RBC Brooklyn Half

We strongly recommend checking for subway updates on the 2, 3, 4, and Q trains before you travel. You can also message the MTA on Whatsapp.

Start Area Map

Wave 1

Plan your travel to arrive at the start by 5:00 a.m. if you are checking a bag and by 5:40 a.m. if you are not checking a bag. Please note that Wave 1 baggage closes at 6:20 a.m.

• Subway: take the 2, 3, and 4 train to Franklin Avenue
• Car/Taxi Drop-off: Eastern Parkway at Franklin Avenue

Timeline:

Wave 2

Plan your travel to arrive at the start by 5:00 a.m. if you are checking a bag and by 6:20 a.m. if you are not checking a bag. Please note that Wave 2 baggage closes at 7:05 a.m.

• Subway RECOMMENDATION: take the Q to 7th Avenue (a 9-minute walk to the start area on Eastern Parkway)
• The 2, 3 train is running but southbound trains are not stopping at Grand Army Plaza. If you are traveling from south or east of the start, you can take a northbound (Manhattan-bound) 2, 3 train to Grand Army Plaza. You can also take a northbound (Manhattan-bound) 4 train to Grand Army Plaza until about 6:15 a.m.
• Car/Taxi Drop-off: Grand Army Plaza

Timeline:

For a full list of Prohibited Items, please click here.

1. Eastern Parkway From Grand Army Plaza to Bedford Ave

No Parking: (Eastbound) Thursday, May 18, 5:00 p.m. - Saturday, May 20, 3:00 p.m. 

(North Service Road) Friday, May 19, 8:00 a.m. - Saturday, May 20, 3:00 p.m.

Street Closure: Saturday, May 20, 12:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

2. President Street and Union Street From Classon Ave to Franklin Ave

No Parking: Friday, May 19, 4:00 p.m. - Saturday, May 20, 10:30 a.m.

Street Closure: Saturday, May 20, 2:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

3. Washington Ave From Eastern Parkway to Empire Boulevard

No Parking: Friday, May 20, 8:30 a.m. - Saturday, May 20, 10:30 a.m.

Street Closure: Saturday, May 20, 3:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

4. Empire Boulevard From Washington Ave to Flatbush Ave

No Parking: Friday, May 19, 4:00 p.m. - Saturday, May 20, 10:30 a.m.

Street Closure: Saturday May 20, 3:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

5. Flatbush Ave From Empire Boulevard to Grand Army Plaza

No Parking: Friday, May 19, 4:00 p.m. - Saturday, May 20, 10:30 a.m.

Street Closure: Saturday, May 20, 5:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

6. Ocean Ave (Southbound) From Flatbush Ave to Parkside Ave

No Parking: Friday, May 19, 4:00 p.m. - Saturday, May 20, 11:00 a.m.

Street Closure: Saturday, May 20, 6:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

7. Parkside Ave (Westbound) From Ocean Ave to Park Circle

No Parking: Friday, May 19, 4:00 p.m. - Saturday, May 20, 11:00 a.m.

Street Closure: Saturday, May 20, 6:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

8. Ocean Parkway From Park Circle to Surf Ave

No Parking: Friday, May 19, 4:00 p.m. - Saturday, May 20, 12:00 p.m.

Rolling Street Closure: Saturday, May 20, 6:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

9. West Brighton Ave From Ocean Parkway to West 2nd Street

No Parking: Saturday, May 20, 12:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.

Street Closure: Saturday, May 20, 3:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

10. Sea Breeze Ave From West 5th Street to Ocean Parkway

No Parking: Saturday, May 20, 12:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Street Closure: Saturday, May 20, 3:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

11. West 5th Street From Surf Ave to West Brighton Ave

No Parking: Saturday, May 20, 12:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Street Closure: Saturday, May 20, 3:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

12. Surf Ave From Ocean Parkway to Stillwell Ave

No Parking: Friday, May 19, 7:00 a.m. - Saturday, May 20, 1:00 p.m.

Street Closure: Saturday, May 20, 12:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

13. West 10th Street, Stillwell Ave, West 15th Street and West 16th Street From Surf Ave to Boardwalk

No Parking: Thursday, May 18, 7:00 a.m. - Saturday, May 20, 1:00 p.m.

Street Closure: Saturday, May 20, 2:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

The start will once again be located next to the Brooklyn Museum. Participants will run past the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and around Grand Army Plaza before entering Prospect Park. After a loop around the park, runners will exit from the southwest corner onto Ocean Parkway and cruise toward the finish on the world-famous Coney Island Boardwalk. View course maps:

• Full Course Map
• Start Area Map
• Finish Area Map

• Interactive Map

Mile 1: Start by heading south on Washington Avenue. Turn right onto Empire Boulevard then right onto Flatbush Avenue heading north.

