NYC’s Friday Night Beach Race
On Friday, July 19, 2024 we are heading back to the beach for another night of Friday night racing on the Rockaway Boardwalk. This race is one of our favorite nights of the summer, that promises a fast course, a post-race dip in the ocean, and a can't miss after party at the Rockaway Hotel.
Men's 5K will go off at 6:55 pm with the women at 7:20 pm.
All registered runners get a visor (image below) and a free drink token for the Rockaway Hotel with their entry!
Additional Information
Getting to the Rockaways
If you’re planning to drive to this race, please leave early and give yourself plenty of time. Traffic is almost always bad on Friday night. There is a decent amount of street parking in the area though (especially above 116th street), and the earlier in the day you head out to the beach the less traffic you're likely to encounter.
The NYC Ferry is generally the easiest way for athletes to get to the event, leaving from Wall Street about every hour and dropping runners just a few blocks away from the start.
You can also get to the event by taking the subway or bus. The nearest subway stop is the Rockaway Beach 116th Street stop, which is just a few short blocks from the starting line.
Energy & Excitement
A unique feature of the 5k on the Beach is that the men's and women's races are run separately. The races are also run on an extremely spectator friendly course, with a few short out-and-backs on the boardwalk. This gives the race course a ton of energy and excitement, which tends to lead to a lot of fast times.
Bag Check
There will be a small bag check area for athletes, however we have a limited amount of space so we ask that you only use this if you don't have anyone there to watch your stuff. If you have friends or family on the boardwalk, please leave your stuff with them if you can!
Prize Money
There is prize money ($1000/$500/$250) for the top three finishers in each race.
The Afterparty
After the races are over head over to the Rockaway Hotel (just a few blocks from the finish line) for the afterparty. All registered runners will have. a pull tab on their bib that will get them their first BEER free!
The Course
The 5k course will start on the ramp by the northwest corner of the hockey rink. Runners will start heading west, and will run down to Beach 116 St. At Beach 116 St. they will then do the first of four turns, and head east, past the starting line, to Beach 102 St. There runners will complete the second turn. Runners will do this circuit two times, before finishing at the ramp down to the beach on 108th Street. This course is designed to be extremely spectator friendly (friends and family out on the boardwalk will see you pass by five times). The start/finish/turnarounds will all be extremely well marked and will be very clear on race day.
