The Brooklyn Bridge at mile 2. The Hudson River at mile 7. Riverside Drive at mile 10. The NYC Half punishes runners who don't have a plan. Enter your goal time and get hill-adjusted splits for all 13.1 miles.
The Brooklyn Bridge is early, exciting, and surrounded by 25,000 people running on adrenaline. The climb up the approach ramp at mile 2 is only 64 feet, but it comes when legs are fresh and energy is high — the worst combination for pacing discipline. Runners who hammer the bridge and fly down the other side into Manhattan almost always hit Riverside Drive at mile 10 with nothing left.
This calculator helps you solve that problem by giving you an exact, step-by-step plan built on research, experience, and data. Enter your goal time, set how aggressively you want to treat uphills, and you'll get a target pace for each of the 14 course segments — accounting for every foot of elevation change from Prospect Park to the Central Park finish.
Enter your goal time and effort level. Your personalized mile-by-mile splits appear instantly.
| Mile | Elev | Effort | vs Goal Pace | Target Pace (min/mi) |
Pace Bank | Elapsed |
|---|
Elevation data from real NYC Half GPX course file. Uphill penalty applied above +0.4% grade; downhill benefit applied below −0.75% grade. Math closes exactly to goal time.
13.1 miles through four distinct zones, each demanding a different strategy.
Mile 1 drops about 34 feet from the Grand Army Plaza start as the course rolls out of Prospect Park toward Brooklyn's street grid. It feels effortless, which is exactly the problem — the field surges through this opening mile faster than race pace. Let them go.
Mile 2 is the bridge approach. The ramp climbs 64 feet over roughly three-quarters of a mile at about 2.3% average grade — steady, not brutal, but this is the hardest climbing mile on the course and it comes when everyone around you is running on adrenaline. The bridge deck itself is flat. The views of lower Manhattan are worth a glance. The crowd is electric. None of that means you should be running hard.
Mile 3 is the descent. Once past the Manhattan tower, the bridge drops 119 feet into the Financial District — the steepest mile on the entire course. Gravity will accelerate you well past goal pace. Let the descent help, but don't push. Quad-pounding on this descent comes back at mile 10 on Riverside Drive.
Miles 4 and 5 thread through the Financial District and Tribeca on streets that roll gently. Nothing dramatic, but the course is still trending slightly downward from the bridge approach. By mile 5 you're descending in earnest toward the Hudson River waterfront.
Mile 6 drops nearly 59 feet as the course navigates west toward the West Side Highway. This is the course's second-biggest descent after the bridge, and it feels fast. The city opens up and the Hudson comes into view ahead.
By mile 7 you're on the West Side Highway running north along the Hudson. The skyline of lower Manhattan is behind you. The course flattens completely. This is where the race truly begins — use these flat miles to find and lock in your goal pace before Riverside Drive arrives at mile 10.
Miles 8 and 9 are the flattest on the course — virtually zero net elevation change as you cruise north along the Hudson. These are the miles to bank time and build rhythm. The river is to your left. The skyline slides past. Settle in.
Mile 10 is where the race gets hard again. The course leaves the West Side Highway and climbs into Riverside Park on Riverside Drive, gaining 44 feet over one mile. After 9 miles of accumulated fatigue — the bridge, the descent, the flat miles of sustained effort — this climb arrives at exactly the wrong time. You will feel it.
Miles 11 and 12 continue to climb, adding another 19 feet combined as the course runs north through Riverside Park and begins to turn toward Central Park. The terrain starts leveling out, but your legs are working for every step. This is where race-day execution — and how you handled the bridge — separates good times from great ones.
The final 1.1 miles into Central Park climbs 41 feet — not brutally steep, but the course does not go flat going into the finish line. Mile 13 gains 25 feet through the park entry, and the final 0.1 miles adds another 16 feet up to the finish area near 72nd Street.
The finish line spectator support is loud here, and the sight of Central Park after 13 miles through Brooklyn and Manhattan carries most runners through faster than they expect. The crowd tends to be thicker than anywhere since Brooklyn. Use it. This is 0.1 miles. Everything you have left, leave it here.
