New York, June 20, 2016 – New York Road Runners (NYRR) today announced its plans to celebrate the one-year anniversary of NYRR Open Run, a community-based initiative that brings free weekly runs and walks to local neighborhood parks in New York City by working with community leaders and volunteers. The celebrations, which will include birthday treats, will kick off on Tuesday, June 21, at Brooklyn Bridge Park at 7:00 p.m., and will continue during the scheduled weekly runs at each of the nine parks that host NYRR Open Runs between June 21 and June 26.

“At its core, NYRR Open Run represents New York Road Runners mission to help and inspire people of all ages and ability levels through running, walking, and movement,” said Michael Capiraso, president and CEO of New York Road Runners. “We have already seen many first-timers starting at Open Runs in their community and then signing up for NYRR races at further distances. We are excited about the success this program has had over the past year, and encourage runners across the five boroughs to get out and run and walk with us in their neighborhood park.”

“NYRR Open Run is truly something special with participants coming out for their first-ever run, and others joining for their hundredth,” said Peter Ciaccia, president of events for New York Road Runners and the race director of the TCS New York City Marathon. “We are grateful for our partnership and collaboration with the Parks Department on NYRR Open Run and many events and programs throughout the year. Together, we continue to make positive impacts on our communities’ well-being through physical fitness.”

NYRR Open Run launched with one location in the Bronx at St. Mary's Park in the summer of 2015 but has grown to locations in all five boroughs. Runs currently take place in nine parks, including the most recent addition, Crotona Park in the South Bronx, launched on Saturday, June 18.  A new NYRR Open Run location in Canarsie Park, Brooklyn, is slated to open soon. Throughout the past year, community leaders and volunteers have hosted approximately 300 NYRR Open Runs for more than 7,000 participants. All runs are directed by volunteers and are free to all participants.

This program is in collaboration with NYC Parks’ Community Parks Initiative to bring programming to smaller public parks with the greatest needs throughout New York City.

“Running is a great way to stay fit and enjoy the city’s most beautiful parks,” said Assistant Commissioner for Public Programs at NYC Department of Parks & Recreation Adena Long. “NYRR Open Run makes it easy for everyone to take the first step toward a healthy and active lifestyle. We’re so grateful for New York Road Runners’ support of the Community Parks Initiative and their efforts to bring high-quality programming into our city’s neighborhood parks.”

All NYRR Open Runs are free and open to all ages and ability levels. Participants are encouraged to run, jog, or stroll, and are free to bring children in strollers, or their dog on a leash. Most courses are three laps of the park for a total distance of about three miles, and the runs are timed so participants can keep track of their progress. The finish line remains open until the final finisher, and all members of the Open Run community are encouraged to hang around until everyone has finished. For more details on each individual run, and to sign up for NYRR Open Run, please visit http://openrun.nyrr.org/.

NYRR Open Run, and a number of NYRR youth and community running programs, events, and resources are supported by NYRR’s Premier Partner, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), title sponsor of the TCS New York City Marathon, and Official Youth and Community Services Partner.

NYRR Open Runs

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.