Rock and Roll Marathon Half-Brooklyn I'm the Coach, Cheering Squad and President of the Marianne Runners Fan Club. I've attended many many races. The races I enjoyed the most are the Rock and Roll Sponsored Races. I know of at least two I have attended in recent years. I get lots of exercise walking through the location seeing everything. I stop and talk to the vendors and sponsors. They're wonderful taking my photo and giving me free samples. BUT, the best part is the music. I hear lots of bands and they always have a featured popular group perform after the race. It's a huge crowd making it necessary to keep up with each other's whereabouts by phone. I've never had a bad experience. The location is close to public transportation. I get happy just remembering all the fun I've had. I'm so proud of all the racers. They certainly deserve the beautiful awards they received. There's nothing better than being acknowledged for athletic activities! read more

See all

I see it's a mixed bag of runner reviews here. I'm on the side of the fence that it was a fun event and really enjoyed it. In 2017 they also offered a 5 Miler in which I ran on October 14 the day before the half marathon. Shirt and bib number pickup was smooth and easy at the Javits Center. As I live in Manhattan it was a breeze to drop by on my way home from work and take care of this. Race day we needed to be up super early for a 7am start time at Grand Army Plaza. It was 60 degrees out and a bit humid but I like those running conditions. The race ended in Prospect Park. I saw plenty of water stops, medical tents and porta potties on the course, along with groups of spectators cheering us on. Race course was well marked, with event volunteers helping out and keeping an eye out on the participants. Sweet medal and goodie bag handed to us at the finish line. The post race party in the park featured a beer tent where the finishers were treated with free ice cold brews. Now that is how to celebrate a successful race finish! I thought the organization did a great job with this at the time. Too bad they did not come back to NY afterwards. read more

See all

12/15 runs for the RnR Hall of Fame 2015! 10/15 for the RnR Hall of Fame 2016! 12/15 for the RnR Hall of Fame 2017! I have a slight addiction. lol. From 2011-2014, they only offered a 10K. An odd distance in which people actually travelled out for. In 2015, they finally opened up a half. EXPO '15 Brooklyn Expo Center - It was a challenge for a lot of people to get there via subway, so the expo stayed open longer to accommodate late comers. The expo may have been small, but it was very spacious and the space was utilized well. There was even an outdoor courtyard where they had a beer garden, yogurt garden and food trucks. I am not much of a beer drinker, so I enjoyed my free yogurt next to the beer folks. lol. The Brooklyn Expo Center is pretty stylish too; it reminded me of giant studio apartment with pillars, endless windows, wooden flooring, and exposed railings from the ceilings. Bougie Brooklyn. lol EXPO '16 Penn Plaza Pavilion - The entrance was a bit confusing; all the employees I talked to had no idea about the expo, and it made me think I went to the wrong hotel. As soon as walked out of the hotel, I saw a fellow runner enter a different door and there was the expo. It was very crammed, and the vendors felt way more limited here compared to the year before. At least the location was better (close to Times Square), and easier to get to. EXPO '17 Jacob K. Javits Convention Center - Home of the New York Comic Con. For a place that has "840,000 square feet of flexible exhibition space occupying six blocks along the scenic Hudson River" the RnR guys were given such a small space. Again, the vendors were few, yet everything still felt so crammed. It was a small trek to get to from the subway, and the venue did look nice but still not my favorite expo thus far. I will never be happy. lol. CHECK, CHECK, CHECK In my opinion, this whole bag check thing is ridiculous and I am pretty sure it will worsen overtime. I get it, our world is a dangerous place, this is for our safety, blah, blah, blah... but I am still not a fan. It's annoying. It has gotten better over time, at the least. The first year was a nightmare. We were so backed up, the start time had to be delayed. The metal detector-to-runners ratio was bad. This year the process was a little quicker. Supposedly you aren't allowed to wear camelbacks or carry those fuel pack things. Luckily, I only wear an armband to hold my ID and cellphone. I used to wear an ipod, but thank you 2015 security for breaking my holster clip. I heard the port-a-potties were limited as well. I am not a port-a-potty person, so lucky me... or not. In 2016, I held actually held in my poop until I found a clean bathroom. lol. IS THIS REALLY NEW YORK? I had so much expectations for this race especially for it being New York. It felt like forever running on Eastern Parkway, no crowd support, no music, or even things to look at. It was a very long and boring straightaway that made a loop. Luckily the course was mostly flat, well, up until you reached Prospect Park. I did feel a little more energy and support at Prospect Park. The hills probably had something to do with it -- those last 3 miles were terrible! A lot of people did PR at this race, so don't let those last couple miles discourage you. BUNCH OF SLOBS Prospect Park was a great idea to end the race, and host the post-race festivities. It is so big! In fact, I actually got lost in it's "585-acre oasis of scenic beauty." lol. I don't know if anyone feels this way about NYC, but it's filthy, and the park was pretty much a landfill after the race. Trash was everywhere! Us runners probably looked like a bunch of homeless people donned with mylar blankets, or if you were lucky, you received a an actual RnR blanket. (Bah, I was not lucky. Or not homeless looking enough. jk) PHILLY & BROOKLYN People who ran the half in Philly and the half in Brooklyn received additional swag. In 2015, we were given a zip-up long sleeved shirt/pseudo sweater, 2016 a zip-up sweater and this year, a long sleeved shirt. (Cheap, jk) I preferred the zipped up clothing, but I will take anything free. I am still a little bitter about the free blankets, but whatever. Speaking of free stuff, the post-race snacks weren't that bad. They actually had everything prepared in a clear plastic bag -- chips, protein bar, banana, Gatorade, and boxed water, yet people still didn't know where to how their trash away. ECT - You don't have to necessarily layer up. I was fine in shorts and a shirt for the past 3 years. - In 2015 if you ran 3/4 races DC, Virginia Beach, Philly and this race you are entitled to the Beast of the East medal - In 2017 if you ran SF as well, you were entitled to the Bucket List Challenge medal - After the race in 2015, I flew home to run the Long Beach half the next day, and 2017 flew to Denver to do the same thing - The race will not return in 2018. There goes my legacy, or back-to-backness. read more

