Kipchumba and Lokedi rewrite history with event records in the men’s and women’s open divisions
More than 28,600 athletes complete iconic new course dedicated to an iconic city, running over the Brooklyn Bridge for the first time in New York Road Runners history
Notable and inspiring athletes including Ben Foster, Vinny Guadagnino, Humphrey Ker, and Patina Miller part of record-breaking race from Brooklyn to Manhattan
Times Square Kids Run features more than 1,600 youth dashing through the crossroads of the world
New York, March 16, 2025 – Records were broken at Sunday’s 2025 United Airlines NYC Half—the largest in event and New York Road Runners half marathon history with more than 28,500 finishers—as Abel Kipchumba and Sharon Lokedi captured the men’s and women’s open division titles in event record times. In the wheelchair division, Geert Schipper successfully defended his title and Manuela Schär returned to the top of the podium for the first time since 2022. Produced by nonprofit New York Road Runners (NYRR), the United Airlines NYC Half has been the world’s premier half marathon for nearly two decades and took athletes on a tour of Brooklyn and Manhattan, running over the Brooklyn Bridge for the first time in NYRR history. With more than 28,600 finishers, the 2025 United Airlines NYC Half rewrote history, officially becoming the nonprofit’s largest half marathon in its 67-year history.
Kipchumba, who won last year’s United Airlines NYC Half during his first-ever trip to New York City, stormed to victory again in an event record time of 59:09, running away from U.S. Olympians Conner Mantz and Hillary Bor in the last three miles. Mantz, who became the American half marathon record holder in January, improved his fourth-place finish in 2022 to place second in 59:15—the fastest-ever United Airlines NYC Half performance by an American—and wasfollowed by compatriot Bor in 59:55, who finished just off the podium in fourth last year.
“When I was coming for this second half marathon [in] New York, I was training for a marathon. I was well prepared … because you must prepare your psychology … Today the field was so strong, that told me to push more, and then I ran that 59:09,” Kipchumba said on NYRR Set the Pace Presented by Peloton.
Lokedi, the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon champion,surged in the final miles to take a commanding victory in an event record 1:07:04. She was joined on the podium by U.S. Olympian Fiona O’Keeffe—her first race since the 2024 Paris Olympic Marathon and the second fastest time by an American woman in race history—and British Olympian Calli Hauger-Thackery, who took bronze in the women’s half marathon at the 2024 European Athletics Championships. O’Keeffe and Hauger-Thackery ran 1:07:46 and 1:07:49, respectively.
“I’m so glad to have come with a win and, in a very magical race in a very magical place and…the course was awesome,” Lokedi saidon NYRR Set the Pace Presented by Pelotonafter her victory. “Honestly, I feel like every time I’m out here…It just brings something out of me.”
The Netherlands’ Geert Schipper successfully defended his men’s wheelchair division title in 49:53, more than two and a half minutes faster than runner-up American Evan Correll who ran 52:31 and Phillip Croft who made his first NYRR podium in 52:56.
“The reason I race is not [e]specially for winning. Winning, of course, gives a way better feeling, than being second, third or fourth,” Schipper said on NYRR Set the Pace Presented by Peloton. “But improving myself, that’s for me more important.”
Schär raced to her third United Airlines NYC Half title and first since 2022 in 54:09, the fourth-fastest time in event history. Team USA teammates Tatyana McFadden—the most decorated American track and field athlete of all time with 22 Paralympic medals—and Susannah Scaroni—a three-time United Airlines NYC Half and two-time TCS New York City Marathon champion—finished second and third in 58:14 and 58:44, respectively.
“I think it’s a really exciting time for the women’s field. And I’m so excited to see that and to still be part of it…It’s always fun to watch everybody race and break records and being part of it is amazing,” Schär said on NYRR Set the Pace Presented by Peloton
This year’s world-class professional athlete field featured athletes from 14 countries, 30 Olympians and Paralympians, and multiple national record holders.
Notable and Inspiring Runners
Among the more than 28,600 finishers were notable and inspiring runners, including former England and Manchester United soccer player Ben Foster who ran on behalf of the Wrexham FC Foundation, reality TV star Vinny Guadagnino, actor and comedian Humphrey Ker who ran in support of the Wrexham FC Foundation, Tony-award winning actor and singer Patina Miller who ran with the charity Room to Grow, and Shaunta-Maé Alexander, who ran her first-ever half marathon with NYRR Team for Kids and Peloton instructor Tunde Oyeneyin.
“Today was just another personal goal. I’m trying to conquer all the boroughs,” Guadagnino said. “We have a little slogan, Vinny runs the city. We want to keep doing big things in the running world.”
“There’s no other place like this city and running in the city is so wonderful,” Miller said. “This really is so inspiring that this organization [New York Road Runners] puts on stuff for everyone—no matter what you look like or how old you are, whatever your ailment or not, you’re pushing yourself and it’s nice to be a community.”
Times Square Kids Run
In addition to the adult race, more than 1,600 kids ages 2-18 finished the free Times Square Kids Run, one of more than 20 free Rising New York Road Runners youth events the nonprofit hosts during the year. Participants ran alongside the professional athletes and adult runners for short dashes and a one-mile race. Many finishers were members of Rising New York Road Runners, NYRR’s free running-based youth program that serves 200,000 students nationwide, including 100,000 across the five boroughs.
Commissioner’s Cup
For the third year, New York Road Runners hosted the Commissioner’s Cup during the United Airlines NYC Half, featuring teams from eight New York City partner agencies and the Mayor’s Office in a friendly competition to highlight their decades-long partnership with the nonprofit. The New York Police Department defended their title, making it a three-peat, followed by the New York Fire Department and the New York City Department of Sanitation. The Commissioners of each agency served as honorary captains, and the top three finishers from each city agency determined the scoring.
“We always look forward to this event, and it starts the NYPD training for the year leading up to the big day in November,” NYPD First Deputy Commissioner Tania Kinsella said after leading her squad to victory. “To my team, I have to say – no one does it better than the NYPD.”
The United Airlines NYC Half is one of 60 annual adult and youth races New York Road Runners produces and is known as the One to Run, with an iconic new course dedicated to an iconic city. Athletes started near the Brooklyn Museum, went over the Brooklyn Bridge—marking the first time an NYRR race has run across the Brooklyn Bridge—into Manhattan, up the FDR, continued through Times Square—one of only two times a year it is closed to traffic—and finished in Central Park.
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About New York Road Runners (NYRR)
A New York City-based nonprofit, New York Road Runners’ vision is to build healthier lives and stronger communities through the transformative power of running – serving nearly a half a million New Yorkers annually through its races, free community events, youth running initiatives, and school-based programs across the five boroughs. During its nearly 70 years, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization, producing more than 60 adult and youth races each year, including the TCS New York City Marathon. Held the first Sunday each November, the TCS New York City Marathon features more than 50,000 runners—from the world’s best professional athletes to a vast range of runners across experience levels, ages, genders, abilities, and backgrounds. To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.