NYRR Spring Forward 4M

Runners' race numbers will be mailed to all participants prior to race day. There will be no bib pickup at the NYRR RUNCENTER during the week.

Please make sure your mailing address in your NYRR profile is accurate before registering.

If you do not receive your bib before Friday, March 25, there will be a representative on-site who can issue you a replacement bib on race morning. Please plan to arrive at the start area at the eastern entrance to Rumsey Playfield in Central Park 20 minutes prior to your assigned start time. Your assigned start time can be found in your race details email which you will receive during race week.

There will be no bag check for runners at the start of the race.

There will be portable toilets located on the East 72nd Street entrance ramp. There will be attendants on-site from the portable toilet provider to sanitize the units after each use. Additionally, the NYC Parks restrooms, located along the stairway leading from the Bandshell area to Bethesda Fountain (below the 72nd Street Transverse), will be open for use before the race.

There are also public restrooms located on the south side of Le Pain Quotidien in Mineral Springs, east of the finish line. There will also be hand sanitizer dispensers near the start and finish areas for all runners to use.

Runners will be pre-assigned to a specific start time, with race starts taking place at 7:00 a.m., 7:30 a.m., 8:00 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 11:30 a.m. Start time assignments will be communicated in runners' confirmation emails, which will be sent out during race week. 

To access the pre-start area, runners are encouraged to enter Central Park at the East 72nd Street entrance and proceed south down East Drive to the entrance to the pre-start staging area near East 70th Street. Runners are permitted to enter the park prior to their assigned start time, but are strongly encouraged not to enter the pre-start area any earlier than 5 to 10 minutes prior to their assigned start time.

At the entrance to the pre-start area, on-site EMTs will be conducting required temperature tests for all runners. Any runner with a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher will be asked to step aside to allow for their temperature to come down. After a few minutes, the runner will be re-tested. If the runner’s temperature does not read below 100.4 degrees, they will not be allowed to enter the pre-start area or to participate in the event.

Additionally, EMTs will ask all participants this brief series of questions referencing the COVID-19 questionnaire for the health assessment before runners are permitted into the pre-start area:

1. Have you experienced any of the following symptoms in the past 48 hours?

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

2. Within the past 14 days, have you been in close physical contact (six feet or closer for at least 15 minutes) with a person who is known to have laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, or with anyone who has any symptoms consistent with COVID-19?

3. Are you isolating or quarantining because you may have been exposed to a person with COVID-19, or are worried you may be sick with COVID-19?

Any runner answering "yes" to any of these questions will not be permitted to participate in the event.

Upon entering the pre-start area, there will be blue spots on the ground to mark out where runners should stand while waiting to start their race. Runners should maintain a safe social distance at all times (a minimum of six feet from other individuals) and can proceed to the next open spot when available.

The race start will be in time-trial format, with two runners beginning their race every 10 seconds to allow for social distancing on the course. The race will consist of 10 starts of 50 runners every 30 minutes for a total of 500 runners. To ensure a safe and smooth race start process, please refrain from arriving to the pre-start area any earlier than 5 to 10 minutes before your assigned race time.

Unlike previous NYRR races, the course will be open—without delineation (traffic cones and barricades) or volunteer course marshals—so please remember to share the roadways with other park patrons and stay in the recreation lane. Please pay attention to your surroundings and remember to keep your mask on at all times.

There will be no fluid stations and no restrooms on the course. Runners are encouraged to bring their own water bottles. Hydration packs will be permitted, unlike in previous NYRR races.

View the course map.

The race will start on East Drive at 70th Street and run north toward the 102nd Street Cross Drive. Runners will turn left onto the 102nd Street Cross Drive, and then take another left onto West Drive, proceeding south.

Runners will finish on West Drive below the 72nd Street Transverse, near Tavern on the Green at West 67th Street, where they will exit the park.

After crossing the finish line, all runners will receive pre-bagged recovery amenities, which will include an NYRR-branded mask, Poland Spring® Brand 100% Natural Spring Water, Biofreeze gel packet, Honey Stinger Acai Pomegranate Energy Gels, and Snyder’s of Hanover Pretzels.

We ask that runners exit the park immediately after receiving their amenities, continuing south towards Columbus Circle or toward the West 67th Street exit onto Central Park West. 

The health and safety of our runners and staff remain a priority for NYRR as we begin our return to in-person racing. All NYRR staff will be practicing social distancing and wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). If you have any questions, please reach out to us at help@nyrr.org. Thank you for your continued patience and support.

Live, unofficial results will be available at liveresults.nyrr.org during the event. After the conclusion of the event, official results will be posted on results.nyrr.org.

There will be no overall or age-group awards for this event. This race is not eligible for national or age-group records.

For time-trial events, all runners will receive net times as your official time (recorded by the timing system from when you cross the starting line to when you cross the finish line). Net times will determine the order of finish for all runners, including top finishers, and rankings will continue to be updated throughout the event; results will not be finalized until all finishers have completed the course.

If NYRR cancels an offering due to an increase of local COVID-19 cases or on the direction of local, city, or state authorities, participants will be informed as soon as possible, including communication of participant resolution options. Events will not be rescheduled.

As a reminder, this event will be held with strict social distancing guidelines. Participants not following this policy will be asked to immediately rectify failing to follow directions. In cases where the participant refuses, they will be asked to immediately leave the event. Participants who do not comply with this policy may be temporarily or permanently suspended from NYRR offerings.

At this time, all runners should protect their health and safety and that of others by social distancing while running. Please stay up-to-date on the latest news and guidelines from the CDC, WHO, and your local and national authorities. If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact us at help@nyrr.org.