The 44-Year History of the 5th Avenue Mile

Updated September 2025.

The New Balance 5th Avenue Mile is one of the most iconic races on the New York Road Runners calendar. Every year, thousands of runners of all ages and abilities—from youth to octogenarians, including a field of pro athletes from around the globe—line up in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and run 20 blocks down Fifth Avenue to finish at Grand Army Plaza.

This year the 44th running of this extraordinary race will take place September 7. Over the decades, participants, spectators, and fans have seen an incredible transformation as the 5th Avenue Mile has grown from an invitational race focused on a few dozen elite athletes to the 10,000-participant celebration it is today.

Beginnings

The first running, in 1981, featured such a strong field that the men’s course record set that year held until 2024! South African NCAA 1,500-meter champion Sydney Maree was granted clearance to compete in a time when South African runners often were banned from competition due to the country’s apartheid policies. Maree electrified the field with a 3:47.52 performance, an astonishing 2 seconds ahead of the competition, which included legends Steve Scott, John Walker, Steve Cram, Ray Flynn, Mike Boit, Eamonn Coghlan, Tom Byers, and Thomas Wessinghage.

That men’s race established the 5th Avenue Mile as the world’s premier road mile. Winners in the 1980s and 90s include Byers (1982), Scott (1983, 1988), Walker (1984), Frank O’Mara (1985), Peter Elliott (1987, 1989–90), Jason Pyrah (1994), and Isaac Viciosa (1995–98).

Women On the Rise

The women’s race, though unfortunately not given equal billing that first year, made up ground over the next two decades, featuring an incredible array of champions including Wendy Sly (1983), Maricica Puica (1984, 1986), Lynn Williams (1985), Mary Slaney (1988), PattiSue Plumer (1990), Alisa Harvey (1991, 1999), Sinead Delahunty (1995), and Paula Radcliffe (1996, 1997).

The victory by Plumer was particularly notable as the American former world No. 1–ranked 3,000-meter runner stormed to victory in 4:16.68, an event record that stood until 2022.

Local Stars Shine

During these years, New York City–area standout runners could participate in accompanying “metropolitan” mile heats. Competition was intense snag a spot in these races, and for several years NYRR held 5th Avenue Mile qualifying races Central Park over the summer.

In most years, the 5th Avenue Mile also included heats for top local high school boys and girls and for masters (age 40+) runners who met qualifying standards.

The race had some notable sponsors, including Mercedes, which for a few years in the 1980s and 90s awarded a Mercedes Benz car to the pro winners. New Balance became the title sponsor in 2016.

Mass Participation and Youth

Mass participation in the 5th Avenue Mile was slow to take off, and non-pro race results were only recorded starting in 2000.

“In 2000, the event became open to all, with age-group races throughout the day,” recalled Tom Kelley, NYRR’s longtime Head of Timing & Competition Management.

A total of 791 finishers were recorded that year; in 2001 the total was 1,144 finishers, and the numbers have continued to rise ever since.

Youth races have been part of the 5th Avenue Mile for decades, and in 2017 youth races were expanded to include short dashes for kids ages 2–11. This year’s Back to School Mile at the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile includes Stage 1 (short dashes for ages 2–11), Stage 2 (non-competitive runs for ages 8–18), and Stage 3 (a competitive heat for ages 12–18).

The first Rising New York Road Runners Wheelchair Training program participants took part in the 2016 New Balance 5th Avenue Mile.

Records and Other Milestones

In the 2011 5th Avenue Mile, American Jenny Simpson followed her gold-medal performance in the 2011 World Athletics Championships 1,500 meters by winning the 5th Avenue Mile for the first time. She’s now won eight titles, more than any other competitor.

Among the professional men, Nick Willis of New Zealand has won five times (2008, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018).

Plumer’s 1990 record lasted until 2022, when Laura Muir of Great Britain broke it by running 4:14.8, a mark that was tied by U.S. Olympian Karissa Schweizer in 2024.

Olympic 1,500-meter silver medalist Josh Kerr of Great Britain ran 3:44.3 to claim his second consecutive title on 5th Avenue in 2024, smashing Sydney Maree's event record from the race’s first year in 1981.

In 2021 NYRR added nonbinary as a gender choice for both kids and adults, and NYRR’s results now display three gender categories (male, female, and nonbinary) in both in-person and virtual race results.

The 2019 New Balance 5th Avenue Mile had a record 9,277 finishers, and there were 8,810 finishers in 2024.

A field of 8,500 is expected this year, with heats including youth, multiple age groups, media, NYPD/FDNY, NYRR Road Mile Championships, and pros. Check out the press release for more info.

How to Watch the Race This Year

The New Balance 5th Avenue Mile will be televised live on WABC-TV, Channel 7 in the New York Tri-State area from noon to 1 p.m. ET, and available for streaming nationally on ESPN+. New this year, iHeartRadio will provide live race-day radio coverage on 710 WOR AM and 104.3HD2 in New York, as well as on the iHeartRadio app, from noon to 1 p.m. ET. For the first time, a live camera feed of the finish line will be available to stream on the NYRR App.

Participants, spectators, and supporters can also use the NYRR App, available for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play, to stay conveniently connected with runner tracking and leaderboards, race-day information and alerts, and course maps.