Thousands of runners will make Flushing Meadows Corona Park the center of the New York road racing universe on Saturday, March 23, as the nationwide Allstate Life Insurance(SM) 13.1 Marathon® Series returns to beautiful Flushing Meadows Corona Park for the fourth straight year with the Allstate Life Insurance(SM) New York 13.1 Marathon®. The event will again be accompanied by the 5K race, providing opportunities for serious runners as well as newcomers to the sport to enjoy a fun-filled day in the shadows of the USTA National Tennis Center, New York Hall of Science, the Queens Wildlife Center and the Unisphere.
“We are pleased with continued growth of the Allstate Life Insurance New York 13.1 Marathon and excited about bringing the event back to Queens in March,” said Greg Laird, Founding Partner and CEO of US Road Sports & Entertainment Group, which operates the Allstate Life Insurance(SM) 13.1 Marathon® Series. “The many runners and supporters in the park will enjoy a day of music, food, shopping and fun, and, of course, cheering on the runners.”
The Allstate Life Insurance(SM) 13.1® New York half-marathon begins at 9 a.m. in front of Arthur Ashe Stadium, which annually hosts the US Open, and continues around the park, site of the 1939 and 1964 World Fairs. The walker and spectator-friendly course will remain open for 3 hours and 30 minutes, a 16 minute/mile pace.
The 5K race will start at 8:30 a.m., on a separate course within Flushing Meadows Park, and the party doesn’t end when the runners cross the finish line. Participants and fans are invited to “Disco Down in Queens” in a post-race party like no other, with free beer (ID required) provided by Michelob ULTRA in the Queens Museum of Art and a disco party with the funkiest of funk bands.
Racers are invited to join the official benefiting charity, Team World Vision, to raise funds for clean water projects in Kenya and Malawi while training with local team groups. For more information on Team World Vision please visit www.worldvision.org.
All participants who complete the half marathon race at the Allstate Life Insurance(SM) New York 13.1 Marathon® will receive gender-specific tech t-shirts and a spinning finisher’s medal that will make Lady Liberty look tiny. All age-group award medals will be distributed from the results tent at the finish line on race day – participants should stop by, get their official finishing time and check on awards. Custom-design medals will be awarded three deep in 14 different age groups ranging from 12-14 to 75+ for both males and females.
Allstate® Life Insurance has partnered with non-profit organization Give Your Sole to collect moderately-used athletic shoes before and after the Allstate Life Insurance? New York 13.1 Marathon®. Runners can donate shoes at participating 13.1 Marathon® packet pick-up locations, or give the shoes right off their feet after crossing the finish line in exchange for a free pair of flip flops.
Allstate Life Insurance(SM) New York 13.1 Marathon® runners doing double duty can earn an additional medal if they also compete in The New Jersey Marathon or the Long Branch Half Marathon on May 5. Any athlete who is competing in both races and signs up for the NY/NJ Challenge Marathon will be awarded this special medal at the award ceremony of The New Jersey Marathon. Registration for the challenge is free to anyone who has registered for both races, and space is limited.
Registration is currently open at www.131newyork.com. Fees for the 13.1 are $85 per runner until January 10; $95 between Jan. 11 – March 17; and $110 walk-up and race week (March 18-23). For the 5K fees are $25 until March 17, and $30 walk-up and race week.
The Allstate Life Insurance(SM) New York 13.1 Marathon® is the third in the eight-city Series, which includes races in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles and Miami Beach. Connect with the 13.1 Marathon Series via Facebook at www.facebook.com/131marathon or on Twitter at @131Marathon.
The event will also include the popular Finish Line Festival, featuring entertainers, games and interactive experiences. A cool-down station will provide race finishers with bottled water and cool towels, while massage therapists will be available to help alleviate post-race aches and pains of runners.