See all

I forgot to write an update here after I ran the second year. I'm now 30-something Rock n Roll half marathon races in (and plenty of shorter distance, too). Competitor really does take participant feedback to heart and there were a number of improvements in 2016. 1) Expo located in Manhattan, right near one of the main train stations. It was still small, but easy to get to. 2) More metal detectors at the start--much faster getting through security. 3) Adjustment to the start line. Instead of running around the Grand Army Plaza monument (which caused a lot of congestion), we started next to it on a straight away, which made for a much easier start experience. I believe the course was the same otherwise. As much as I find long out and backs tough, the upside is that you can see your friends ahead/behind you on course, which I've grown to really enjoy. Finishing in Prospect Park is a highlight and makes a great setting for a finisher zone. The only downside is that the last 5K is a slight incline the whole way. See you again in October! read more

Just ran the Brooklyn RnR half and I must say it was an awesome experience, from the time I signed up, they sent me regular updates. Collecting the bib was very easy and also very well organized. I reached the venue at the allocated time and there were stations at every mile. There were lots of volunteers to help if you needed it. I did see lots of G I stations periodically, which I think is an important thing to have while running marathons. The finish area was pretty much cordoned off, but people could cheer as we ran to the finish line once we entered Prospect park. There was a finish festival, where you collected your medals, Gatorade and things to eat and drink from the sponsors, which was nice. This was my first half so I don't have a ton of experience, but I truly enjoyed it. Would highly recommend. October makes it so much easier to run as well. read more

Rock 'n Roll Marathon Series - Brooklyn Half - At the 12 mile mark ! - Races & Competitions Near Me - Prospect Heights, New York

Awesome experience. Ran the 1/2 yesterday through BK & Prospect park. Trained with my girlfriend and we both had an enjoyable time running. Pros: Lots of hydration stations Funky people on stilts to hi-five and run under Great vibes from racers Extremely well organized + fun post party Race track through prospect park Cons: Minimal GU stations Bands every mile was a bit of a bust Track - the majority of the race was on a straight shot of road and doubled back. Not great. Metal detectors upon arrival created a massive bottleneck which delayed the start time. Overall, this race was a ton of fun and well done. I'm grateful I was able to finish it with my lady and we look forward to the next one! read more

Rock 'n Roll Marathon Series - Brooklyn Half - Smiling & sprinting through the finish. LAST MILE! - Races & Competitions Near Me - Prospect Heights, New York

Other than the weather being nice it was kind of a boring out and back run. Not much entertainment, not that many spectators, and the course was primarily residential. It was still organized well like the other races except when trying to exit Prospect Park. It might have been just me and a little tired from the race to see any exiting signs. Not too many elevations throughout the course. And they were gradual increases so nothing too crazy. read more

