miles up through Van Cortlandt Park, and the larger bridges that are crossed. There is about a mile and a half of trails in Riverdale Park, about three miles of trails in Van Cortlandt Park, a short crushed gravel section in the South Bronx, and a short trail section in Alley Pond Park, otherwise the course is all paved. There are some sections in parks and on greenways where you can run on the grass alongside the pavement, which is allowed (but not on people’s lawns). I’ve tried to minimize running on streets with traffic as much as possible, but NOTE that much of the final 10 miles is run on streets where there may be heavy vehicular and/or pedestrian traffic, which is part of the “urban adventure” aspect of the race, so prepare to take extra care in traffic when you’re exhausted near the end.
There were course changes for 2021 in northern Manhattan and the Bronx, from miles 10-34, most of which will be retained for 2022. The Orchard Beach loop has been eliminated, and additional trail sections have been added in Riverdale Park and Van Cortlandt Park. We also added some waterfront pathways in south Bronx. We will resume the section from 2020 and before after leaving Sound View Park, to include Garrison Ave. and Bruckner Blvd. There will likely be a minor course change on the Vanderbilt Motorway in Queens due to construction. We will keep an eye on other construction or necessary detours and keep you apprised.
The digital map measures just over 99 miles, but some sections, particularly the trail sections, might not be accurately detailed by GPS. Measured on foot, the course comes to just over 100 miles. Runners will be emailed gpx files and written directions. Printed directions will also be given to runners at check-in.
The map of the 2021 course is below, and it can also be accessed on Map My Run or on Garmin from the links below:
AID STATIONS
1. Manhattanville - 5.39 miles
2. Riverdale - 11.49 miles
3. Van Cortlandt Park - 16.81 miles
4. Pelham Parkway - 21.9 miles
5. Zerega Ave. - 26.87 miles
6. Sound View Park - 31.51 miles
7. Astoria - 36.96 miles
8. World's Fair Marina - 41.53 miles
9. Little Bay Park - 46.22 miles
10. Alley Pond Park - 51.02 miles
11. Kissena Corridor Park - 55.93 miles
12. Forest Park/100 K - 61.96 miles
13. Addabbo Bridge - 66.22 miles
14. Rockaway Beach - 71.1 miles
15. Jacob Riis Park - 75.23 miles
16. Sheepshead Bay - 80.47 miles
17. Bensonhurst Park - 84.91 miles
18. Leif Ericson Park - 90.12 miles
19. Borough Hall - 95.14 miles