You likely already know, thanks to the myriad of “no parking” signs proliferating the neighborhood — the NYCRUNS Brooklyn Marathon and Half Marathon will kick off in Greenpoint this Sunday April 24 at 7 a.m.
Participants will run a brand new course, starting at McCarren Park and finishing at Prospect Park. The course winds under the Williamsburg, Manhattan, and Brooklyn Bridges, offering views of the North Brooklyn waterfront.
Which streets specifically will be affected by the marathon? The route starts on Manhattan Avenue, going up to Commerical Street. It then snakes briefly around Franklin Street and Wythe Avenue, before landing on Kent Avenue, which will take participants deeper into Williamsburg as it turns into Dumbo.
Dedicated cheer zones have been set up along the route. The closest to us is the Williamsburg Bridge zone off of Kent Avenue. However, if you hope to see runners cross the finish line, you’re likely out of luck, as there is no direct access to the finish line area.
The 94th precinct warns that cars parked along the route will be towed starting at 6 p.m. on April 23, so be sure to….uh….not park your car there!
This is not right to the people who live in the Greenpoint community. The route goes down Manhattan Avenue to Commercial Street then down Franklin Street. You are boxing in a section of the neighborhood that has no outlet to get out of the area. These marathons are a scam as the organizers take a hefty chunk of your admission fee to run and only give a token of the proceeds to needy charities.