Brooklyn streets will be lined with the fastest people from around the world as the borough hosts its annual half-marathon Saturday.
More than 27,000 people will be participating in the Airbnb Brooklyn Half, which is the largest 13.1-mile race in the country, according to the New York Road Runners.
Peter Ciaccia, the president of events at the NYRR said the event becomes more personal for the runners because the large crowds that gather along the route.
“We invite everyone to … come out to cheer and spectate along the course on race day,” he said.
The race kicks off at 7 a.m. at the Brooklyn Museum and runners will head south on Washington Avenue to Flatbush Avenue. They will then head north west on Flatbush, loop around Grand Army Plaza and head in the opposite direction on Flatbush toward Ocean Avenue.
After heading south on Ocean, the participants will head west on Parkside Avenue and enter Prospect Park where they will run a counterclockwise route around the green space before exiting onto Ocean Parkway. From there they will head south on the parkway all the way down to Coney Island.
There are some big names in the running world who will be taking part in the race including Jane Vongvorachoti, who’s qualified for this summer’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and Cynthia Erivo, the Tony nominated actress from the Broadway show, “The Color Purple.”
The Road Runners are also allowing young athletes to get in on the festivities. About 1,000 high school, middle school, and elementary school students will take part in the second annual “Kids’ Boardwalk Run,” where participants run for a mile on Coney Island’s boardwalk.
Airbnb estimates that 12,000 guests will be coming to the borough during the race weekend from around the world.
