There was a celebration at the finish line as thousands of runners finished what they started.
“It meant a lot to me. It was my first run without my running partner who passed away suddenly and it marked my return to running,” participant Christopher Lawrence said. “I'm starting a new career and just trying to get back into the swing of things.”
Another participant, Luca Grigoletto, said, “I don't run half marathons, but my wife said why not run the Brooklyn Half. I said, okay, let's do it. Believe me. It was so bad that I couldn't do it,” he said.
The race, sponsored by the New York Road Runners, is a 21.1-mile tour of Brooklyn that starts at the Brooklyn Museum.
Runners went at their own pace around Grand Army Plaza and then continued uphill to Prospect Park. Then head along Ocean Parkway and finish the race at the Coney Island Boardwalk.
Organizers say the event is a staple in the community and has been going for more than 40 years. Lately, controversy has been brewing over the similarly named dueling half-marathons.
Saturday's event is being promoted as the “Brooklyn Half,” while the other event, hosted by the Brooklyn-based organization NYCRuns, is called the “Brooklyn Half Marathon.”
The New York Road Runners are suing the NYCRuns. NYRR alleges in its lawsuit that NYCRuns is “misleading consumers and taking advantage of the goodwill of Half Brooklyn.”
“There's a lot of confusion out there. A lot of people don't know which Brooklyn half they're signing up for when they sign up for this other Brooklyn half. That's why we filed the lawsuit. I think it would be great to have another half marathon in Brooklyn. We just want to make sure that people know what race they are signing up for when they sign up for the Brooklyn Half. ” said NYRR CEO Rob Schimmelkjar.
Some participants in Saturday's half marathon, part of the NYRR series of races, will qualify for November's New York City Marathon. Some run on the sidewalk representing Brooklyn-based running clubs, such as the Brooklyn Track Club.
The New York Road Runners also expanded opportunities for younger participants. Mile 12 is open to children ages 2 and up.