The History of the Citizens Queens 10K
The Citizens Queens 10K has deep roots in the Queens community and a history going back to the late 1970s. Though the event’s distance and location have changed over the years, the Citizens Queens 10K remains true to its community roots and reflects the spirit of Queens, the “World’s Borough.”
A Running Club in Queens
Leo Nicholas of the College Point Athletic Club oversaw the Queens Half Marathon for years.
College Point, a neighborhood on Queens’ northern shoreline, was for many years the home of the College Point Athletic Club, founded in the early 1960s. Many club members ran on both the track and the roads, and some competed in championship events such as the Colgate Women’s Games. One member, Queens resident Tom Nohilly, was the 1989 NCAA champion in the 3000-meter steeplechase and placed fourth in that event at the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Trials.
At some point the College Point Athletic Club became the College Point Road Runners. A key member, Leo Nicholas, began to organize local road races in the 1970s. In 1978, Nicholas put on the first Queens Half Marathon on the roads in College Point. Some 400 runners crossed the finish line in MacNeil Park that year.
From Half Marathon to 10K
The Queens Half Marathon took place in College Point before moving to Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
The Queens Half Marathon slowly grew in popularity, and around 1990, with the support of local heating oil company Skaggs-Walsh, a 5K was added to race day. In 1994 Nicholas asked New York Road Runners to help support the events.
The Skaggs-Walsh 5K accompanied the Queens Half Marathon in the 1990s and early 2000s.
The half marathon and 5K races continued to take place every year in College Point, usually in the early spring. Due to the growth in participation, in 2010 the Queens Half Marathon moved to Flushing Meadows Corona Park, the largest public park in Queens.
A Race in an Iconic Park
The popularity of running through Flushing Meadows spurred the growth of the Queens Half Marathon, but with that growth came challenges. Staging a major 13.1-mile race entirely within a park—even one the size of Flushing Meadows—was becoming difficult.
The solution was a 10K—flat, fast, and fun—held in mid-June. The Queens 10K became part of the NYRR Five-Borough Series in 2013. The race was more popular than ever, with over 11,000 finishers in 2019.
Citizens came on as the race’s title sponsor in 2024, and the race had over 12,000 finishers, the most ever. Like New York Road Runners, Citizens believes in giving back to communities. Learn more<link to impact blog post?> about NYRR's and Citizens' work in Queens and throughout NYC.
The Citizens Queens 10K includes the free Flushing Meadows Kids Run for youth ages 2–18, offering running and other fun activities throughout the morning.
This year’s Citizens Queens 10K and Flushing Meadows Kids Run on Saturday, June 14, will once again be a fun event for all ages in the great borough of Queens.
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Citizens Queens 10K Continues Impact in the "World's Borough"