The Experience Brooklyn Half, hosted by NYC Runs, is definitely a challenging course and one that requires a strategy. While the half has arguably always been the marquis race of the NYC Runs event, the elimination of the full marathon this year puts full focus on the 13.1 distance. The course features several of Brooklyn's more popular run routes, but the twists and turns will make this course challenging even for those who run these streets daily. If you're looking to do your best, don’t wing it.
The course can be roughly divided into two sections for purposes of geography and topography:
- Section 1: Waterfront Scenery and Settling In (Start to Mile 7)
- Start at McCarren Park,
- Run north through Greenpoint,
- Turn toward the water and follow the coast through Dumbo, and
- Make your way through Brooklyn Heights and Downtown Brooklyn on your way to Flatbush Avenue.
- Section 2: The Hard Work (Miles 7 to the Finish)
- Head toward Grand Army Plaza,
- Do an out and back on Eastern Parkway, and
- Enter Prospect Park from the south and finish about 2/3 of a counterclockwise loop in.
Here is the course from a bird's eye view.
PRE RACE
Be sure to check the NYCRUNS page for up-to-date information, but I will share the most pertinent information here.
- There is no bag check on race morning. Bag check can ONLY be done at the Expo.
- The entry point to McCarren Park is at 8th Street and Bedford Avenue. Unlike previous years, there are no other entry points.
- You are assigned a wave and corral based on the time you submitted and the event you entered but you can move within your wave once you get there should you wish.
- Wave 1: 7:00 AM Start (Corrals close at 6:20)
- Wave 2: 7:30 AM Start (Corrals close at 7:10)
- Wave 3: 8:05 AM Start (Corrals close at 7:50)
- Wave 4: 8:40 AM Start (Corrals close at 8:30)
Previous years have seen delayed and somewhat disorganized starts to the race, so plan accordingly and allow extra time. Getting there early to take care of all your business seems like an incredibly important (if not necessary) strategy.
SECTION 1: WATERFRONT SCENERY AND SETTLING IN (START TO MILE 7)
Course Description: This section is largely flat and mostly aligned to the coastline of Brooklyn. It's a relatively gentle and scenic way to start your race.
Once the gun goes off, you'll start right at the corner of McCarren Park. You'll run north on Manhattan Ave, starting slightly uphill and then switching to equivalently downhill from Greenpoint Avenue. You'll then turn left and head west toward the East River. My guess is that you'll barely notice this up and down given how early it is.
Early turns in a race are never high on my list of course features, and unless you're in the front of Wave 1 (and possibly 3) you'll likely be navigating crowds here. Don't worry about running tangents this early--it's generally not worth the extra energy to fight for a line, so just stay alert and be as efficient as possible.
After the turns of mile 1 you will have several unremarkably flat miles through remarkable scenery. You follow the coastline, passing through Williamsburg (via Kent Ave), Brooklyn Navy Yard (via Flushing Ave) and Dumbo, all going under the BMW of NYC Bridges in reverse order (Williamsburg, Manhattan, and Brooklyn). In the Dumbo area, a couple of the streets have cobblestones, but this is brief. Just keep your wits about you.
Almost as soon as you pass underneath Brooklyn Bridge, you'll make a definitive turn at around mile 5.75 on Old Fulton Street, which turns into Cadman Plaza. This is really your first hill and is 0.5 miles, following which you get another flat mile. This section is mostly...uninteresting. You pass the courthouse and then run on Fulton Mall. The real elevation work of this race lies ahead, for both half and full marathon courses. But by now you're almost 1/2 done (woohoo!), at mile 6, and staring at the bottom of Flatbush Ave you face mile-long hill.
Race Strategy: The course gets progressively harder the deeper you get, so unlike most races, I’d actually plan on a little positive split on this one. Your ability to self-assess your effort in the first third will be very helpful here, and I suggest banking a little time when you can but saving some energy for the late hills in miles 7-12. Here’s how I’d approach Section 1:
Given that the start is usually a little chaotic, I’d advise using the first 2.5 miles until you get to Kent to settle in, not worrying too much about the pace or jostling for position as you navigate the early turns. This section of the course is bound to be a little crowded no matter which wave you’re in, so let this work to your advantage and resist the urge to go out too hard. Once you make the turn onto Kent, you’ll have 2.5 flat and relatively straight miles to lock in your pace and cruise. I’d aim to be on pace or even 5 seconds faster from about mile 2.5 through mile 5.
