Thousands turn out for Rock ‘n’ Roll Brooklyn Half Marathon
Jets star Brandon Marshall joins the festivities by running the last 2 miles with members of his charity project 375 team
The Brooklyn weather on Saturday couldn’t have been more welcoming for the thousands of runners who turned out to run in the first-ever Rock ‘n’ Roll Brooklyn Half Marathon. With 17,500 entrants, it was the largest inaugural half marathon in U.S. history.
Saturday’s race kicked off at the Grand Army Plaza. A three-runner pack comprised of Mekuria Abebe Sihine of Ethiopia, his compatriot, Birhanu Dare Kemal, and Mengitsu Nebsi of New York City, went right to the front with a strong start. American pre-race favorite Ben Bruce of Flagstaff, Arizona stayed with them for a few strides, but dropped back into the first mile.
The leaders headed out and back along the beautiful Brooklyn avenues that were lined with cheerleaders, stilted characters in tall wigs and bearded hipster bands jamming on mandolins and acoustic guitars.