March in New York City is reliably cool — ideal for racing. But wind off the Hudson is always a factor.
| Year | Start Temp | Finish Temp | Humidity | Wind | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 38°F / 3°C | 46°F / 8°C | 48% | 12 mph NW | Ideal |
| 2024 | 44°F / 7°C | 52°F / 11°C | 55% | 8 mph W | Ideal |
| 2023 | 36°F / 2°C | 42°F / 6°C | 60% | 14 mph NW | Cool/Windy |
| 2022 | 42°F / 6°C | 50°F / 10°C | 52% | 10 mph W | Ideal |
| 2021 | Race canceled (COVID-19) | ||||
| 2020 | Race canceled (COVID-19) | ||||
| 2019 | 48°F / 9°C | 58°F / 14°C | 65% | 9 mph SW | Ideal |
Start temperatures approximate for 7:00 AM at Grand Army Plaza (Prospect Park). West and northwest winds are common and often produce a crosswind on the West Side Highway miles (8–9). A strong headwind on the Hudson adds seconds per mile that the elevation calculator doesn't account for. Check the forecast on race week and dress in throwaway layers for the start corrals.
What the course gives you, and what it asks for in return.
The NYC Half is legitimately one of the better half marathon PR setups in the country. March weather in New York is almost always cool enough for fast running, the net elevation is slightly in your favor at −37 feet, and the 25,000-person field means you'll have pacing company at nearly any target time. Most years deliver ideal conditions.
The course record tells you the ceiling: Sara Hall ran 1:07:31 in 2023. Kibel Kibel holds the men's record at 59:29. Average open field finish times run in the 2:10–2:20 range, consistent with a moderately technical urban half.
Two things set this race apart from a standard urban half. First, the weather: March is reliably 35–48°F at the gun, which is the sweet spot for fast half marathon racing. You won't overheat on the West Side Highway. Second, the Hudson miles at 7–9 are as good as flat running gets — wide, open, consistent pavement, with the river on one side and the city skyline on the other. Runners who arrive at mile 7 feeling fresh regularly negative-split the back half.
The finish in Central Park is iconic and motivating. The park crowds are loud, the setting is unmistakable, and the sight of the finish from a quarter mile out tends to produce faster final miles than runners expected. If you've got anything left, Central Park will find it.
Pacing discipline on the Brooklyn Bridge is the primary requirement. Mile 2 is the hardest climbing mile and it comes when you're surrounded by 25,000 people running on race-day adrenaline — the worst possible conditions for restraint. Runners who attack the bridge and hammer the descent into Manhattan almost always blow up at Riverside Drive. The calculator on this page tells you exactly what pace to run on the bridge. Trust the numbers over how you feel in mile 2.
The Riverside Drive climb at mile 10 is the second test. It arrives at a point in the race when your legs have absorbed 9 miles of effort including the bridge. It's only 44 feet of gain over one mile, but the timing is what makes it hard. Budget for a 10–15 second per mile slowdown here rather than fighting it. You'll recover on the approach to Central Park.
Wind on the West Side Highway is the wild card. A northwest headwind at 15+ mph on miles 8–9 adds 10–20 seconds per mile that no elevation calculator can account for. If conditions are windy, draft behind other runners on the Hudson stretch and adjust your expectations accordingly.
| Category | Record | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Women's Open | 1:07:31 | 2023 |
| Men's Open | 59:29 | 2019 |
| Women's Masters (40+) | 1:14:22 | 2022 |
| Men's Masters (40+) | 1:04:58 | 2019 |
Records approximate. Check nyrr.org for official course records and updated results.
Everything you need from Prospect Park to the Central Park finish line.
The NYC Half uses a wave start from Prospect Park (near the Grand Army Plaza end). Waves go off starting around 7:00 AM in March, staggered by a few minutes each. Your assigned wave is determined by your submitted predicted finish time at registration.
NYRR members in good standing may be eligible for earlier wave seeding. Check your bib confirmation for your specific wave number and start time. Arriving late to your corral means starting behind slower runners and navigating around people for the first two miles.
