New York, June 15, 2016—The NYRR Queens 10K, the third race in NYRR’s signature Five-Borough Series, will feature a new race element on Saturday, June 18—the first-ever NYRR Queens 5K. Both races have reached capacity, with 10,000 finishers expected for the redesigned 10K course and 1,000 finishers expected for the 5K, it was announced today by Peter Ciaccia, president of events for New York Road Runners and race director of the TCS New York City Marathon. Spots remain for kids' races (ages 2–12) that begin just after the adult races.

“In keeping with New York Road Runners’ commitment to inspiring as many people as we can through running, we worked closely with our partners at the city’s parks department to redesign our courses allowing an increase to our field size for this year’s Queens 10K, while including our first-ever Queens 5K,” said Ciaccia.

“Both courses will continue to take in the iconic sights of Flushing Meadows Corona Park while delivering a great race experience to all our participants. There will be live entertainment throughout the course and at the post-race festival, and included in the morning's fun will be kids’ races and activities. We are thrilled with the redesign of this event, giving families and friends the opportunity to celebrate the diverse and dynamic borough of Queens.”

The third installment of the NYRR Five-Borough Series will also feature kids’ races. Children ages two to 12 can participate in runs at varying distances, starting at the iconic Fountain of the Planets. Prior to the race, young runners can take part in a group activity as a warmup. Throughout the entire morning runners of all ages can visit the pre and post-race festivals featuring live music, carnival games, face-painting, food trucks, ice cream, and more. The event will feature DJs, bands, and entertainers along the course, including local Queens bagpiper, Darius Kauffman, local original-music acoustic rock duo, Lost Axis, and local funky American jam band, SOFUS.

“We are thrilled to offer youth races at our NYRR Five-Borough Series races this year, and pleased to have more than 600 Team for Kids runners participating in the Queens 10K and supporting NYRR’s free youth running programs,” said Michael Capiraso, president and CEO of NYRR. “Between the Queens 10K, all-new 5K, kids’ races, and exciting pre and post-race festivals, the day will allow runners and their family and friends of all ages the opportunity to celebrate the diversity of the borough and World’s Fair spirit of the park.”

NYRR organizes and supports events and community programming in Queens throughout the year for people of all ages—from kids to seniors—designed to get them moving toward a healthier lifestyle. This includes free NYRR Open Runs in Astoria Park and Cunningham Park, free NYRR Mighty Milers and Young Runners programs at Queens schools and community centers, and free NYRR Striders walking sessions for seniors in parks and neighborhood facilities.

New to Queens this year is the NYRR Flushing Meadows Summer Classic 5K—a brand-new, members-only 5K. More than just a road race, it's also a celebration and a fundraiser for NYRR's youth and community programs, with proceeds from the race funding youth and community running and walking events—such as NYRR Open Runs—in Queens and beyond.

For more information about the NYRR Queens 10K, please visit the event page.  For more information about the NYRR Queens 5K, please visit the event page.

About NYRR 

Founded in 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization, whose mission is to help and inspire people through running. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, community events, youth running initiatives, school programs, 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 nyrr.org.