A Food Trip Around the World Along the United Airlines NYC Half Course

TIME TO READ6 mins

BYNYRR Staff

DATEMarch 9, 2026

Tables at Café Mado. Photo provided by Café Mado.

David Paradela is on the internal communications team at NYRR. Prior to working at NYRR, he worked at Wine & Spirits Magazine.

To run around New York is to run around the world. Roughly 37.1% of NYC residents were born outside the United States, not to mention the countless second- or third-generation residents whose parents and ancestors moved here to live out their dreams. So, it’s no surprise that to eat in New York means eating around the globe—and eating well.

Immigrants have kept alive their tradition as a means of survival and as a source of pride, refining and innovating their cuisines to pour their hearts into a city that gives back sevenfold what’s put into it. For those giving it their all over 13.1 miles of glory, or those spectating on the sidelines, let this city give back to you with these exceptional establishments that remind locals and visitors alike what makes New York City such an incredible place to live, to eat, and to run.

Near the Start Line

Café Mado

The Tony sandwich at Café Mado. Photo provided by Café Mado.

In a city full of excellent brunch options, Café Mado breaks away from the pack like Eliud Kipchoge in a marathon. Named after the legendary French restaurateur Madame Mado, the café’s spirited waitstaff and creative use of ingredients lend a distinct European character to a beguiling dining room. The lion’s mane toast exemplifies the kitchen’s efficiency, employing a meaty mushroom to stand in for chicken in a Nashville-style approach accompanied with a house made hot sauce and creamy celery root salad to cool the palate. The Tony, an ode to Anthony Bourdain, stands out from other sandwiches by compressing thick layers of mortadella between a soft and chewy English muffin topped with crunchy sesame seeds—a textural delight.

Between Miles 2 and 3

GERTIE

Latkes at GERTIE. Photo provided by GERTIE.

Step aside Katz’s Deli—there’s a new mensch in town. Gertie, owned by the same proprietors as nearby gertrude’s, is a modern Jewish deli that serves bagels and bialys, an impossible-to-choose-from list of sandwiches, and a latke bar. While all of the sandwiches come highly recommended, a unique offering is the chicken schnitzel, reminiscent of a chicken katsu with added acidity from dill cukes and softness from challah. The latke bar allows for classic toppings such as apple butter and sour cream, but swap out the apple butter for smoked trout roe if you want to experience a subtle piscine flavor with your potato pancakes. Wash it all down with a chocolate egg cream latte, a fun and nostalgic caffeine kick.

Near Mile 4

Los Burritos Juarez

Flour tortillas at Los Burritos Juarez. Photo provided by Los Burritos Juarez.

If you grew up in the Northeast, there’s a good chance you’ve never had a burrito like the ones at Los Burritos Juarez. These slim, minimalist Juarez-style wraps offer no rice or sour cream a la Chipotle, but what they lack in stuffing they more than make up for with a punch of flavor from rich stews and moles. Soft and pillowy lard-infused flour tortillas stand front and center, rewarding every bite with a savory comfort. For even more textural nuance, select lengua (beef tongues) as your filling, which is both firm and spongy and adds another layer of intrigue to an already sumptuous mouthful.

Near Mile 7

Ramen Ishida
The broth at Ramen Ishida achieves a wonder of savoriness by balancing a light and clear soy-sauce based broth with an umami truffle-infused note that intensifies but never overwhelms the dish’s other components. You can still see the flavor-rich grill marks on the chashu pork sitting on top a bed of thin, snappy noodles that soak up the aromas of truffle. An added shiso leaf provides an herbaceous aspect to temper the intensity of it all.

Near Mile 8

Red Onion

Dishes from the menu at Red Onion. Photo provided by Red Onion.

A recent darling on TikTok, Red Onion lives up to the hype by dishing out opulent yet complex North Indian fare including butter chicken, goat vindaloo, and lamb rogan josh. Goat serves as an excellent protein to absorb all the vindaloo spice, offering a mild earthiness and lean consistency. Another highlight is the methi paneer malai toast—toasted paneer infused with mint then dipped in cream and saffron-based gravy. Scoop everything up with their house-made naan, and quelch the heat with a mango lassi, which the restaurant makes in-house and stores in cans.

Near the Finish

Olde City

Olde City's location close to the finish line. Photo provided by Olde City.

What better way to celebrate crossing the finish line of the United Airlines NYC Half than with a Philly cheesesteak? Yeah, I know, a slice of pizza might sound more appropriate but once you try one of Olde City’s cheesesteaks, you’ll understand. Packed with thin slivers of juicy ribeye, cheesesteaks provide ample protein to refuel the muscles while providing a well-deserved treat. Olde City even has a breadth of cheesesteak styles to choose from, such as Mango Habanero and Garlic Aioli, but I’m partial to Black Cherry, which turns up the heat with a black cherry pepper spread and black pepper Cooper Sharp American cheese.

Bonus: Near the Javits Center

Papa San

Eel Pizza at Papa San. Photo provided by Papa San.

This year, New York Road Runners is hosting the United Airlines NYC Half Expo at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center for the first time! After grabbing your bib and New Balance gear, treat yourself to a meal at Papa San, a creative Peruvian izakaya that blends Japanese, Peruvian, and American cuisine. On the brunch menu, the Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken provides a great value for sharing, or as a large meal, and comes with three styles of Peruvian aji dipping sauces. If you’re looking for something sweeter, try the lucuma soft serve, which is flavored by a fruit indigenous to Peru that tastes like maple syrup or butterscotch.