Almost 10,000 runners brave hot weather for NYRR Brooklyn Half Marathon

Runner after finishing, near Coney Island Parachute Jump, by, Jacob Breinholt

It was a warm day for a half marathon. But, that didn't deter nearly 10,000 runners from gathering in New York City's most populous borough today, to run 13.1 miles together. The race began at Prospect Park, where it made 2 loops before exiting on to Ocean Parkway, south to Coney Island. The finish line was  on the boardwalk, near the old "parachute jump" tower.

Although the weather was only in the mid sixties, at the starting gun, it warmed up quickly. The beginning section of the race stayed pretty cool, since it was early enough, that the trees provided a lot of good shade, for the course.

The section of the course that included Ocean Parkway, was very warm. It also seemed that the fluid stations were spaced a little bit too far apart during that section of the race, especially for running on pavement in such warm weather.

Another difficult aspect of the race, logistically, was dodging the lapped runners during the two roundabouts in Prospect Park. Supposedly, the runners who were still completing their first lap, were to run on the left, while those who were about to exit could pass on the right. It didn't go quite as smoothly as planned, as simple as it sounds. It was a little more like traffic on Broadway, during rush hour.

Despite the difficulties of the course, the race was extremely fun. The volunteers did a great job, especially given the number of participants. Having the finish line at Coney Island made the entire race worth it, especially since the weather was so beautiful.

Hector Rivera of Clifton New Jersey was the winner, clocking an impressive 1:08:20. Congratulations to all of the finishers and the volunteers for making the event such a great one. Full results can be seen here.