The 2026 United Airlines NYC Half set a record as the largest half marathon in New York Road Runners history with 30,229 finishers celebrating the start of spring racing season.
On a chilly and overcast morning, athletes ran a spectacular course that started near the Brooklyn Museum, ran through Prospect Park and down Flatbush Avenue, crossed the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan, and continued up the FDR Drive and through Times Square to the finish line in Central Park.
Hellen Obiri of Kenya, Adriaan Wildschutt of South Africa, Eden Rainbow-Cooper of Great Britain, and Daniel Romanchuk of the United States broke the finish tapes, leading a pro field that featured dozens of Olympians and Paralympians. Read a full pro field report here. Find complete race results here.
Obiri, who set an event record, previously won the United Airlines NYC Half in 2023 and is also the reigning champion and course record holder of the TCS New York City Marathon. Wildschutt was racing for the first time in New York City. Rainbow-Cooper was third in the 2024 United Airlines NYC Half and fourth in the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon. Romanchuk won the United Airlines NYC Half in 2019 and 2022.
Today’s champions spoke about what it took to conquer the course on the NYRR Set the Pace podcast livestream shortly after the race.
Check out their interviews below.
More than 1,500 youth runners took part in short dashes and a 1-mile run at the Times Square Kids Run at the United Airlines NYC Half, running alongside the adult race. Check out Stage 3 results here.
Again this year, a group of runners raised money for NYRR Team for Climate during the United Airlines NYC Half to deliver a more environmentally friendly racing experience for all runners. Team for Climate is part of NYRR’s commitment to ensuring future generations have access to clean air, green spaces, and a healthy environment to run in.
Other finishers ran with NYRR Team for Kids to help fund NYRR youth and community programs, which have empowered more than 2.5 million kids since 2002 to lead healthier, more active lives.
A Commissioner’s Cup race-within-a-race took place for members of eight NYC agencies and the Mayor’s Office. The NYPD defended their 2025 title.
Notable and inspiring runners at this year’s United Airlines NYC Half included Justin Britt, retired NFL offensive lineman who is coached by professional runner Emily Venters; Jordan Litz, former Fiyero in “Wicked” on Broadway; N.O.R.E, hip hop artist; Tiki Barber, New York Giants legend; Brandon Allmon-Jackson, Broadway stage manager diagnosed with stage four colon cancer and running with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS; Kade Cahe, sustainability advocate and nonbinary athlete running with NYRR Team for Climate; Safiatu Diagana, Queens-based NYRR Run for the Future alum running her first half marathon while fasting for Ramadan; and Julia Khvasechko, a brain cancer survivor who ran as an NYRR pacer and fundraised for Fred’s Team at Memorial Sloan Kettering.
“The United Airlines NYC Half is one of the most special days of the year at New York Road Runners and in New York City,” said Rob Simmelkjaer, New York Road Runners CEO. “From first-time runners to Olympians and Paralympians, we’re proud to welcome more than 30,000 athletes to experience our iconic streets, drive economic impact to the city, and inspire the next generation—including the young athletes participating in the Times Square Kids Run—to believe in every step.”
For the first time, New York Road Runners hosted the United Airlines NYC Half Expo Presented by New Balance at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, which is also home to the TCS New York City Marathon Expo.
New York Road Runners’ new logo was on full display at the United Airlines NYC Half. The first race to feature the new mark across signage and event materials, the United Airlines NYC Half also featured refreshed race branding highlighting the New York City skyline and the iconic Brooklyn Bridge.
The year-round NYRR App Developed by TCS amplified the race-day experience for runners, spectators, and supporters. Users could track race participants in real time, find course maps, and stay informed on key race information.
The NYC Half began in 2006 as a race held in Manhattan in August. It became a spring event in 2010, adopted a Brooklyn-to-Manhattan course in 2018, and ran over the Brooklyn Bridge for the second time. United Airlines has been the title sponsor since 2015.
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