New York, November 28, 2018 – New York Road Runners (NYRR), the world’s premier community running organization, today announced that an estimated 25,000 runners will participate in the 2019 United Airlines NYC Half on March 17, making up the largest field in event history. The entry drawing for non-guaranteed applicants, which is taking place today, is also the largest in event history with over 48,000 applicants, a 13-percent increase from last year.

2019 will mark the 14th running of the United Airlines NYC Half, which last year introduced a course change that takes runners on a 13.1-mile tour past iconic New York City landmarks and through neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

“The United Airlines NYC Half is a one-of-a-kind running experience showcasing New York City’s historic landmarks, popular parks, and diverse neighborhoods. The race embodies the spirit of the city and has become incredibly popular with runners from around the block and around the world,” said Michael Capiraso, president and CEO of NYRR. “The race also positively impacts hundreds of worthy causes through the amazing efforts of thousands of charity runners.”

The 2019 United Airlines NYC Half field consists of both guaranteed and non-guaranteed entrants. Runners received guaranteed entry through a variety of methods, which are detailed here. Non-guaranteed entrants are selected through a drawing. The application period for all entrants opened on October 18, 2018 and closed on November 15, 2018.

Over 17,500 runners will be added to the race field through the non-guaranteed entry drawing. Over 48,000 applications were received for the drawing. The runners being selected represent 36 percent of the drawing applicants. An estimated 25,000 runners are expected to finish the 2019 United Airlines NYC Half. The 2018 United Airlines NYC Half had 21,965 finishers.

United Airlines is an NYRR foundation partner and the title sponsor of the United Airlines NYC Half. The longstanding partnership was recently renewed for an additional six years, ensuring United Airlines will continue to support runners in New York City and around the world.

The 2019 United Airlines NYC Half sends runners on a journey from Prospect Park in Brooklyn to Central Park in Manhattan, passing over the Manhattan Bridge and by the Lower East Side, the United Nations, legendary Grand Central Terminal, Bryant Park, and Times Square.

In Times Square, the field will run alongside 1,000 young runners from schools across New York City taking part in the Rising New York Road Runners at the United Airlines NYC Half on a 1500-meter out-and-back course on Seventh Avenue. Rising New York Road Runners is NYRR’s free, year-round youth program and events platform that serves nearly 250,000 youth across the country annually.

Runners who are not accepted through the drawing, and those who did not apply during the application period, still have an opportunity to run the 2019 United Airlines NYC Half through NYRR’s Team for Kids (here) which raises funds to support NYRR’s free, year-round youth fitness programs across the country, through a United Airlines NYC Half Official Charity Partner (here), or through an International Tour Operator (here). Runners who have been accepted into the race can also raise money for charity by using CrowdRise (here). At the 2018 United Airlines NYC Half, over 2,900 runners raised approximately $5 million for charity.

Race details and the application for the 2019 United Airlines NYC Half can be found here.

About New York Road Runners (NYRR)

In 2018, NYRR is celebrating 60 years of helping and inspiring 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.

About United

United Airlines and United Express operate approximately 4,700 flights a day to 356 airports across five continents. In 2017, United and United Express operated more than 1.6 million flights carrying more than 148 million customers. United is proud to have the world's most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark/New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United operates 760 mainline aircraft and the airline's United Express carriers operate 546 regional aircraft. The airline is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 193 countries via 28 member airlines. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United's parent, United Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol "UAL".