On a brisk and overcast Sunday morning, Brooklyn and Manhattan pulsed with energy as more than 30,000 runners took to the streets for the 19th edition of the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon. The city’s largest half-marathon, and the biggest in the United States, once again delivered a spectacle that blended world-class athleticism with the unique vibrancy only New York can offer. From the starting line at Prospect Park to the finish in Central Park, the event was a testament to both elite competition and mass participation, all under the watchful eyes of spectators braving a sharp drop in temperature since the previous week’s record-smashing warmth.
This year’s race was especially notable for the much-anticipated half-marathon debut of Grant Fisher, the 28-year-old double-Olympic bronze medalist and North American record holder for 10,000 meters. Fisher, who has spent recent months training at high altitude in Flagstaff, Arizona, brought a mix of nerves and excitement to the start line. Addressing a group of reporters at the base of the Brooklyn Bridge before the race, Fisher admitted, “I’m chasing more of a feeling than a time or a place.” He added with a smile, “I’m the rookie now.”
Fisher’s road racing debut came against a stacked professional field. The NYC Half boasted 26 Olympians and Paralympians, including defending champion and event record holder Abel Kipchumba of Kenya, who owns a personal best of 58:07. The men’s field was further strengthened by American Alex Maier (59:23 PB), Canadian Rory Linkletter (59:49), Kenyan Daniel Ebenyo (59:04), Moroccan Mohammed El Youssfi (59:21), Norwegian Sondre Nordstad Moen (59:48), and South African Adriaan Wildschutt (59:13). With ten men in the field having broken the 60-minute barrier over the half-marathon, the race promised drama from the gun.
Unlike many top-tier half-marathons around the globe, the NYC Half does not use pacemakers. The course itself is a daunting challenge: a series of hills through Brooklyn in the first eight kilometers, a relatively flat stretch along the East River, and a punishing final five kilometers that are nearly all uphill through Central Park. “One of the reasons I picked this race is because time doesn’t matter,” Fisher explained. “Technically, it’s a record-ineligible course, so that wipes one thing from my mind. I can just focus on racing. I’m up against some of the best half-marathoners in the world, people who have way more experience than me.”
Fisher’s preparation under coach Mike Scannell focused on increased mileage, longer workouts, and adapting to the unique demands of road racing. “More volume is kind of the thing. More mileage, longer workouts, focusing on fueling, racing on the roads, new footwear, so a lot of things to change and reconsider. I feel like we’ve had some really good prep, so I’m excited and ready to go. It feels real now,” Fisher told reporters. His background as a top cross country runner at Stanford—second at NCAA Championships in 2018, fifth in 2017 and 2016—gave him confidence for the course’s hills, but he acknowledged the challenge. “I’ve been at 7000 feet (2134m) of altitude so even the smallest hill feels pretty aggressive. My hill workouts are longer. I’m purposely having hilly routes on my easy runs where normally I try to find a flat, very simple run to do.”
The NYC Half’s unique course and lack of pacemakers make for unpredictable racing. Fisher described his race strategy: “The hills are all at the start and the end of this course. They’ll beat us up in the beginning. Hopefully I can relax a bit in the middle when we’re going up the east side of the island, then when we get in the park it’s hilly again. I’ll watch how people are reacting and surging and base my moves off of that.”
Fisher’s transition from track to road racing drew comparisons to Galen Rupp’s half-marathon debut at the NYC Half in 2010. Rupp, then 24, finished third in 1:00:30 despite a fall early in the race—a performance that eventually led him to marathon glory at the Olympics and the Chicago Marathon. Fisher, however, is not rushing into the marathon. He emphasized that his goal for Sunday was to discover whether road racing is his next calling. “Whether it means I win the race or I get 30th in the race, it will be a feeling that I’m looking for of, is there more to give here, or do I need to stick on the track a little longer? That’s what I’m looking for here. It’s really hard to describe. It’s not a time, it’s not a place. It’s a feeling of competition and a feeling of wanting something more out of myself. I’ll let you know after if I find it.”
The race unfolded amid dramatic weather swings. Just five days earlier, on March 10, Central Park had seen an unprecedented 80°F, the earliest such reading in New York City history. By race day, temperatures had plunged to 37°F, with overcast skies—conditions that tested both elite runners and the tens of thousands of amateurs who braved the course. Street closures were extensive, affecting major arteries like Eastern Parkway, Flatbush Avenue, Tillary, Adams, Jay, and Pearl Streets, as well as BQE exit and entrance ramps near the Brooklyn Bridge.
For the city, the NYC Half is more than just a race. It’s a celebration of resilience, diversity, and community spirit. Spectators lined the streets from Brooklyn to Manhattan, cheering on everyone from Olympic hopefuls to costumed charity runners. The event was covered locally by ABC New York, Channel 7, with live news cut-ins, and professional races streamed on ESPN+, abc7ny.com, and New York Road Runners digital channels.
Fisher’s journey doesn’t end with the NYC Half. He’s set to compete at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, in early July, and at the USATF Outdoor Track & Field Championships in New York at the end of the same month. With no Olympic Games or World Athletics Championships this year, 2026 is a year for experimentation and growth for many athletes. Fisher’s performance on Sunday—regardless of time or place—will help shape his next steps, whether that’s a deeper dive into road racing or a continued focus on the track.
As the last runners streamed into Central Park, the city exhaled. The United Airlines NYC Half once again proved itself a world-class event, and for Grant Fisher, it was the beginning of a new chapter—one defined not by the clock, but by the pursuit of something greater. The action may be over for now, but for Fisher and the thousands who ran alongside him, the journey is just getting started.