NYC & COMPANY ENCOURAGES ATHLETES TO RUN THROUGH NYCS NEIGHBORHOODS

NYC & COMPANY ENCOURAGES ATHLETES TO RUN THROUGH NYC'S NEIGHBORHOODS

—Registration is Still Available for Fall Races, Giving Runners the Perfect Reason to Visit NYC—

New York City (July 29, 2015) — NYC & Company, New York City’s official marketing, tourism and partnership organization, encourages visitors to run through New York City’s five boroughs during one of the running events taking place this fall. For those not ready to tackle the TCS New York City Marathon, there are several shorter races through the City’s vibrant neighborhoods. For the list of upcoming races and additional sporting events taking place across the five boroughs, visit nycgo.com/sports.

“Every year, runners from around the world explore New York City‘s neighborhoods street by street, race by race.” said Fred Dixon, president and CEO of NYC & Company. “What better way to see the five boroughs of New York City than to participate in one of our many running events.” 

Runners can explore the City’s most populous borough in the inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll Brooklyn Half Marathon on October 10. Starting in Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza, running through surrounding neighborhoods and finishing in Prospect Park, the race features live performances by local bands along the route and a finish line festival headlined by Nate Ruess, lead singer of the Grammy Award winning band Fun (runrocknroll.com/brooklyn).

Tips for making the most of the race and exploring Brooklyn:

• 
  For a pre-race carbohydrate-heavy meal, family-owned restaurant

  al di la Trattoria

  serves Northern Italian dishes, including ravioli with red beets and a risotto of the day, and

  Franny’s

  is famed for their chewy thin-crust pizzas made with high quality ingredients.

  
   

• 
   Fuel up for the race. Located near the starting line,

  Bagel Hole

  has been serving quintessential New York-style bagels for 30 years, and

  Beygl,

  a more recent addition to the neighborhood, serves kettle-boiled bagels.

  
   

• 
  For runners looking to wind down after the race,

  Prospect Park Zoo

  offers nature trails, horseback riding and more. Also nearby, the

  Brooklyn Museum

  houses a huge permanent collection encompassing art from a variety of geographic locations and time periods; and the 52-acre

  Brooklyn Botanic Garden

  boasts more than 10,000 types of plants.

Run along the streets where hip-hop was born during the New York Road Runners (NYRR) Bronx 5K race on September 27. The race-within-a-race is part of the sold-out Bronx 10-Mile. (nyrr.org/races-and-events/2015/nyrr-bronx-5k)

Tips for making the most of the race and exploring the Bronx:

• 
  The

  Grand Concourse

  , which is the Bronx’s main artery and the start of the race, is home to many venues that showcase artwork, including

  The

  Bronx Museum of the Arts

  ,

  Hostos Community College’s Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture

  and the

  Bronx Documentary Center

  , with its photography exhibits and screenings of documentaries.

  
   

• 
  Along the race course, runners pass two of New York City’s most iconic cultural institutions, the

  Bronx Zoo

  , the largest metropolitan zoo in the US, and

  The

  New York Botanical Garden

  , which features more than a million plants on 250 acres.

  
   

• 
   For runners needing motivation to finish the race, New York City’s “real Little Italy” can be found along

  Arthur Avenue

  in the Belmont section of the Bronx. Visitors will find hand-pulled mozzarella, fresh pasta, homemade Italian desserts and more.

NYRR completes its Five Borough series this fall with the Staten Island Half Marathon on October 11, which includes views of the New York Harbor and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. New this year, NYRR will host a 5K race simultaneously running with both the 10-mile race and half marathon (nyrr.org/races-and-events/2015/nyrr-five-borough-series-staten-island-half).

Tips for making the most of the race and exploring Staten Island:

• 
  Runners participating in one of the Staten Island races can take a walk through one of New York City’s best-kept secrets,

  the Staten Island Greenbelt

  —a network of lush parks, wetlands, open meadows and hiking trails.

  
   

• 
  For history buffs,

  Fort Wadsworth

  is a bulwark with connections to George Washington and Revolutionary War battles and offers a spectacular panoramic view of the New York Harbor, Manhattan skyline and Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

  
   

• 
  It is easy to indulge in pizza and pasta in Staten Island after the race. A household name in New York City,

  Denino’s Pizzeria & Tavern

  is loved by New Yorkers from all five boroughs for their brick-oven pies. For authentic Italian dining, Staten Island residents head to

  Enoteca Maria

  , a family-style restaurant whose chefs are Italian

  nonnas

  . Founded by the family behind Staten Island’s Joe and Pat’s Pizzeria and Restaurant

  , Pier 76

  serves traditional and specialty pizza pies made from the freshest ingredients and features classic Italian dishes like veal marsala, chicken rollatini and eggplant parmigiana.

One of the last outdoor races of the season is in Queens on November 21 as the November Flushing Meadows 5K sends runners past some of Queen’s most iconic sites—the Unisphere, Fountain of the Planets, USTA National Tennis Center and Queens Museum (us.srichinmoyraces.org/nysprintseries).

Tips for making the most of the race and exploring Queens:

• 
  Runners can check out where some of the world’s best athletes play at the

  USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center

  and

  Citi Field

  , home of the New York Mets.

  
   

• 
  Located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, the

  Queens Museum

  features a diverse collection of art as well as the Panorama of the City of New York; the

  Queens Zoo

  is open 365 days a year, with animals such as alligators, bald eagles and pumas on exhibit; and the

  New York Hall of Science

  has more than 450 hands-on exhibitions and a pair of real NASA rockets.

  
   

• 
  For a post-race meal, the vibrant

  Tortilleria Nixtamal

  serves authentic Mexican food with corn tortillas made fresh daily.

  Leo’s Latticini

  (aka “Mama’s”) is a neighborhood favorite known for their friendly owners, sandwiches, fresh pasta and handmade mozzarella.

Additional races and charity runs this fall: the New York Road Runners’ 5th Avenue Mile on September 13 offers runners of all ages and abilities the chance to compete for their fastest mile in NYC in front of one of the City’s most famous shopping destinations (nyrr.org/races-and-events/2015/nyrr-5th-avenue-mile); also on September 13, the 25th annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Central Park celebrates cancer survivors and honors those lost to breast cancer (komennyc.org); and on September 27, the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk follows the route of 9/11 firefighter Stephen Siller from Brooklyn to Manhattan (tunnel2towers.org). 

Runners who visit New York City this fall will have a variety of hotel offerings to choose from, giving travelers more opportunities not only to run in but to stay in the many vibrant neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs. Runners can start the race morning off on the right foot by staying in a hotel near the start of the race so they can get more rest by cutting down the morning commute. With more than 103,000 rooms to choose from at every budget and style, travelers can stay longer and explore more during the autumn travel months. For the best available rates, visit nycgo.com/hotels and reserve through NYC & Company’s exclusive hotel booking engine, Booking.com.

About NYC & Company:
NYC & Company is the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide. For more information, visit nycgo.com.

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           Contact: NYC & Company / Chris Heywood 212-484-1270
                         NYC & Company / Caroline Peck 212-484-1270