Mile 2: Proceed around Grand Army Plaza and head south on Flatbush Avenue.

Mile 3: Take a right turn onto Ocean Avenue, then another right onto Parkside Avenue.

Mile 4: From Parkside Avenue, proceed into Prospect Park at Machate Circle onto East Drive.

Miles 5-7: Runners will make a full counter-clockwise loop of Prospect Park before exiting at Machate Circle.

Miles 8-12: Proceed onto Ocean Parkway and head south towards Coney Island.

Mile 13-Finish: Take a right as Ocean Parkway turns into Surf Avenue. Take a left on W 10th Street towards the Coney Island Boardwalk. A sidewalk ramp will take runners up onto the Coney Island Boardwalk where they will make a right towards the finish before W 15th Street.

The NYRR Pace Team members are some of the most experienced runners in New York City and the most knowledgeable runners on the course. They have an average success rate of 96.5% of hitting their finish target finish time. Pacers will be on hand to guide participants toward specific goal times over the 13.1 miles. Pace Team members will lead groups at various paces between 8:00 per mile and 12:35 per mile (between a 1:45 finish and a 2:45 finish).

If you choose to run with a pace group, you can look for the NYRR Pace Team members in the start corrals wearing their blue-and-white-striped NYRR Pace Team singlets. Each Team member will carry signs that correspond with their respective finish times and paces. There is no fee to run with the pace team or sign-up process.

The pacers will be located in the following corrals on race day. You can also come to the Running Lab at the RBC Brooklyn Half Pre-Party Presented by New Balance and meet your pacer before race day.

To support nursing mothers, NYRR is aiming to enhance the lactation experience for runners and remove the barrier to allow full participation and success for mothers in sports. For the RBC Brooklyn Half, there will be private and dedicated lactation spaces that provide pumping accommodations and amenities at the start and finish lines and near mile 8. Medela hand pumps will be available, giving participants easy options for pumping. As in previous years, NYRR will transport personal nursing pumps from the start to the finish area for athletes. Please note, at this time, NYRR is unable to transport breast milk for participants. Learn more here about how NYRR worked with &Mother to elevate the lactation experience at the TCS New York City Marathon in November 2022.

Lactation operations will be located at the start medical tent on Eastern Parkway and Washington Avenue, the medical tent near mile 8, and the finish medical tent in the Maimonides Park parking lot.

To ensure runners are aware of the accommodations and preparation for medical device operations, &Mother will have an information booth at the RBC Brooklyn Half Pre-Party Presented by New Balance at Pier 2 in Brooklyn Bridge Park from May 17-19.

Live, unofficial results will be available in the NYRR Racing App and at liveresults.nyrr.org during the event.

After the conclusion of the event, official results will be posted on results.nyrr.org.

Awards will be presented on site to the top-three finishers in the overall men, women, and non-binary divisions. Runners who place in the top-three of their age group will be able to claim an award in the days following the race by filling out our Age-Group Awards Claim Form.

All prize money amounts, including team prize money, are equal for men, women, and non-binary categories. To be eligible for prize money, including team money and Top Brooklyn Finisher, runners must complete the course in 1 hour 30 minutes or less. All prize money divisions determined by Gun Time. Eligibility requirements for all prize money and bonuses are available here.

Top Brooklyn Finisher

The top man, woman, and non-binary finisher from Brooklyn will be awarded $500. Residency is determined by zip code at the time of registration. Cumulative with overall prize money, if applicable.

Time Bonuses

A $100 time bonus is available for the men's, women's and/or non-binary's race winners who break the existing event record, based on Gun Time. The bonus is available to the race winner only. An athlete must break, not tie, the record to earn the bonus.

A $100 time bonus is available for the top three finishers under the following standards, based on Net Time.

Team Prize Money

For scoring purposes, a men’s team must consist of five men, a women’s team must consist of five women, and a non-binary team must consist of three non-binary athletes, all running with the same team affiliation.

The race finishes on the Coney Island boardwalk. You will receive a medal and Recovery Bag Presented by Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS).

Visit the HSS Runner Recovery Zone, where you can stretch and foam roll with the experts from HSS. The finish area is for runners only.

Claim your checked bag at Maimonides Park (formerly MCU Park) parking lot until 1;30 p.m. Bags that are not claimed will be transported to the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub (320 West 57th Street in Manhattan) where they can be claimed Sunday, May 21 between 12:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. or Monday, May 22 to Friday, May 26 from 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

After you finish the RBC Brooklyn Half, head on over to the After-Party at Maimonides Park from 8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. There may be cell service saturation, so this is a great place to reunite with your loved ones.

