More than 11,000 Runners Finished Today’s NYRR Queens 10K and Rising New York Road Runners Youth Runs in Flushing Meadows Corona Park
New York, June 16, 2018
—The NYRR Queens 10K, the third race in New York Road Runners’ (NYRR) signature Five-Borough Series, returned to Flushing Meadows Corona Park today, Saturday, June 16, in a celebration of the borough and park that plays host to many of New York City’s greatest sporting events. Breaking in the event’s new course were 11,440 runners led by first place finishers Harbert Okuti of Uganda (30:11) and Birtukan Fente Alemu of Ethiopia (33:23).
Today’s top finishers from the borough of Queens were Antonio Herrera of Sunnyside, who finished 15th overall with a time of 32:17, and Darja Vasiljeva-Malave of Corona, who finished as the 27th overall female with a time of 39:46.
The finishers of the 10K race started on Meridian Road between the Avenue of Discovery and the Avenue of Research before weaving through Flushing Meadows Corona Park, crossing the Amphitheater, Hall of Science and Zoo bridges, and past Citi Field and the Unisphere, ending on the Avenue of Commerce. Additionally, more than 100 young runners, ages two to 10, ran in the Rising New York Road Runners youth dashes on the promenade next to the Fountain of the Planets.
In 2018, NYRR is celebrating 60 years of helping and inspiring people through running and today’s NYRR Queens 10K was a special nod to the borough’s storied history of running. The NYRR Queens 10K evolved from a half-marathon in the close-knit community of College Point, Queens, dating back to 1978.
In 1994 race organizers asked NYRR to help support the event, and the races continued to take place every year in College Point, usually in the early spring. In 2010, due to the increase in participation, the Queens Half Marathon moved to Flushing Meadows Corona Park. In 2012 the race transitioned to a 10K, and the following year the race became part of the NYRR Five-Borough Series. More information on the history of the NYRR Queens 10K is available on The Run On.
Race week festivities kicked off earlier this week with a special visit to the RAICES Corona Senior Center to distribute New Balance running shoes to 25 participants of NYRR Striders, free, coach-led walking sessions held weekly in senior centers across all five boroughs. The celebration of the city’s second largest borough continued on Thursday with a playground groundbreaking in East Flatbush’s IS 227 with Borough President Melinda Katz and The Trust for Public Land, followed by a 1 for You 1 for Youth shoe giveaway to more than 600 Rising New York Road Runners at Jamaica’s PS 048.
NYRR organizes and supports events and community programming in Queens throughout the year for people of all ages—from youth to seniors—designed to get them moving toward a healthier lifestyle. This includes free NYRR Open Runs in Astoria, Cunningham, and Flushing Meadows Corona Parks, free youth running programs at more than 160 Queens schools and community centers, and free NYRR Striders walking sessions for seniors in parks and neighborhood facilities.
Photos from today’s race are available on NYRR’s online media center. To access the photos, you will first need to create a login. Once you’ve registered, select the “Photo Libraries” tab on the right. Please have photo credit read: Courtesy of NYRR. For any specific requests or media inquiries, please email media@nyrr.org.
For more information about the NYRR Queens 10K, please visit the event page.