WHAT: Today, New York Road Runners (NYRR), the nonprofit that “runs” New York City producing 60 annual adult and youth races including the TCS New York City Marathon and providing free year-round youth and community programs, hosted a press conference previewing Sunday’s United Airlines NYC Half—the world’s premier half marathon and the largest in the U.S.
In line with the Mayor’s Office’s commitment to access and affordability, New York Road Runners announced an expansion of its NYRR Race Free program during the press conference, giving more New Yorkers the opportunity to participate in New York Road Runners events without cost being a barrier. The nonprofit will double the number of people served to 2,000 participants in 2027, prioritizing low-income New Yorkers who live in under-resourced neighborhoods, and this year give existing Race Free participants additional free access to more New York Road Runners races, with 4,000 entries. In 2025, the program provided 3,000 complimentary race entries to more than 1,000 qualifying New Yorkers.
To celebrate the United Airlines NYC Half, the press conference featured speakers and photo opportunities with New York Road Runners leadership and participants in Sunday’s race, including representatives from the New York City Mayor’s Office and agency partners competing in the Commissioners’ Cup; Olympians and Paralympians; youth runners from the Rising New York Road Runners Youth Ambassadors program who will be participating in the Times Square Kids Run; and inspiring United Airlines NYC Half runners.
| VIDEO: | LINK |
| BROLL United Airlines NYC Half Press Preview guests mingling | |
| SOUNDBITES (in order of appearance) Rob Simmelkjaer, New York Road Runners CEO (0:23-1:36) Julia Kerson, New York City Deputy Mayor of Operations (1:42-2:49) Ted Metellus, New York Road Runners Chief Event Production Officer & Race Director (2:55-3:55) Sophia Garzon-Chabel and Isaiah Collazo, Rising New York Road Runners Youth Ambassadors (4:01-7:31) Grant Fisher, U.S. Olympic bronze medalist (7:37-8:45) | |
| ADDITIONAL GUESTS IN ATTENDANCE Lillian Bonsignore – FDNY Commissioner Tricia Shimamura – NYC Parks Commissioner Mike Flynn – NYC DOT Commissioner Javier Lojan – DSNY Commissioner Marty Fatooh – NYC Environmental Protection Manhattan Borough Commissioner Jermaine Robinson – New York City Public Schools Chief of Staff to First Deputy Chancellor Agnes Ngetich – 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships gold medalist, world 10K record holder, and the second-fastest half marathoner in history Daniel Romanchuk – Three-time TCS New York City Marathon champion and four-time Paralympic medalist | |
| PHOTOS: | LINK |
| CREDIT: | New York Road Runners |
ABOUT THE UNITED AIRLINES NYC HALF:
More than 30,000 runners of all ages and abilities are expected for the 2026 United Airlines NYC Half, taking place Sunday, March 15. First run in 2006, the United Airlines NYC Half, known as the One to Run, is now the world’s premier half marathon and the largest in the U.S., with a record-breaking 28,709 finishers in 2025.
The race takes runners on a 13.1-mile park-to-park tour of New York City, starting near Prospect Park in Brooklyn and ending in Central Park. For the second year in a row, the course will take athletes across the Brooklyn Bridge—the only race in history to do so—before passing Grand Central Terminal and running through Times Square—one of two times a year the Crossroads of the World is closed to traffic.
The United Airlines NYC Half, alongside the TCS New York City Marathon and the 30+ other adult races New York Road Runners produces year-round, helps contribute nearly $1 billion to the city’s economy.