New York, April 28, 2015—The 2015 Airbnb Brooklyn Half, set for Saturday, May 16, will bring excitement and energy to the borough of Brooklyn for an estimated 25,000 runners, youth, and the entire surrounding community. A crown jewel of the NYRR Five-Borough Series, the 13.1-mile Airbnb Brooklyn Half and the first-ever NYRR Kids’ Boardwalk Run (one mile), will kick off with the Airbnb Brooklyn Half Pre-Party presented by New Balance—a celebratory, free, three-day festival for runners and the public, from May 13-15 at Pier 2, Brooklyn Bridge Park, it was announced today by New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.

“The Airbnb Brooklyn Half, NYRR Kids’ Boardwalk Run, and Airbnb Pre-Party presented by New Balance bring Brooklyn to the forefront of the running world,” said Wittenberg. “Over 25,000 runners will challenge themselves through the borough’s unique neighborhoods while hundreds of youth runners will enjoy the thrill of participating in a one-mile run on the Coney Island boardwalk for a unique race experience of their own. We welcome the whole community to be a part of the weekend and come out to experience the flavor and excitement of Brooklyn, beginning with the ‘pre-party’ on May 13.”

The Airbnb Brooklyn Half will take runners through the heart of Brooklyn, from 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. After the finish, runners will enjoy all of the classic offerings of Coney Island—hot dogs, beer, roller-coaster rides, stilt walkers—and additional programming and entertainment. A post-race festival will take place for the second year at MCU Park (the Brooklyn Cyclones’ stadium) for all to enjoy food, beer, and live entertainment directly following the finish.

For the first time ever, the NYRR Kids’ Boardwalk Run at the Airbnb Brooklyn Half, part of the NYRR Youth Running Series, will bring an estimated 1,000 high school, middle school, and elementary school students, including those from NYRR’s Mighty Milers and Young Runners youth running programs, to Coney Island for a one-mile out-and-back course along one of the most celebrated stretches of the boardwalk at the Airbnb Brooklyn Half finish line. Registration for this event is $10 and is open on the event’s race page here.

The Airbnb Brooklyn Half welcomes new title sponsor Airbnb, returning footwear and Pre-Party partner New Balance, NYRR Premier Partner Tata Consultancy Services, a host of local elite and notable runners, and much more. Further information on sponsor, partner, and community activations, and noteworthy runners, is below.

Sponsor, Partner, and Community Activations

Airbnb is the first-ever title sponsor of the Airbnb Brooklyn Half. Leading up to the event, they will be hosting workshops, installations, and nightly tastings to celebrate all of the flavors and experiences of Brooklyn. Airbnb has published their “Local List,” a limited-edition guide illustrated by Brooklyn artist Josh Cochran, which serves as a compilation of local hot spots chosen by Airbnb Brooklyn hosts. Visitors using this guide are encouraged to explore some of Brooklyn’s hidden gems within various neighborhoods across the borough.

At the Airbnb Brooklyn Half Pre-Party presented by New Balance (details below), Airbnb will host a Brooklyn Mini Golf Experience; each hole is inspired by a distinct neighborhood featured on their Local List. Each evening Airbnb will aim to showcase local Brooklyn restaurants, bars, and shops from their Local List with tastings and workshops from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. A map of Brooklyn, made from textiles collected from Airbnb hosts in different boroughs and created by local artist, Jennifer Moravillas, will also be displayed courtesy of Airbnb.

New Balance returns for the third year as the official footwear and apparel sponsor of the Airbnb Brooklyn Half and remains the presenting sponsor of the pre-party, which has become an annual destination in the borough. This celebratory, free, three-day event will take place at Pier 2, Brooklyn Bridge Park from May 13 to 15, inviting runners, family, friends, and the public to experience the energy and diversity of Brooklyn. The event will serve as much more than the main hub for race material pick-up, and will be filled with celebrations of hospitality, fitness, local food, and live musical performances. Various local food vendors and trucks will be on-site, including the Mac Truck, Takumi Taco, Chickpea & Olive, and others, for all to experience the flavor of Brooklyn, along with local brewery Coney Island Brewing Co. There will be live music each night from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. outdoors at the main stage.

