The Midnight Half, an Unsanctioned Half Marathon Through New York City Streets at Midnight

The Midnight Half is an unsanctioned half marathon run through the streets of New York at midnight on Memorial Day every year. While the start, 4 checkpoints and finish line are official, nothing else is shutdown for the race. This means that participants have to dodge traffic, red lights, tourists on the bridges and other obstacles to make their way through the 13.1 mile stretch.

On a humid Friday night on Memorial Day weekend, 120 runners sweated through one of New York City's most respected road races—although most New Yorkers had no idea it was going on. It was 11 PM, for one thing, and there were no cheering throngs of fans behind barricades for this half-marathon. Instead, some of New York City's fastest elite runners were dashing through intersections, dodging cars, cutting through parks, running up stairs, or jumping the occasional fence.

Check out this recent article on VICE for more info on this year's Midnight Half.

via VICE

Matt Coneybeare

Matt Coneybeare

Editor in Chief

Matt enjoys exploring the City's with his partner and son. He is an avid marathon runner, and spends most of his time eating, running, and working on cool stuff.

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