Nearly 30,000 runners take to the streets. United Airlines NYC Half This weekend, they will carry their bibs across a 21.1-mile route from Brooklyn to Central Park.
Organized by New York Road Runners, the nonprofit organization that “runs” New York City, the race has grown to become the largest half marathon in the United States since its first run in 2006. The organization, which organizes more than 60 adult and youth races each year and also hosts the TCS New York City Marathon, expects tens of thousands of participants from around the world to participate this year. For more information about the organization and its programs, please visit: nyrr.org.
The course itself is also part of the lottery. Runners start near Prospect Park in Brooklyn, cross the Brooklyn Bridge, wind through Manhattan and finish in Central Park. Along the way, the route passes through Times Square, one of the rare moments each year when the famous intersection is closed to traffic.
Among the thousands of runners are three athletes who will take to the start line to reveal how running can change lives.
Running towards healing and climate change advocacy
For Brooklyn runners Kade Kahethis race represents a milestone that has been years in the making.
Kahe started running during the early months of the pandemic while caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s disease and dealing with personal loss. Prospect Park, just down the road from my home, was the starting point for that journey.
“I had to take the first step,” Kahe told Gaity. “I live right next to Prospect Park, so it was the perfect space. I saw my neighbors walking and jogging and I thought, ‘Okay, I have to start.'”
At the time, the idea of running a half marathon seemed far away. Injuries and physical therapy slowed my progress along the way.
“I literally never thought I would be able to run a 5k or even a half marathon,” Kahe said. “Sixteen weeks ago I was asking myself how I could get to 10 miles. Now I’ve run 13 miles and I feel ready.”
This weekend’s race has a new meaning. Kahe is active with Team for Climate and is the team’s first non-binary athlete.
“We are happy to represent you,” they said. “I want to encourage my trans and non-binary friends to run, too. Not necessarily to race, but just to get outside. It’s important for our mental health.”
Running also connects to Kahe’s longstanding climate change activism. Growing up in communities severely affected by pollution shaped their thinking about health and environmental justice.
“When I run, I am reminded of gratitude,” Kahe said. “Thank you for the parks and thank you to the people who make these spaces possible.”
And on race day, every step along the route counts.
“The whole course is important to me,” Kahe said. “Starting in my neighborhood, running across the Brooklyn Bridge, finishing in Central Park. That was the beginning and continuation of my running journey.”
Race through Time Square during chemotherapy
for brandon allmon jacksonthe United Airlines NYC Half arrives at a moment most runners can’t imagine.
The Broadway stage director from Newark, New Jersey, is currently undergoing chemotherapy for stage 4 colon cancer.
However, he never considered leaving the race.
“I had to look Gunn in the face and say, ‘You’re here, but you can’t stop me,'” Allmon Jackson said. “Otherwise, I would have been sitting at home feeling defeated.”
Balancing training and treatment means adjusting to severe side effects such as neuropathy and sensitivity to cold, which is especially difficult in New York’s harsh winters.
“There were days when we were taking stock hour by hour,” he said. “But I kept telling myself I wanted to do this.”
Sharing his diagnosis publicly became part of the mission. Colon cancer diagnoses are on the rise among young adults, and Almon Jackson hopes his story will encourage people to take symptoms seriously and get tested early.
“It’s becoming very common among people in their 30s,” he said. “If by sharing my story, even just one person becomes aware, it means everything.”
Support from the Broadway community helped him get through this process. Former castmates, colleagues and friends rallied around him.
“I’ve never felt so loved,” he said. “People I worked with years ago reached out to me.”
Race day also includes a particularly meaningful moment for him: running through Times Square.
“That’s my stepping stone,” Allmon-Jackson said. “Running through Times Square is incredible because Times Square only closes twice a year.”
His playlist reflects that energy. The last song is “Freedom” by Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar.
“If that song becomes a hit, it will push me to the finish line,” he said.
Crossing that line in Central Park would be much more than a race completed.
“It’s everything that’s happened in the last few months,” he said. “It’s about achieving a goal for myself and for everyone who supported me.”
Teachers running for representative
for cameron johnsonA middle school teacher in Silver Spring, Maryland, he started running at a time when he was feeling unstable and exhausted.
What started with a single invitation from a friend turned into a new purpose.
“Even if I was running this race alone, I couldn’t stand on the starting line alone,” Johnson said. “It’s all about the community.”
Johnson, who identifies as Black and LGBTQ+, said visibility is important in a space where many people still struggle to express themselves.
“You either take me or leave me. You get the whole package,” he said with a laugh. “We are not just a part of ourselves; we also belong to these spaces.”
His students closely monitor his training.
“It’s kind of a joke at school,” Johnson said. “They keep asking, ‘Are you going to run a small race?'”
Behind the teasing is curiosity and inspiration.
“Some people can’t even imagine running a mile,” he says. “So when you see people like you doing it, it makes you think differently.”
Johnson plans to soak up every moment of the course, especially the Brooklyn Bridge.
“That’s going to be the moment that shocks me,” he said. “Wow, you’re really here.”
When the mileage gets tougher, he returns to the beliefs that have sustained him throughout his training.
“I didn’t come this far to get here,” he said.
One race, thousands of stories
of United Airlines NYC Half brings runners from all over the world to New York City every year. But this race also serves as a reminder that all participants arrive with their own stories.
For Kahe, Almon Jackson and Johnson, the 21.1-mile route is more than just a test of endurance. It is a celebration of identity, resilience and community.
And, as Cahe says, finishing a race isn’t about speed.
“No matter how we cross the finish line, we all win the same medal,” they said.
This event is part of a year-long program produced by New York Road Runners, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building healthier lives through running and community engagement across New York City. Readers can learn more about the organization, its racial and youth programs by visiting: nyrr.org.
Source: Gayety – gayety.com
