Organizers say this year’s “United Airlines NYC Half” marathon shattered a record with the most finishers for a half marathon in New York Road Runners history.
30,229 finishers made the journey from near the Brooklyn Museum, through Prospect Park, across the Brooklyn Bridge and into Manhattan Sunday.
Kenya’s Hellen Obiri, who is also the defending TCS New York City Marathon champion, captured her second Half women’s open division title. Adriaan Wildschutt took the men’s open division in his New York Road Runners debut — becoming the first man from South Africa to do so. England’s Eden Rainbow-Cooper won her first NYC Half title with the largest margin of victory in event history, while Daniel Romanchuk of the U.S. claimed his third men’s wheelchair division title.
Obiri beat out defending NYC Half champion Sharon Lokedi and set a new event record of 1:06:33, with one of the largest margins of victory in event history.
Five American women cracked the top 10, with American marathon record holder Emily Sisson’s leading the way to a sixth-place finish in 1:09:06. She was followed by Amanda Vestri, Annie Frisbie, Susanna Sullivan, and Emily Venters.
In addition to the adult race, nearly 2,000 kids took part in free dashes and races in the Times Square Kids Run, one of more than 20 free Rising New York Road Runners youth events the nonprofit hosts during the year.