Celebrate traditional and contemporary Japanese culture at this four-mile race in Central Park, now in its seventh year. The race and accompanying kids’ races are part of Japan Day @ Central Park, which starts immediately after the Japan Run and features a variety of Japanese food, activities, and stage performances over the course of the day.
DATE :
- Sunday, May 12th 2013
TIME :
- 4-mile Race : 8:00am
- Kids’ Race : 9:30am
followed by Awards Ceremony and Raffle
Course Info
You’ll start on Central Park’s East Drive, just south of 68th Street, and head north. In the first mile, watch out for Cat Hill—and its namesake, the Still Hunt statue of a crouching panther, which will look down on you from a rock wall to your left. A friendlier statue will greet you a few hundred meters beyond the one-mile point, along the race’s longest flat section: Fred Lebow, legendary founder of the New York City Marathon, is memorialized in bronze, checking his stopwatch, near East 90th Street.
You’ll continue north on East Drive and enjoy a slight downhill at about 1.5 miles, then another flat section as you approach the 102nd Street Transverse. You’ll turn left onto the Transverse and pass the two-mile point—you’re halfway home! At the western end of the Transverse, you’ll turn left again, heading south on West Drive. You’ll hit a challenging series of three rolling hills between the Transverse and the southwestern edge of the Jacqueline Onassis Reservoir (just before the three-mile mark). With a mile to go, you can enjoy a welcome downhill for about a half-mile, followed by a few hundred yards on the flat and a final left turn onto the 72nd Street Transverse. After a slight rise, you’ll see the finish and hear the cheering crowds. Don’t forget to look up for the cameras as you cross the finish line, on the Transverse overlooking Bethesda Terrace.
Water stops will be on your left near each of the first three mile marks, and you’ll find fruit and bagels at the finish.
Registration & Fee
Please visit NYRR’s website to register!
Number Pickup & Registration
Numbers, timing devices, and T-shirts may be picked up at NYRR (9 East 89th Street) on:
• Thursday, May 9, 1:00–7:00 p.m.
• Friday, May 10, 1:00–7:00 p.m.
• Saturday, May 11, 11:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Shirt size is subject to availability. Please pick up on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday to avoid crowds. On race day, pickup will be near the start in Central Park from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. (4-mile race) and from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. (kids’ races).
For more details, please visit NYRR’s website!