Oh sigh.. This was an absolute disaster to say the least. I guess it's been long enough that I can laugh about it now, but this was really extremely poorly executed. Even though this was a few months ago, I'm feeling #inspired as I am training for another race and hoping that it will be a bit better than this experience. This was the first year of the rock n roll half marathon. I had heard awesome things about the race in other cities, and was really excited to finally get to do one in my home city. First things first - we showed up to the race over an hour early. The lines for the porta potties were actually the craziest things I have ever seen. I have done other races, and know that this is somewhat to be expected, but this was extremely terrible. I definitely saw a lot of squatting action, and contemplated doing that myself. After the line for the porta potties, there was an even longer line for the security. There were maybe 4 metal detectors for thousands of people. By the time we got past this line of security, the race had technically already started. Oh but don't worry - the race ended up starting an hour late, so we got to wait in line for another 45 minutes. We also did not realize that you had to arrive over an hour before the race started if you wanted your bags to be locked up for the race. It was really neat when I got to run with my sweatshirt tied around my waist the entire race, and that my friends got to throw their stuff out. Ok lets see what else . . . . oh yeah! The whole rock and roll aspect was just not a thing whatsoever. There were maybe 3 bands the entire way, and i'm actually pretty sure that they are the same band that plays at my local subway stop on my way home from work every day. The rogue stilt people were also scary. Aside from the poor organization of the race, I would say that if you are at all a serious runner you should avoid this race, since it definitely attracts people who are not true runners. The person in front of me in line had 8 gus in his pocket. I am all about the Gu for a long race, but 8 guys for a half marathon is actually the most dramatic thing I have ever seen. There was also zero organization in terms of heats and I found some people who were "thousands of spots" behind me trying to sneak up to the front. This was very frustrating since I was forced to walk the first half mile or so of the race. I know this was the first year, but seriously this is a company that runs these races all over the country. It's absolutely pathetic how poorly this was executed, and absurd that we paid as much as we did for something so bad. I have no interest in doing this race ever again, and frankly don't even want to give another city a chance if this is what they believe is acceptable. Wow okay glad I let that out of my system. Don't hate me cuz you ain't me - i'm just tellin it how it is. read more

It wasn't my favorite Rock N Roll race, but it was cool. I guess I was expecting more because it's, well...BROOKLYN...... Anyway, the race itself was pretty cool. However, after the race is where my major issue began. I paid extra when registering for the race online to get a specialized medal with my name and finish time and such. When I got to the booth (tired and ready to go home), it took them 30+ minutes to look for my name on some email list. They kept telling me they couldn't find my name on the list and that I had to pay $20. They even showed me the list and I didn't see my name either. I had to keep going back and forth with them. Who wants to go through this after a half marathon? Finally, after showing them an email that I paid a chunk of change for this race, they had to do the math and realize that my specialized medal was included in my invoice (because it wasn't itemized on the invoice for some reason), they said they would do it JUST THIS ONCE. Okay, thank you, I guess? Basically, if you want a specialized medal don't pay it online with your registration, just wait til you get to the booth after your race. Because they do not itemize the registration and extras if you purchase online. It's just one big charge. Don't think I'll be doing this one again. read more

I didn't love this course, especially the last 5k, rigging straight up the hill, while dodging park goers.

It's been a challenge the last two years due to the fact that it takes place the day before the Staten Island Half Marathon from the road runners. I thought I was the only nut to try the back to back challenge. But not quite there are a handful runners that claim that bragging right. read more

Awesome Inaugural 2015 race with a few hiccups. The expo was in a nice location with plenty of good food options around though the expo was a bit small and didn't have much beyond pickup. The free beer from Michelob at the expo was a nice touch though. The pacers were excellent and helped me get to a PR. The start line in Grand Army Plaza right next to the arch was awesome though the start was delayed by nearly 30 minutes without telling us why. There were also no where near enough porta potties at the start. The lines wrapped outside of the security even. The corals weren't well enforced so the start was a little traffic at the beginning while people fell into packs at different paces. They did do a decent job of separating groups of runners though so that it didn't get too packed. The route was nice with an out and back past the park, then down Ocean Avenue which got tedious, and back with a loop in the park. The out and back was cool because the elite runners came running back toward the rest of us. The park was definitely a challenge at the end as it is continuously uphill. Then ending concert was the best part though as the entertainment was pretty great. The cover band was good and played pretty much every song on my running playlist. Nate Ruess from Fun performed a great set that felt pretty intimate and engaged well with the crowd. Michelob again had a beer garden with free beer that was a nice touch. If they can figure out a few of these initial hiccups for next year, this promises to be a fantastic race for the area. read more

