Race Review: Rock n’ Roll Brooklyn Half Marathon

The 2016 Synchrony Financial Rock n’ Roll Brooklyn Half Marathon was held on Saturday October 8th.  I’ve run a number of Rock n’ Roll events – they are generally well organized and cater to runners of all levels and to charity runners.

The expo was held on Thursday and Friday at a midtown location near Penn Station. If you know me, you know that I like expos a lot. I enjoy the overall energy, seeing new products and talking to people I know and to those I don’t know.

The expo was well organized and energetic. There were plenty of items for sale, such as sunglasses, headphones, race shirts and running gear, and brands being promoted such as Geico, Toyota and the lead sponsor Synchrony Financial.

On Saturday, I woke up super early, and was at the subway before 6 a.m. as the race began at 7 a.m.  I’m always happy to see other runners when I travel by subway: it confirms that I’m going the right way.

We arrived at Grand Army Plaza (Prospect Park) and I followed the crowd.

Prospect Park is actually quite beautiful. Nearby, is the Brooklyn Library and the Brooklyn Museum. These locations are worth visiting whether you run or not, and are an easy subway ride from Manhattan.

There was a lot of security at the race. The race entry area was gated, and runners had to go through a security checkpoint and walk through a metal detector. Once inside, the runners lined up by coral.

And then, we were off an running (or in my case, running and walking and running and walking). The race course had some similarities to the New York Road Runner Brooklyn Half Marathon – both begin at the Brooklyn Museum, and both include a loop around Prospect Park, and both run along Ocean Pkwy for a while. This race did not go all the way down to Coney Island, like the NYRR race, but it additionally went down Eastern Pkwy.

There were plenty of spectators along the course and plenty of police, volunteers and refreshments (water and products by Glukos). There were a lot of bands along the way – after all this was a Rock n’ Roll event! A lot of my motivation came from fellow runners, who were friendly and fun. The race ended with a loop around hilly Prospect Park and a finish in the park.

The benefit to a race finish in a park, especially when the weather is nice, is that it is a perfect location for a party. As I had run slowly, the party was already well underway when I arrived – there was plenty of water, food, and music. And, yes, there was beer!

I headed over to the VIP tent,  where there were tables and chairs, catered food and ……………… MASSAGES!

My plate:

This was the best!!

It was a nice event from beginning to end. Where are you running this weekend?