Prospect Park is accessible from multiple subway lines. The 2/3 stops at Grand Army Plaza (a few blocks from the start), and the F/G at 15th St-Prospect Park is a short walk. Subway is by far the best option on race morning — car access around the park is severely limited.
NYRR runs official shuttles from Midtown Manhattan locations. Check the race website for the current year's shuttle pickup points, times, and registration requirements. Shuttles are worth it if you're coming from a hotel north of the park.
Bag check is available near the start in Prospect Park. NYRR typically provides clear plastic bags at check-in, but bringing your own labeled bag speeds up the process. Your checked gear is transported to the finish area in Central Park.
This is a point-to-point race from Brooklyn to Manhattan — whatever you want post-race (dry shoes, a warm layer, phone charger) needs to go in your checked bag. Plan for the finish area to be cooler than the race start once you stop running. A dry base layer and wind jacket make the difference between a comfortable post-race experience and a cold one.
NYRR provides water and Gatorade Endurance at stations roughly every 2 miles throughout the course. Gel is typically available at one designated nutrition station mid-race. Check the race guide for the current year's specific station locations.
For a 13.1-mile race, most runners need 1–2 gels depending on pace and training. Carry your preferred nutrition if you're sensitive to race-day products. Taking a gel at mile 6 or 7 before you feel you need one is generally better than waiting until mile 9.
The finish is in Central Park, typically near the 72nd Street transverse. After crossing, runners continue through the finish chute to medal and mylar pickup before reaching the family reunion area. The park layout can be confusing post-race — establish a meeting point with anyone coming to watch before the race, not after.
The finish area is open and often windy in March. Put on your mylar blanket and any dry layers from your checked bag immediately. The temperature drop after stopping is significant in cold weather.
Central Park has multiple subway access points within a half mile of the finish area. The B/C at 72nd St and the 1/2/3 at 72nd St-Broadway are both close. Trains fill quickly in the 30 minutes after the finish chute opens, so either head out promptly or plan to wait.
The NYC Half is one of the better point-to-point races for logistics because Central Park is easy to navigate and has strong transit connections. NYRR typically has post-race refreshments in the park. The walk back to the subway is also a good cooldown.
The NYC Half has a net drop of about 37 feet, but it's not a flat course. The defining elevation feature is the Brooklyn Bridge at miles 2–3: a 64-foot climb up the approach ramp followed by a 119-foot descent into Manhattan. Miles 4–9 trend gradually downward to the Hudson River. Then Riverside Drive at mile 10 adds 44 feet of climbing when your legs are already 9 miles in. The bridge and Riverside Drive are the two moments where pacing discipline determines whether you PR or blow up.
For most runners, yes. March weather is reliably cool, the net elevation is slightly in your favor, and the Hudson miles at 7–9 are ideal for locking in goal pace. The primary risk is the Brooklyn Bridge — going out too hard in mile 2 and hammering the descent into Manhattan. Runners who pace the bridge conservatively and treat the flat Hudson miles as their engine room almost always run their best times here. The calculator gives you exactly the bridge-adjusted splits to do it right.
Two spots. The Brooklyn Bridge approach at mile 2 is the biggest climb on the course (+64 ft over roughly 0.75 miles) and it comes when race energy is highest. The second is Riverside Drive at mile 10: only 44 feet of gain, but it arrives at mile 10 of a half marathon when your legs have absorbed 9 miles of effort including the bridge descent. Both are manageable if you expect them. Both have ended PR attempts for runners who didn't.
The calculator uses real GPX data from the NYC Half course to compute hill-adjusted paces for each of the 14 segments. The biggest adjustments hit miles 2 and 3 (the bridge) and mile 10 (Riverside Drive). Enter your goal time and you'll get splits where the math closes exactly to your goal. What it doesn't account for: wind off the Hudson on miles 8–9, temperature above 55°F, or crowd density on the bridge in the opening miles. Check the race-day forecast and adjust goal time if conditions look unfavorable.
