NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- The countdown is on to the 2025 United Airlines New York City Half.

Tens of thousands of runners are expected to take to the streets once again on Sunday, March 16 for the 13.1 mile race through Brooklyn and Manhattan.

ABC 7 New York is a proud sponsor of the event, and will provide coverage the day of the competition, including features, interviews and professional race look-ins starting on Eyewitness News at 6 a.m.

Organized by the New York Road Runners, the United Airlines NYC Half is the world's premier half marathon. Along the race course, runners pass historic landmarks, diverse neighborhoods and sweeping views of the city en route to the finish line in Central Park. Participants even get to race through Times Square, a location that's closed to traffic only twice a year.

Due to ongoing construction on South Street in Manhattan, runners in this year's United Airlines NYC Half will now cross the Brooklyn Bridge instead of the Manhattan Bridge, marking the first time a NYRR race has ever done so.

All four reigning champions from the 2024 men's and women's open and wheelchair divisions are returning and look to defend their titles.

For nearly two decades, the United Airlines NYC Half has been one of 60 annual adult and youth races organized by the NYRR. The annual event features a field of Olympians, Paralympians, national record holders and runners of all ages.

In 2024, the race set a new event record with nearly 28,000 finishers.

You can learn more about the United Airlines NYC Half on the New York Road Runners website.

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