When nearly 30,000 runners take to the streets for the United Airlines NYC Half this weekend, they’ll carry more than bib numbers across the 13.1-mile route from Brooklyn to Central Park.
Produced by New York Road Runners, the nonprofit that “runs” New York City, the race has grown into the largest half marathon in the United States since its debut in 2006. The organization, which hosts more than 60 adult and youth races annually and also produces the TCS New York City Marathon, expects tens of thousands of participants from around the world to take part this year. More information about the organization and its programs can be found at nyrr.org.
The course itself is part of the draw. Runners begin near Prospect Park in Brooklyn, cross the Brooklyn Bridge and wind through Manhattan before finishing in Central Park. Along the way, the route cuts through Times Square, one of the rare moments each year the famous intersection closes to traffic.
Among the thousands of runners are three athletes whose journeys to the starting line reveal how running can reshape lives.
Running Toward Healing and Climate Advocacy
For Brooklyn runner Kade Cahe, the race represents a milestone years in the making.
Cahe began running during the early months of the pandemic while caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s and navigating personal loss. Prospect Park, just steps from their home, became the starting point of that journey.
“I just had to make that first step,” Cahe told Gayety. “I live right by Prospect Park, so it was the perfect space. I’d see neighbors out there walking or jogging and thought, ‘OK, I’ve just got to start.’”
At the time, the idea of running a half marathon felt far off. Injuries and physical therapy slowed progress along the way.
“I literally did not see myself making it from a 5K to a half marathon,” Cahe said. “Sixteen weeks ago I was asking myself how I’d even reach 10 miles. Now I’ve run 13, and I feel ready.”
This weekend’s race carries another layer of meaning. Cahe is running with Team for Climate and will be the first nonbinary athlete on the team.
“I’m happy to represent,” they said. “I’m trying to get a lot of my trans and nonbinary friends to run too, not necessarily racing, but just getting outside. It’s important for our mental health.”
Running also connects to Cahe’s long-standing climate activism. Growing up in communities heavily affected by pollution shaped their views about wellness and environmental justice.
“When I’m running, I think about gratitude,” Cahe said. “Grateful for the parks, grateful for the people who make these spaces possible.”
And on race day, every step along the route holds meaning.
“The whole course matters to me,” Cahe said. “Starting in my neighborhood, running the Brooklyn Bridge and finishing in Central Park — that’s the beginning and the continuation of my running journey.”
A Race Through Times Square, During Chemotherapy
For Brandon Allmon-Jackson, the United Airlines NYC Half arrives during a moment few runners could imagine.
The Broadway stage manager from Newark, New Jersey, is currently undergoing chemotherapy for stage-four colon cancer.
Yet he never considered stepping away from the race.
“I needed to look cancer in its face and say, ‘You’re here, but you don’t get to stop me,’” Allmon-Jackson said. “Otherwise I’d be sitting at home feeling defeated.”
Balancing training with treatment has meant adapting to intense side effects, including neuropathy and sensitivity to cold temperatures — especially challenging during a harsh New York winter.
“Some days it was figuring things out hour by hour,” he said. “But I kept reminding myself that I wanted to do this.”
Sharing his diagnosis publicly also became part of the mission. Colon cancer diagnoses are rising among younger adults, and Allmon-Jackson hopes his story encourages people to take symptoms seriously and get screened earlier.
“It’s becoming so common in people in their 30s,” he said. “If sharing my story helps even one person catch it early, that means everything.”
Support from the Broadway community has helped carry him through the process. Former castmates, colleagues and friends have rallied around him.
“I’ve never felt so loved,” he said. “People I worked with years ago have reached out.”
Race day will also include a moment uniquely meaningful to him, running through Times Square.
“That’s my stomping ground,” Allmon-Jackson said. “Times Square is only closed twice a year, so to run through it is incredible.”
His playlist reflects that energy. One song sits ready for the final stretch: Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar’s “Freedom.”
“When that song hits, it’s going to push me all the way to the finish line,” he said.
Crossing that line in Central Park will represent far more than a completed race.
“It’s about everything that’s happened the last few months,” he said. “Achieving the goal for myself, and for everyone who’s supported me.”
A Teacher Running for Representation
For Kameron Johnson, a middle school teacher in Silver Spring, Maryland, running started during a period of instability and exhaustion.
What began as a single invitation from a friend turned into a new purpose.
“Even though I might run this race alone, I didn’t get to the starting line alone,” Johnson said. “Community is everything.”
Johnson, who identifies as Black and LGBTQ+, said visibility matters in spaces where many people still struggle to see themselves represented.
“You either take me or leave me — you’re getting the full package,” he said with a laugh. “We’re more than just one part of who we are. We belong in these spaces too.”
His students have followed his training closely.
“It’s a running joke at school,” Johnson said. “They keep asking, ‘Are you going to run your little race?’”
Behind the teasing is curiosity and inspiration.
“Some of them can’t imagine running a mile,” he said. “So when they see someone who looks like them doing it, it changes their mindset.”
Johnson plans to soak in every moment of the course, especially the Brooklyn Bridge.
“That’s going to be the moment where it hits me,” he said. “Like, wow — I’m really here.”
When the miles grow difficult, he returns to a mantra that carried him through training.
“I didn’t get this far just to come this far,” he said.
One Race, Thousands of Stories
The United Airlines NYC Half brings runners from across the world to New York City each year. Yet the race also serves as a reminder that every participant arrives with their own story.
For Cahe, Allmon-Jackson and Johnson, the 13.1-mile route is more than a test of endurance. It’s a celebration of identity, resilience and community.
And as Cahe puts it, finishing the race isn’t about speed.
“No matter how you cross the finish line,” they said, “we’re all getting the same medal.”
The event is part of the year-round programming produced by New York Road Runners, the nonprofit dedicated to building healthier lives through running and community initiatives across New York City. Readers can learn more about the organization, its races and youth programs by visiting nyrr.org.
