Today, New York Road Runners (NYRR), the nonprofit that “runs” New York City, hosted 2,592 young athletes ages 8-18 in Central Park for the final event of TCS New York City Marathon Kids Kickoff. Just one week before the TCS New York City Marathon—the best day of the year in the best city in the world—kids had the opportunity to experience the marathon magic for themselves, with youth races starting at the marathon’s finish line.
This year, for the first time ever, the TCS New York City Marathon Kids Kickoff took place in all five boroughs, with outer-borough events for kids 2-18 taking place yesterday. This was New York Road Runners’ largest youth event ever, with the two-day event drawing nearly 5,000 kids.
The TCS New York City Marathon Kids Kickoff is New York Road Runners’ largest and marquee youth event. Throughout the year, the nonprofit hosts 20 free youth events, designed to give the next generation of runners the confidence to cross any finish line. Many participants in the TCS New York City Marathon Kids Kickoff were members of Rising New York Road Runners, the organization’s running-based youth program serving nearly 200,000 students nationwide, including 100,000 in New York City.