As you navigate the turns in Dumbo, focus on running the tangents when possible and maintaining a steady pace. The climb up to Fulton at Mile 5 is a good point to check in with yourself and adjust your effort in preparation for the work to come. You’re more than a third done at this point, but probably three quarters of the work is still ahead of you.
SECTION 2: THE HARD WORK (MILES 7 TO FINISH)
Course Description: Section 2 is the hard work, and the literal turning point in the race. For the rest of the course you’ve got almost nothing flat left and you need to mentally prepare for that.
Section 1 ends with the one mile uphill on Flatbush. To put this in perspective, the famed Heartbreak Hill of the Boston Marathon is 0.6 miles long and has an elevation gain of 88 feet. The section of Flatbush you will be running is 1 mile long, and is 131 feet of gain. Halfway into the hill, you will have covered...80 feet of gain. So you basically run the equivalent of Heartbreak Hill (albeit with lots of flat miles before it) and then do that again. Enjoy! :) The good news is that you're doing this at Mile 7 rather than 21, as in the case of the Boston Marathon.
Once you get to Grand Army Plaza (GAP), you'll do your first out and back section of the course. Honestly, this section seems to have been added to get the mileage of the course just right. Eastern Parkway is net downhill on the way out, but undulating overall. On the way back to Grand Army Plaza, it is equally undulating and net uphill. The main drawback of Eastern Parkway is that it is entirely exposed. As you’re facing east on the way out, you’ll have the sun right in your face.
You'll then run south on Flatbush between Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, veering right on Ocean at Mile 10. This will be a welcome downhill to power you into the final stretch of your race. At long last, you’ll make another sharp turn to enter Prospect Park from the south and turn northward. Mile 11 brings you just south of Center Drive, which marks the bottom of Battle Pass Hill. Run the tangents on the S-curve as you make the last climb of the race and you'll cut off precious meters and seconds. When you see the traffic light at the top of the hill, the worst is over and it's a flat to downhill cruise to the finish line on Center Drive.
Race Strategy: Flatbush is the hardest climb in the course, and given its position at mile 7 and the lack of commensurate downhill afterward, there is little advantage to hammering this section. Keep your eyes up, your shoulders down, and focus on maintaining an even effort as you approach GAP. Note that you will have the sun mostly in your face here if it is a sunny day.
Once you round the GAP arch, you’re entering the most technical miles of the course. Stay focused here! This is the final 5 miles of the race, so be tactical with what you’ve got left in the tank. Knowing that the final mile is downhill, you can afford to be a little aggressive in miles 8 and 9 on Eastern Parkway and heading down Flatbush. Keep it controlled, though. The hairpin turn at mile 10.5 will require awareness, and if you’ve done your job, many runners will be slowing down while you're powering through. Again, keep your wits about you! Once you reenter Prospect, find your stride and dig deep for the last hill. At the top, open up your stride and burn that last mile down! Running the tangents on West Drive can save you valuable time, but remember to veer left as you approach Center Drive for the finish.
WHAT THE SUN IS DOING
The sun will be at your back for most of Section 1. In Section 2, you have lots of turns and are in Prospect Park, so at times the sun will be in your face (like Flatbush and outbound on Eastern Parkway), and at your back at other times (like returning to GAP and in parts of the park).
The following shows the angle of the sun at 9:15 AM.
No matter what, you’re covering a good distance over a good period of time in lots of exposed areas. Lather up on that sunscreen!
NOTES ON COURSE AMENITIES
There will be hydration stations with water and Lemon-Lime Gatorade about every 1.5 miles, which means that many are not located at mile markers. Keep your eyes peeled both for the stations and their associated congestion. There is no mention of gels being provided, so plan accordingly and carry your own.
FINAL THOUGHTS FROM TEAM BAKLINE
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