New York Road Runners, soon to celebrate its 50th anniversary, is
dedicated to promoting the sport of distance running and enhancing
health and fitness for all. The road races and other fitness programs
draw upwards of 300,000 runners annually, and together with the
magazine and Web site support and promote professional and recreational
running. A staff of 60, assisted by thousands of volunteers, stages the
ING New York City Marathon, as well as a road race nearly every weekend
plus many track and cross country events. NYRR’s home base in New York,
and its lifelong identification with Central Park, have given many of
its events iconic status, attracting the world’s top professional
runners.
The premier event of New York Road Runners, the ING New York City
Marathon is one of the world’s great road races, drawing more than
85,000 applicants. It will be decided by a lottery who will receive a
number. The race attracts many world-class professional athletes, not
only for the more than $500,000 in prize money, but also for the chance
to excel in the media capital of the world before two million cheering
spectators and 260 million worldwide television viewers. As any one of
the 635,000 past participants will attest, crossing the finish line in
Central Park is one of the great thrills of a lifetime.