New York, May 18, 2019 – A total of 26,803 runners crossed the finish line at the Popular® Brooklyn Half on Saturday, May 18, making it the largest half marathon to date in the United States in 2019.

This was the 39th running of the Popular® Brooklyn Half, the second of five events in the NYRR Five-Borough Series. The course took runners through the heart of Brooklyn, beginning near the historic Brooklyn Museum, over the rolling hills of Prospect Park, through Grand Army Plaza, and down to the finish line on the world-famous Coney Island boardwalk.

U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier Louis Serafini of Somerville, Mass. broke the course record by four seconds, crossing the finish line in 1:03:14 with a 4:50-mile pace ahead of Ethiopia’s Birhanu Dare Kemal and Urgesa Kedir Figa.

Feyne Gudeto Gemeda from West Side Runners won the women’s race in 1:12:54, and was followed by U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier Roberta Groner and American Harriott Kelly.

Two NFL legends ran their way to the iconic Coney Island, as NYRR Team for Kids Ambassador and former New York Giant Tiki Barber finished the race in 1:52:19, and retired New York Jet D’Brickashaw Ferguson finished his first NYRR race in 2:15:47, running for Compassion International.

Saturday’s notable finishers also included Broadway actress and the star of Broadway musical Anastasia Christy Altomare (1:54:03), runway and cover model Ruby Aldridge (2:12:59), and world-renowned and award-winning chef Daniel Humm (1:23:57).

Olympic silver medalist and 2009 New York City Marathon champion Meb Keflezighi ran the race alongside NYRR president and CEO Michael Capiraso. Both were among the more than 700 runners who participated in the race via the NYRR Virtual 6 program, having completed six NYRR virtual races last year to claim their entry into the event.

Nearly 1,000 youth participants took part in the annual free Rising New York Road Runners race at the Popular® Brooklyn Half, which featured kids ages 8-18, 700 of whom are from NYRR’s youth programs. The young runners took on a one-mile out-and-back course along the celebrated Coney Island boardwalk and cross the Popular® Brooklyn Half finish line.

Popular® Bank was the title sponsor of the Brooklyn Half for the second year, serving as the exclusive official bank of the 2019 Popular® Brooklyn Half and strategic partner of the NYRR Five-Borough Series.

Race week kicked off with a three-day celebration highlighting the distinct culture of Brooklyn at the Popular® Brooklyn Half Pre-Party presented by New Balance. In addition to serving as the main hub for race material pickup, the pre-party was filled with celebrations of hospitality, local food, and beats with waterfront views.

The Popular® Brooklyn Half is the second race of NYRR’s Five-Borough Series, which also includes the United Airlines NYC Half, NYRR Queens 10K, New Balance Bronx 10 Mile, and NYRR Staten Island Half. Results are available in the NYRR app, which includes leaderboards an individual runner search.

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.