"Fun 5k through midtown and into Central Park. Has a great marathon-week vibe, with runners from all over the world warming up for the big day.

Packet pick-up at the Javits Center is a pain, especially given the marathon crowds, but understandable for those doing both. Coming from Bkln and

Ran MCM as my first marathon after years of running multiple halfs/year. First class experience from registration to finish. Having the Marines lining the way as you charged up the last stretch to the Iwo was inspiring. The crowd support along the course was amazing. Would highly recommend this race to

If you are tired of the hype with high prices so you get bands and beer and just want to run a challenging half marathon put on by runners, for runners, this is the race to sign up for. It is a reasonable $35 with good aid stations and post race