New York, June 15, 2019 – The NYRR Queens 10K, the third race in New York Road Runners’ (NYRR) signature Five-Borough Series, returned to Flushing Meadows Corona Park today, Saturday, June 15, in a celebration of the borough and park that plays host to many of New York City’s greatest sporting events. Today’s field of 11,851 runners were led by first place finishers Tariku Demelash Abera of Ethiopia (29:49) and Roberta Groner of Ledgewood, NJ (33:33).

Today’s top finishers from the borough of Queens were Patricio Castillo of Flushing, who finished second overall with a time of 30:06, and Michele Palmer of Woodside, who finished as the 23rd overall female with a time of 38:18. Castillo and Palmer led a field of 2,508 runners from the borough.

The finishers of the 10K race started on Meridian Road between the Avenue of Discovery and the Avenue of Research before weaving through Flushing Meadows Corona Park, crossing the Amphitheater, Hall of Science and Zoo bridges, and past Citi Field and the Unisphere, ending on the Avenue of Commerce. Additionally, more than 100 young runners, ages two to 10, ran in the Rising New York Road Runners youth dashes on the promenade next to the Fountain of the Planets.

In 2019, NYRR is celebrating 20 years of free youth running, and to kick off the race weekend festivities the organization was at PS 164 Queens Valley in Flushing on Friday to distribute New Balance Running shoes to nearly 700 students, grades K-8. All of the students at PS 164 are participants of Rising New York Road Runners, NYRR’s free, national youth fitness program, and received the shoes through 1 for You 1 for Youth* – a joint initiative between NYRR and their partners at New Balance.

NYRR organizes and supports events and community programming in Queens throughout the year for people of all ages—from youth to seniors—designed to get them moving toward a healthier lifestyle. This includes free NYRR Open Runs in Astoria, Baisley Pond, Crocheron, Cunningham and Flushing Meadows Corona Parks, free youth running programs at more than 160 Queens schools and community centers, and free NYRR Striders walking sessions for seniors in parks and neighborhood facilities.

About New York Road Runners (NYRR)

NYRR’s mission is to help and inspire people through running. Since 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, community events, free youth running initiatives and school programs, the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people each year, from children to seniors, with the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR’s premier event, and the largest marathon in the world, is the TCS New York City Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features 50,000 runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners.  To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.

*In 2019, for every pair of shoes sold to a customer at the NYRRRUNCENTER, New Balance and NYRR shall donate a pair of shoes to a New York Road Runners supported youth program, up to a maximum cost of $300,000.  For more information about New York Road Runners visitwww.nyrr.org.