While the race was better organized this year than last, I thought the hydration was inadequate. For a corporately run race there should have been at least water stops at EACH MILE, however I found myself on Ocean Parkway extremely thirsty after passing (and drinking) at the four mile stop and having to run more than TWO MILES to see water again. The fuel was great but not having adequate water in humid NYC was not a good call. The beer garten at the finish line was also disappointing. If you really wanted beer you had to choose between hanging out with your friends and family who didn't run the race but came to support you or drinking your beer alone. read more

Not a particular fan of the course since it was pretty similar to the Airbnb Brooklyn Half. You run up and around Eastern Parkway and make your way through Ocean Parkway and loop back around to the finish in Prospect Park. This was my second time running with RNR (last time was also in Brooklyn but it was a 10k) and overall, they seem to be lacking in logistic and organization skills that NYRR has. First of all, the location to the Expo is inconvenient. It's in some warehouse located in the middle of nowhere in Greenpoint, where the lame G train runs. There weren't that many vendors there either so it was pretty much pick up your bib and out. Second, it had a late start. It was supposed to start at 7am but it ended up starting at 7:30. Mind you, it was a pretty chilly morning so having to stand there for another half hour really killed the vibe. As usual, getting through the security is a pain, which was probably why it took so long to start. As far as music, don't expect much "rock n roll" music throughout the course. In fact, I barely heard any music because the bands were playing so quietly due to the fact that it's mostly a residential area. They also seem to be short staffed on volunteers because some water stations were empty. I guess the only reason I run their races is because of their medals. They are somewhat nicer than NYRR's. They definitely have a bling factor to it. read more

Along with 3 girlfriends I ran the Brooklyn Half. It was not a terrible race but I will no longer run RNR. I did not attend expo but it was apparently easy to find and navigate. It is very annoying to me that if you pick up more than one bib for another person, you will be charged. That is unnecessary and its one of the deal breakers. This course was a little better than DC but one would have thought the bridge would show up somewhere during the race. The up and back is mostly flat but it is to me that is the very worst kind of course. I think it was mile 10 that is mostly uphill. It is perhaps unavoidable but it is terrible. There was no music until the finish...Hello...is that not the point of this race??? At the start there was an exuberant MC but it would have been so much better to play music. The security line was quick, the shirt was cute and race support was great so there is that. Finisher party...meh. They ran out of finisher blankets (really?) beer was warm and no one in the information booth could explain how to exit the park. I will run NY races again but not RNR. read more

There is no excuse for how poorly executed this race was. For a nationally recognizable race outfit, there was absolutely no reason for so many things to go wrong. The expo was inconvenient and the staff were unfriendly and rude. Even getting to the security line was a disaster. Nothing was marked. Event day staff were pushy and not helpful. Security was a DISASTER. There were FOUR portapotties in the corrals for the last several THOUSAND runners, and I can only imagine the conditions. After waiting in an absurdly long line for the portapotty, I wound up peeing on the sidewalk in front of people (many others did this, too). The race was scheduled to start at 7. After freezing in the corrals, I crossed the start at 8:15 to see a ton of portapotties a quarter mile in, which is really poor planning. The race announcer was just annoying at that point. People were seriously pissed, and to say "thanks for your patience, while we wait who out there is going to show me how to whip and nae nae??" is just annoying. The race entertainment was lacking. THERE WERE NO GELS ANYWHERE. No one was present at any point to keep people off the course, so the middle of the race was filled with people walking their dogs and strollers, etc. Leaving the course was not marked. The whole thing was a disaster. Do yourself a favor, save the exorbitant race fees and run NYRR races. read more

Elle M.'s comments are spot on. This was a poorly organized race and the Rock 'n Roll Marathon series should be ashamed. The late race start was blamed on counter terrorism measurements by local law enforcement but actually the organizers just didn't have enough metal detectors available for the crowd. Rock 'n Roll simply didn't make the adequate arrangements to get the participants through security in a timely manner. They also didn't have the forethought to arrange for more than 4 portable toilets in the race corrals or manage to keep locals from crossing straight through the race path. There was almost no music during the event, mile markers were easily missed, and after the race, tired runners with sore legs had to bend down onto the ground and rip their own silver thermal blankets off of large rolls. The expo, which FYI was off the G train, was incredibly inconvenient for anyone with a job working in upper Manhattan or the Bronx to attend. read more