New York Road Runners (NYRR) welcomed 30,229 athletes to the finish line of the 2026 United Airlines NYC Half on March 15, 2026. The event established a record as the largest half marathon in NYRR history and the biggest in the US.
The 13.1-mile park-to-park course, which crosses the Brooklyn Bridge and runs through Times Square, featured a field including 26 Olympians and Paralympians. Kenya’s Hellen Obiri, the defending TCS New York City Marathon champion, captured her second women’s open division title.
Obiri set a new event record of 1:06:33, surpassing the previous record and finishing ahead of defending champion Sharon Lokedi. Great Britain’s Megan Keith completed the podium in 1:07:13, marking the fastest-ever women’s debut in the event’s history.
In the men’s open division, Adriaan Wildschutt became the first South African to win the title, clocking 59:30. In just his second half marathon, Wildschutt finished 11 seconds ahead of American Zouhair Talbi. India’s Gulveer Singh took third place in 59:42, becoming the first Indian man to break 60 minutes at the event.
Great Britain’s Eden Rainbow-Cooper secured her first women’s wheelchair division title in 54:27. She won with a margin of more than five minutes over runner-up Tatyana McFadden. In the men’s wheelchair division, American Daniel Romanchuk claimed his third title in 48:10, marking a successful return to competition following an injury in August 2025.
The event also hosted the fourth annual Commissioners’ Cup, a competition between New York City agencies. The New York Police Department (NYPD) defended its title for the fourth consecutive year, followed by the Department of Sanitation and the Department of Transportation.
Alongside the professional and amateur fields, NYRR noted that a number of notable figures also completed the race:
- Matt Wilpers (1:25:27) – Peloton Instructor
- Jordan Litz (1:28:22) – Broadway star
- Justin Britt (1:31:11) – Retired NFL player
- Tiki Barber (1:51:34) – New York Giants legend
- N.O.R.E. (2:15:38) – Hip-hop artist and media personality
The day included the Times Square Kids Run, where 1,596 youth participants completed dashes in the centre of Manhattan.
NYRR, a non-profit organisation that produces 60 annual races, estimates that its events contribute nearly US$1 billion to the New York City economy.