• FAMILY REUNION: Stadium sections will be marked with letters; you can arrange to meet at the letter corresponding to your last name, then relax, purchase refreshments, and enjoy the live music and entertainment.
• DANCE: Be on the lookout for a roaming dance cam to be featured on the stadium jumbotron.
• WIN PRIZES: You may also have a chance to win trivia prizes!

Congratulations on your 13.1M journey to the finish - you did it! After the race, celebrate your accomplishment with an ice cold Michelob ULTRA at one of the bars below, because it's only worth it if you enjoy it.

• La Tombola
• Clementes Maryland Crab Y
• Applebees Neighborhood
• American Legion
• Wheelers
• Ruby's
• Smith's Bar
• Tom's Coney Island
• Bar 718
• Illy Cafe
• Farrell's
• Wise Bar & Grill
• Soup N Burger
• Skywise Lounge
• Giovanni's Brooklyn Eats
• Black Sea Fish & Grill Me
• Red Doors Bar & Grill

Take the D, N, Q trains to Coney Island-Stillwell Av. Please note there will be no F trains between Church Av and Coney Island-Stillwell Av in Brooklyn. Visit mta.info/weekender to plan your transportation.

The 2023 RBC Brooklyn Half brings together a diverse field of runners from the New York City area and beyond. The non-guaranteed entry drawing helps preserve the diversity of the race.

Runners who did not have guaranteed entry to the race had the opportunity enter the non-guaranteed entry drawing between December 14, 2022 and January 11, 2023. The drawing for these entries will take place on January 18, 2023.

The entries available to non-guaranteed applicants will be filled through three drawings, one in each of the following applicant pools:

1. "NYC metro area" applicants: Residents in and within 60 miles of New York City
2. "National" applicants: U.S. residents outside of the NYC metro area
3. "International" applicants: Non-U.S. residents, including Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories

A drawing will be conducted within each applicant pool. To be selected, you must have provided a valid credit card, future expiration date, and authorization to charge. The credit card saved as your default card is charged when the applicant is drawn; if the charge is not approved, the applicant will be removed and another applicant will be drawn from the same applicant pool.

Once you submit the application into the non-guaranteed drawing, you have authorized NYRR to charge your credit card a non-refundable entry fee upon acceptance into the 2023 RBC Brooklyn Half. You can remove your name from the applicant pool prior to the drawing, but once you are accepted by any method, all fees are non-refundable and non-transferrable. NYRR does not contact applicants prior to accepting them in order to reconfirm that they wish to be selected.

Please note: Handcycle and push-rim applicants should apply to the non-guaranteed entry drawing.

The rules applicable to the RBC Brooklyn Half do not permit entry by a person intending to be pushed in a wheelchair, stroller or other piece of equipment by another person or persons. To be accepted for entry, "disabled" applicants planning to use a wheelchair or other allowable equipment must be able to "push" themselves through the half-marathon course. While official "guides" are permitted to accompany a disabled entrant on the course, such guides cannot push the entrant through the course.

If you are an athlete with a disability and have any questions regarding race entry, guides, or other circumstances please contact NYRR at nyrrawdteam@nyrr.org.

• This race will operate under our 2023 Safety Procedures at NYRR Races guidelines.
• This race is a 9+1 program qualifier and a 4 Out of 6 program qualifier.
• We’ve updated our website to increase inclusivity and representation in our races. Runners can register as woman, man, or non-binary. Visit our FAQ page for more information on how to update your profile.
• If you wish to pay in cash for your race entry, please reach out to our Runner Services team for assistance. Be sure to include the event name and the email associated with your NYRR account.
• As part of our mission to help and inspire people through running, New York Road Runners offers annually a limited number of complimentary race entries—including to the TCS New York City Marathon—through Race Free. Learn more and apply.

The 4 Out of 6 program, of which the RBC Brooklyn Half is a part, allows NYRR members who meet the eligibility requirements to gain guaranteed entry to the United Airlines NYC Half.

Eligibility for entry to the 2024 United Airlines NYC Half will be guaranteed for NYRR members who complete four qualifying events in 2023 and have an active membership by the last qualifying event of the 2023 4 Out of 6 program (the NYRR Staten Island Half in October).

Once a runner has claimed their entry, or once a drawing applicant has been accepted into the race, all entry fees are non-refundable. Runners entered in the 2023 RBC Brooklyn Half may cancel their entry and earn guaranteed, non-complimentary entry to the 2024 race, but they will be responsible for claiming their entry and paying the processing and entry fees for the 2024 race. The deadline for runners to cancel their 2023 entry and get guaranteed non-complimentary into the 2024 race is May 19, 2023 at 11:59pm ET. For more information, visit our cancellation page.