How to have more fun than the runners at this year’s Brooklyn Half

Tomorrow at 7am, around 40,000 people will congregate in their runner’s best at the Brooklyn Museum to start this year’s NYRR Brooklyn Half Marathon. Wave 1 – or the first 20,000 people registered, will take off right at 7:00, with wave 2 shortly behind with a 7:45 start time. Let the runner’s high commence!

Don’t get down with running 3 miles consecutively, let alone 13.109? There is still plenty for you (and me) to do before, during and after this year’s race, including a pre-party, a post-race party with a Jimmy Buffet cover band and plenty of places to cheer on your friends or total strangers.

Hurry down to Pier 2 at Brooklyn Bridge Park, where there’ll be pre-race festivities until 9pm today. New Balance is doing runners a solid by throwing them a pre-race celebration tonight, sure to get anyone amped about running for two hours straight. Tonight’s festivities include but are not limited to: tunes brought to you by Dj Delro, The Score and Legs; food trucks, beer tents and espresso bars bringing you some of the best local fare Brooklyn has to offer; and, an endless era of New Balance running gear.

During the race, non-runners are encouraged to post up along the course to cheer on the physicalness of it all! Recommended viewing locations include: the east side of Ocean Avenue between Empire Boulevard and Parkside ave; the north side of Park Circle in the zebra-striped road area near the park entrance; and the finish line (Coney Island boardwalk between West 15th Street and Stillwell Ave.). If these don’t strike your fancy, check out all the cheer zones and the course map (to best plan your course of action to rally on the running troops! There is stadium seating available at the finish line, however, it can only hold 200 people. Get there early (really, really early) to secure yourself a spot.

Growing tired of cheering? Head over to MCU Park from 8am to 1pm for an epic after party! Listen to tunes from Jimmy Buffet tribute band Parrot Beach; snag food from the concession stands, stretch out on the outfield grass and check out feats of human strength that aren’t running a marathon, like sword swallowing and hammering nails into your nose, courtesy of the Sideshow by the Seashore.

Friendly post-run NYRR tips: make your post race meet up location MCU Park instead of at/around the finish line; the friends and family after party entrance is located at  MCU Park’s main gate on Surf Ave; and bring a government issued ID or you risk not being let into the park.

Good luck to those running and cheering this weekend. Unfortunately, it’s scheduled to rain (womp, womp), but don’t let a little water get you down. In the words of a little girl named Jenny, “Run Forrest! Run!”

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