What to know about Sunday’s Half-Marathon

The 2023 United Airlines New York City Half-Marathon on Sunday will shut down dozens of streets as tens of thousands of runners trek from central Brooklyn to Central Park.

The participants will swing by a range of New York City landmarks, including Times Square – the only time the bustling zone closes to traffic besides New Year’s Eve.

Here’s what you need to know about what’s going on and how to tune in.

Who will be running in the race?

More than 25,000 runners, including Olympic gold medalists and reality TV personalities, as well as FDNY firefighters and NYPD officers dueling to win a decadeslong rivalry.

Professional athletes hailing from 15 different countries will also share the stage, including the half-marathon world-record holder, the last two years' winners, and dozens more participants in the Olympics and Paralympics. Celebrity runners include former NFL player Tiki Barber and the former titular stars on the reality TV series "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette," Peter Weber and Andi Dorfman.

When does it take place?

The first wave starts just after 7 a.m. Sunday, and the runners will keep coming well into the afternoon. The professional wheelchair division racers begin first, followed shortly afterward by professional women’s and men’s runners.

Where does the race go?

The 13.1-mile trek begins near the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, winds through Prospect Park, and beelines to Downtown Brooklyn and over the Manhattan Bridge.

From there, runners will journey north from the Lower East Side along the FDR Drive on the banks of the East River to the United Nations' headquarters in Midtown. Then they’ll traverse Midtown, crossing through Times Square before ending in Central Park.

Watch the official course preview on the organizer’s YouTube channel.

How can you watch the race?

The New York Road Runners, who organize the race, don’t have an official spectator guide for this race, as they do for the full marathon in the fall. Stuart Lieberman, the NYRR's public relations director, says spectators are welcome to cheer on the runners throughout the entire course.

You also can watch from home. Tune in to WABC Channel 7 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. on race day. And starting at 7 a.m., you can watch the livestream of the professional race on abc7nyc.com, the ESPN app, or the organizing group New York Road Runners’ Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube pages.

What will the weather be like?

Not as warm as Friday or Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Expect morning temperatures in the 30s and an afternoon high that barely creeps into the 40s.

Which streets will be closed to traffic, and when?

Dozens of streets across Brooklyn and Manhattan, including roads around Central Park, sections of the FDR Drive along the East River, and the upper section of the Manhattan Bridge headed to the Lower East Side.

The closure times generally range from early in morning until early or midafternoon. The full list of street closures and times can be found on the New York Road Runners’ website.