Get to the starting line by 9am at the East River State Park this Sunday to cheer on 200 half-marathoners in the inaugural Brooklyn Greenway Half.
The Brooklyn Greenway Half is two things: the only half-marathon on Brooklyn’s Waterfront Greenway, and, according to Brooklyn Greenway Inititative (BGI) race partner, South Brooklyn Running Club, “the best new race out there.”
Photo by Alan Tansey for the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative
The race is an out and back loop covering 13.1 miles, starting and finishing at North 7th between Kent Ave and the East River. The route winds along the waterfront over the completed and future portions of the Greenway, which follows the waterfront through south Williamsburg, around the Navy Yard, and through Brooklyn Bridge Park. Runners will start at 9 am and should complete the half-marathon in 1.5 – 3 hours.
By running the Brooklyn Greenway Half, participants will be supporting the planning and implementation of the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway, a 14-mile long recreation and transportation facility that will connect four regional parks and numerous new waterfront open spaces from Williamsburg to Sunset Park. So far, 5 miles have been completed.
The landscaped Greenway will be physically separated from traffic by different paths for pedestrians and cyclists. When complete, the Greenway will connect neighborhood parks and open spaces from Greenpoint to Bay Ridge.
The greenway is also a new model for urban design that addresses open space and sustainable transportation priorities while bringing needed environmental services to the Brooklyn waterfront. BGI is advancing a vision for a green infrastructure backbone that will, over time, reduce the release of raw sewage into the East River. In addition, BGI is pursuing restoration of native plant communities throughout the watershed.
Going forward, BGI’s primary role will be as the steward of the greenway, and already the organization has taken responsibility for several sections of the route through the Adopt-a-Highway program. BGI has grown into a membership organization with broad-based corporate and community support, and partnerships that span many disciplines.
Registration is closed (or sold-out), but volunteers are still needed. You can get more info and sign up here.
The Brooklyn Greenway Half Route
Brooklyn Greenway Half
Sunday, Oct. 20 at 9:00 am – noon
East River State Park
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