#InTheLoop | The fourth annual Queens Marathon is set for Flushing Meadows Corona Park on April 21
BY QEDC It's In Queens
The Queens Marathon will take place in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on Saturday, April 21, starting at 8 a.m.
At least 300 harriers from around the United States and Canada ─ plus residents of Germany, Norway, and South Africa ─ are ready to participate in this fourth annual, 26.2-mile race, which will follow a six-loop course through the borough’s biggest park.
The race is an official qualifier for the Boston Marathon, as per a designation by USA Track & Field, the national governing body for cross-country running. Plus, the Road Runners Club of America has selected the Queens Marathon as the host of the New York State Marathon Championships in 2019. (In other words, those who finish first in their categories are the Empire State champions this year!)
The course is mostly flat and fast with a few small hills. It winds through soccer fields, playgrounds, and NYC’s largest body of fresh water, Meadow Lake, with the Unisphere, Citi Field, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, and Queens Museum almost always in sight. Volunteers will be strategically posted on site to provide water, food, and encouragement.
Registration is $140, and awards will be given to the top three male and female runners overall. Plus, all finishers are invited to post-race festivities at Queens Theatre.
“While runners have enjoyed the unique spirit of the Queens Marathon since 2016, we are overjoyed to receive the support of Queens-based institutions spanning many diverse interests,” stated Kevin “Speedy” Montalvo, executive director of the race’s nonprofit organizing group, Queens Distance Runners. “The event will bring runners to Queens, and Queens to runners like never before.”
Images: Queens Distance Runners