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14 Questions Runners Ask Us Every Single Day

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New York Road Runners' mission is to help and inspire people through running, and that involves answering the many questions runners ask us about racing, training, our programs, and much more. Our runner products and services team answers around 800 emails a week—in addition to questions they handle in person at the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the NB Run Hub, on social media, by phone, and at our events. Your questions matter to us, and we know the answers matter to you. So ask us anything! Check out answers to some of the most common questions, or reach out with your own.

I signed up for a race but now I can’t run. Can I get a refund?
Entry fees cover the costs of putting on a race. Those costs are budgeted up to a year in advance of race day. And while we’ve looked into allowing runners to cancel their entry and get a refund, credit, or transfer, we’ve calculated that the administrative costs of managing this process would lead to significantly higher entry fees. And as part of our mission to help and inspire people through running, we strive to keep fees as low as we can.

Our three largest races, the TCS New York City Marathon, the United Airlines NYC Half, and the NYRR Brooklyn Half, have cancellation policies that allows guaranteed entry the following year. Learn more about the TCS New York City Marathon cancellation, the United Airlines NYC Half cancellation, and NYRR Brooklyn Half cancellation policies.

My friends and I are in different start corrals/waves? Can we still run together?
Yes—as long as you move back—to a corral farther from the start line, to a wave with a later start time, or to a higher number. Here’s how it works:

  • Non-premier races (any race with only one start time): Line up in the corral with the letter later in the alphabet (E rather than C, for example).
  • NYRR Five-Borough Series (United Airlines NYC Half, NYRR Brooklyn Half, NYRR Queens 10K, New Balance Bronx 10 Mile, NYRR Staten Island Half): If you’re assigned to different waves, start in the later wave. Within that wave, start in the corral of the runner with the letter latest in the alphabet.

How can I update my best pace?
When you register for an NYRR race, you're asked to enter your projected pace. This information is used to place you in the correct start corral. Your best pace is updated automatically based on your finishing times in races, which is converted to an equivalent 10K time.

Can we enter a race entry drawing as a group?
Two NYRR races—the United Airlines NYC Half and the TCS New York City Marathon—offer entry drawings. You must apply as an individual, and selection is individual. If you want to run with a group, you have the option of applying to run with NYRR Team for Kids or another official charity partner or NYRR’s preferred charity platform, GoFundMe.