The Airbnb Brooklyn Half Pre-Party presented by New Balance will feature official New Balance branded merchandise, including performance running technical apparel, cotton lifestyle apparel, sublimated race-day singlets, and the latest from the spring 2015 footwear collection. New Balance will also support the Recycle Your Soles program by offering $25 coupons off a purchase of $100 or more, to be used at their flagship store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. All visitors are encouraged to bring old running sneakers (or other shoes) which will be reused by Goodwill Industries of New York and New Jersey. Other activities at the Airbnb Brooklyn Half Pre-Party presented by New Balance will include local graffiti artists customizing race apparel, event postcard printing, and an Instagram photo booth.

Tata Consultancy Services has teamed up with NYRR to offer services designed to aid runners with their race day strategies.  NYRR coaching staff will discuss the course turn-by-turn via the Course Strategy Sessions, powered by Tata Consultancy Services.  The NYRR Race Predictor, also powered by TCS, will take a runner’s inputted training details and accurately predict his or her finisher time, and pace bands will be available to help keep the runner on plan throughout the race.

Please visit the event’s official page here for additional updates and details on daily programming and activities.

The NYRR Runner Rated program, a community-driven initiative that engages runners and highlights local businesses surrounding NYRR Five-Borough Series races, will be available for the Airbnb Brooklyn Half. Through NYRR’s social media channels, runners, spectators, and volunteers have the ability to vote on their favorite local post-race spot to celebrate their successes at the Airbnb Brooklyn Half. The winning local businesses receive a window cling that can be prominently displayed to feature their top-pick status among all voters. Discounts and deals may be available to all participants who visit these winning locations.

Local Elite Runners to Compete for the Win

For the first time in event history, the race will feature a men’s and women’s Seeded Athlete Program comprised of talented local elite runners and NYRR members. Runners will vie for a $5,000 prize purse, including a $1,000 first-place prize to the top male and female finishers; title sponsor Airbnb will also award Airbnb vouchers for $1,000, $700, and $500 to the top three men and women.

The men’s field will include Brooklyn resident and 2012 and 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier Gian-Paul Caccia of the New York Athletic Club and defending champion and 2014 NYRR Fred Lebow Runner of the Year Yonas Mebrahtu of Eritrea.

The New York Athletic Club’s Megan Hogan and Sarah Cummings, both 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifiers, will lead the women’s field.

Notable Runners

Familiar faces will be among the 25,000 participants at the Airbnb Brooklyn Half:

·         Football great Tiki Barber, the New York Giants’ all-time rushing leader and current co-host of CBS Sports Radio’s morning show, will take on his second 13.1-mile race of the year. He completed the 2015 United Airlines NYC Half in March, running on behalf of The Fresh Air Fund, and finished in 2:10:59. Barber also participated in the 2014 TCS New York City Marathon—his first-ever marathon—on behalf of New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia and his wife Amber’s PitCCh In Foundation; he finished in a time of 5:14:37.

·         Actress Katrina Bowden, best known for her role of Cerie on 30 Rock, will participate in her first Airbnb Brooklyn Half. Bowden ran the 2014 TCS New York City Marathon in 4:16:20. She will be starring in the new television show Public Morals premiering this summer on TNT.

·         Renowned Bon Appétit Magazine Restaurant and Drinks Editor and local Brooklynite Andrew Knowlton will take on the challenge of the 2015 Airbnb Brooklyn Half.

The Airbnb Brooklyn Half sold out in less than seven hours after registration opened to the public in January. In 2014, 25,642 runners crossed the finish line, making the race one of the largest half-marathons in the country.

About New York Road Runners

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 www.nyrr.org.

About Airbnb

Founded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world — online or from a mobile phone. Whether an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a villa for a month, Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences, at any price point, in more than 34,000 cities and 190 countries. And with world-class customer service and a growing community of users, Airbnb is the easiest way for people to monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions.Airbnb.com

About New Balance

New Balance, headquartered in Boston, MA has the following mission: Demonstrating responsible leadership, we build global brands that athletes are proud to wear, associates are proud to create and communities are proud to host. New Balance is the only major company to make or assemble more than 4 million pairs of athletic footwear per year in the USA, which represents a limited portion of our US sales. Where the domestic value is at least 70%, we label our shoes Made in the USA. New Balance owns five factories in New England and one in Flimby, U.K. New Balance employs more than 4,000 associates around the globe, and in 2013 reported worldwide sales of $2.73 billion. To learn more about New Balance, please visit www.newbalance.com.