By Jennifer R Jones | Posted on August 13, 2009 4:00 PM
Beginning At Central Park's East Drive, The New York City Half-Marathon Prepares To Take Over The Streets Of New York, Plus Times Square Sing-Along And Samba New York
New York City Half-Marathon This Sunday
Those of us who find it tiring to even watch the New York City marathon, or walk to a good vantage point, may take heart in this Sunday’s Half-Marathon, (August 16, starting at 7:00 am).
Beginning at Central Park’s East Drive, the course makes a clockwise loop around the park, continues to the south end of the park, and veers onto Seventh Avenue. Runners then head south to Times Square and along the Hudson River waterfront to lower Manhattan. The race, sponsored by The New York Road Runners Club, ends on West Street near Rector Street and Battery Park.
Broadway Performers Lead The Festivities
If watching the runners isn’t enough for you, entertainment will be provided throughout the course. It might be worth joining the crowd at Times Square just to say you were part of the Times Square Sing-Along—-lyrics to classic songs will be projected on an enormous video screen, while Broadway performers lead the festivities. Both runners and viewers are welcome to join in, but if the runners have enough breath to sing ”Hello, Dolly," they aren’t doing their job.
Other entertainment activities include Samba New York! at 42nd Street and the West Side Highway; The Creamsicles, a band that will play funk, surf rock and gypsy punk (No, we don’t know what that means either); and the "Corridor of Sound,” five DJ Stations near the finish along the West Side Highway, with--wait for it--a variety of city sounds. Yes, you could probably step outside and hear the same thing, but what fun would that be?
