13,969 runners to be accepted through entry drawing for signature NYRR Five-Borough Series event today, December 8; professional athlete field to be announced in early 2017
Race will be broadcast live in the New York area on WABC-TV, Channel 7
New York, December 8, 2016 - On Sunday, March 19, 2017, the streets of New York City will come alive with 20,000 runners from around the globe who will take on 13.1 miles through Manhattan at the 2017 United Airlines NYC Half. Simultaneously, 1,000 youth runners will race in the third annual NYRR Times Square Youth Run at the United Airlines NYC Half. The half-marathon general runner field will be selected in an entry drawing today, December 8, while the professional athlete field will be announced in early 2017. The race will be broadcast live in the New York area on WABC-TV, Channel 7 and on various broadcast outlets around the world.
"We’re thrilled to once again welcome the world to the streets of Manhattan for the 12th running of the United Airlines NYC Half, one of our most iconic Five Borough Series events of the year," said Peter Ciaccia, president of events for New York Road Runners and race director of the TCS New York City Marathon. "This race is a celebration of the spirit of our great city. Twenty thousand runners from across the globe join a world-class pro athlete field in a one-of-a-kind race past cheering supporters on the streets, and seen by viewers around the world on our live TV broadcast."
The field will be made up of both guaranteed and non-guaranteed entrants. Runners received guaranteed entry through a variety of methods, which are detailed here. Non-guaranteed entrants are being secured through a drawing today. The application period for all entrants opened on October 20, 2016, and closed on December 1, 2016.
13,969 runners will be added to the race field through the non-guaranteed entry drawing. A total of 39,910 applications were received for the drawing. The selected runners represent approximately 35% of the non-guaranteed drawing applicants. Approximately 20,000 runners are expected to finish the 2016 United Airlines NYC Half.
"Running through the streets of Manhattan in the United Airlines NYC Half is an amazing experience," said Michael Capiraso, president and CEO of New York Road Runners. "Through the great support of our title partner United Airlines, adults and kids alike will create memories of a lifetime. From the next generation of runners participating in the Times Square Youth Run to the thousands of charity runners such as NYRR’s Team for Kids who are all raising funds to have an impact in the community, we look forward to an inspiring day."
This year’s United Airlines NYC Half field will feature runners from the United States and more than 90 other countries around the world. The race starts in Central Park, heads uptown through Harlem then back through famed Times Square to the finish line near Wall Street in downtown Manhattan.
As runners traverse the half-marathon course, 1,000 youth runners from schools across New York City will simultaneously run in the third annual NYRR Times Square Youth Run at the United Airlines NYC Half, a 1500-meter out-and-back course through the heart of Times Square. Many of the young runners participate in NYRR’s free, year-round youth running programs and events that serve more than 215,000 youth across the country annually.
Runners who are not accepted through the drawing, and those who did not apply during the application period, still have an opportunity to run the 2017 United Airlines NYC Half through NYRR’s Team for Kids (here), the United Airlines NYC Half’s largest charity which raises funds to support NYRR’s free, year-round youth running programs across the country, or through an official United Airlines NYC Half charity partner (here). Runners who have been accepted into the race can also raise money for charity—NYRR Team for Kids, any official charity partner, or a charity of their choice by using CrowdRise. Approximately 2,900 charity runners participating in the 2017 United Airlines NYC Half raised nearly $5 million to help more than 130 organizations support their missions and services.
About New York Road Runners (NYRR)
Founded in 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization, whose mission is to help and inspire people through running. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, community events, youth running initiatives, school programs, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people each year, from children to seniors, with the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR’s premier event, and the largest marathon in the world, is the TCS New York City Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features 50,000 runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. To learn more, visit NYRR.org.
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