If you haven’t heard, this year’s NYC Half Marathon, a huge annual race organized by New York Road Runners, will be passing through the Lower East Side.
The new route, for the March 18 event, was actually announced several months ago. In the past, the race started in Central Park and flowed down to Lower Manhattan. This year, it launches from Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn. Runners will then go over the Manhattan Bridge, to Canal Street, East Broadway, Grand Street, Columbia Street and FDR Drive before heading uptown.
More than 22.000 runners are expected to take part this year.
Community Board 3 only found out about the new route in the past week. City permits were granted without any local notification. CB3 has now raised concerns about street closures and congestion with race officials and city agencies, including the NYPD.
More to come on this as we learn more.
