Asher Denberg of Madison paced area runners in the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon held March 15 in New York.
Denberg, 31, scooted through Manhattan with a 6:35 pace, finishing in 1:26:16. He was the top area runner and second-fastest of 26 Alabama finishers. Rachel Mitchell, 35, of Hoover, crossed in 1:24:32.
Madeline Bayer, 29, of Huntsville, finished in 2:31:38. Samantha Manning, 30, of Meridianville, crossed in 3:22:52.
Tim Gerrish, 42, of Chattanooga, was the top TVO-area runner from Tennessee, which had 38 finishers. Gerrish finished in 1:29:23. Ryan O’Rourke of Clarksville was the top Vol State runner, in 1:19:15.
The half is one of several New York Road Runners events leading to the New York City Marathon in November.
About the NYC Half
Almost 30, 300 runners finished the biggest half marathon in the country. That’s an increase from the 28,700 finishers in 2025.
The race starts at the Brooklyn Museum near Prospect Park and crosses the Brooklin Bridge into Lower Manhattan. Runners go past numerous scenic spots along the way and through Times Square on to the finish line at Central Park. It is the only race to cross the Brooklyn Bridge, and Times Square only is closed twice a year to traffic.
The race included 26 Olympians and Paralympians, 16 national record holders, 10 global medalists, and athletes from 17 countries. Kenya’s Hellen Obiri, the defending TCS New York City Marathon champion, captured her second United Airlines NYC Half women’s open division title with a record 1:06:33. Adriaan Wildschutt became the first man from South Africa to win the men’s open division in his New York Road Runners debut.
Wildschutt’s winning time of 59:30 was the second-fastest debut time in event history. The South African record holder at 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters, and the half marathon won by 11 seconds. India’s Gulveer Singh, the national record holder at 3,000, 5,000, and 10,000 meters, became the first Indian man to break 60 minutes at the half marathon distance, running 59:42.
See all of the NYC Half finishers from Alabama here and Tennessee here.
