Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
Thousands of runners participated in the 2026 RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon on Saturday, according to CBS New York. The 13.1-mile route took participants through popular Brooklyn spots, including Prospect Park, and finished at the Coney Island boardwalk.
The race began with four waves of runners starting at 7:00 a.m., 7:30 a.m., 8:00 a.m., and 8:30 a.m. Runners were encouraged to plan their arrival times based on their assigned wave, with the first wave arriving by 5:45 a.m., second wave by 6:15 a.m., third wave by 6:45 a.m., and fourth wave by 7:15 a.m.
“The RBC Brooklyn Half is more than a single-day race for New York Road Runners,” said Rob Simmelkjaer, CEO of New York Road Runners. “From programming, activations, and family-friendly experiences before, during, and after the race, we’re excited to give 29,000 athletes the ultimate Brooklyn experience to mark the unofficial kickoff to summer.”
The race route started with runners heading south on Washington Avenue, turning right onto Empire Boulevard, then right onto Flatbush Avenue heading north. Grand Army Plaza marked the 1.5-mile point. At mile 2, runners proceeded around Grand Army Plaza and headed south on Flatbush Avenue. The course continued with a right turn onto Ocean Avenue, then another right onto Parkside Avenue at mile 3.
From Parkside Avenue, runners entered Prospect Park at Machate Circle onto East Drive at mile 4. Miles 5-6 featured a full counter-clockwise loop of Prospect Park before exiting onto Prospect Park Southwest. At mile 7, participants headed south down Fort Hamilton Parkway onto Ocean Parkway, continuing south toward Coney Island for miles 8-12. The final stretch had runners turn right as Ocean Parkway became Surf Avenue, then left on West 10th Street toward the Coney Island Boardwalk, where a sidewalk ramp led them onto the boardwalk toward the finish near the entrance to Leti’s Treasure.
Location & Road Context
The extensive route required significant road closures throughout Brooklyn from Thursday through Saturday. Major arteries affected included Eastern Parkway between Grand Army Plaza and Bedford Avenue, Washington Avenue between Eastern Parkway and Empire Boulevard, and the entire Grand Army Plaza circle.
Additional closures impacted Ocean Avenue between Flatbush Avenue and Parkside Avenue, the full length of Ocean Parkway from Park Circle to Shore Parkway and continuing to Surf Avenue. In the Coney Island area, multiple streets were closed including Surf Avenue between Ocean Parkway to West 20th Street, West 10th Street between Surf Avenue and the Boardwalk, and several other connecting streets in the finish area.
Investigation & Legal Proceedings
Participants using public transportation were advised to take the 2, 3, or 4 train, with specific drop-off instructions based on their wave assignment. Security screenings were conducted at designated locations, with waves 1 and 3 screened at Eastern Parkway and Franklin Avenue, while waves 2 and 4 were screened at Eastern Parkway and Underhill Avenue.
Prize money was awarded to top finishers, with first place winners receiving $2,000, second place $1,000, and third place $500. Additional prizes included $200 and $100 for fourth and fifth-place finishers respectively. The first Brooklyn resident to finish in men’s, women’s, and nonbinary categories each received $500, with $100 time bonuses available for runners breaking existing event records.