New York City Parks Department officials are looking to curb unsanctioned group runs that are organized by local run clubs and crews and follow the last ten miles of the New York City Marathon course, ending at the marathon finish line.
In a letter widely-distributed to local club leaders and marathon organizers on Wednesday, parks commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa said that the runs have grown substantially “in scale to exceed 500 participants” and significantly impact preparation for the Central Park portion of the marathon route — and local streets.
Rodriguez-Rosa urged run organizers to “take all necessary steps to cancel these events and cease any further advertising or promotion for such events taking place within Central Park.”
The final ten miles of the route typically begins on 61st Street and 1st Avenue and mimics the exact path runners take on marathon day, including entering Central Park and stopping just shy of the finish line. These runs are usually held in late October while grandstands, barricades and stages are still being assembled for race day.
Rodriguez-Rosa also affirmed that if these runs do occur with no permit that it would constitute a “direct violation of NYC Parks and City rules and regulations.”
Running the last ten miles of the marathon route has been a tradition, of sorts, for years, with detailed organizing efforts becoming more apparent in the last five years. The runs are usual two weeks before the New York City marathon and have largely attracted run clubs from Harlem, Washington Heights, numerous parts of The Bronx and many sections of Brooklyn.
Wilton Tejada and Powermalu, who have deep ties to the city’s running scene, are staging their run, “The Last 10,” on October 25 and will likely attract hundreds of runners, based on past events. Many run clubs and crews show up in large numbers as a show of support and camaraderie.
By all accounts, Tejada and Powermalu’s event have been largely successful and incident-free. Group photos from past events reveal a who’s who in the local scene and the pre-run shot of the huge group sprawled across 1st Avenue served a badge of prestige — but also put final ten mile events on the radar of Parks officials.
While “The Last 10” is organized and popular, it does not have a permit, according to Parks officials.
A promotional video featuring Tejada and Powermalu was posted to social media on September 2 and shows them running various parts of the course, including in Central Park, while explaining why their upcoming event holds significance.
“Please be advised that any event utilizing NYC parkland must obtain the appropriate Special Event Permit, as well as any other City permits as applicable,” Rodriguez-Rosa noted in her letter. “Those involved with “The Final/Last 10 Runs” have not secured such permits. Moreover, “The Final/Last 1O Runs” are not among the activities allowable under the permit granted by NYC Parks to NYRR for the use of Central Park for the TCS NYC Marathon.”
It’s unclear when running the last ten miles of the route became a pre-race ritual but the meetup location is easily accessible, the course avoids three of the five bridges of the earlier stages of the marathon and the distance is a comfortable challenge for runners already in their taper.
And not all treks along the final ten miles involve large crowds and pace groups. It is common to see runners — solo individuals or small squads – tacking that portion of the marathon course throughout the year.
By Wednesday afternoon, runners who planned on participating in the organized ten miler on October 25 took to social media and expressed a wave of confusion, anger, counterpoints — and even defiance.
Most seemed unfazed by the mandate from the Parks Department and realized that it would take a reasonable amount of resources disband the run if a large group entered Central. The tone of bulk of the comments made it clear that participants still planned to show up even if Tejada’s official event is technically canceled.
But what is clear is Parks’ officials have taken a prominent stance to discourage large groups from entering the park so close to marathon day while finishing touches are still in progress — along with clashing with scheduled youth events.
According to Rodriguez-Rosa’s letter a run sponsored by the Ronald McDonald House will host 800 youth runners on October 25 and the next day, NYRR’s Kids Kickoff event will field 2,500 children. Both events have permits for areas of Central Park that could cross paths with final ten mile runners.
Tejada and Powermalu have not made any statements on the Parks Department notice, but Rodriguez-Rosa added several high-ranking officials at the New York Police Department, Mayor’s Office and New York Road Runners to close the letter, in a sign that a shakeout run that has long been rooted in pre-marathon tradition is in jeopardy just over a month from this year’s event.
