Celebrate Central Park's Historic Half Marathon
Celebrate Maybelline Women's Half Marathon #20yrsofrunning in NYC with 5,000 women running 13. 1 miles in Central Park. Nadya Okamoto, Lily Shimbashi, Camila Ramon, and two 17-year-old friends join the race, each telling their story of how running has transformed their lives.
#MaybellineNYRR #RunningInCentralPark #HealthAndWellness
Central Park is back for yet another inspiring run of New York City's most beloved tradition on Sunday, welcoming an impressive field of women to tackle 13. 1 miles through the park's iconic terrain. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Maybelline Women's Half Marathon, organized by nonprofit New York Road Runners (NYRR) and hosted by title sponsor Maybelline New York.
The race is celebrating its silver jubilee with approximately 5,000 participants—both seasoned runners and trailblazing athletes. Among them are Nadya Okamoto, a content creator advocating for period poverty awareness; Lily Shimbashi, founder of Sportsish who shares her running journey; Camila Ramon, bilingual cycling instructor on Peloton's team; and two 17-year-old best friends participating in NYRR's free high school wellness program. The race day festival features giveaways from Maybelline and Garnier, customized Super Stay Matte Ink lip color engraved with a finisher's name, and a full lineup of activities.
But the heart of the event is not just in the competition but in the stories of these everyday athletes—cancer survivors, returning champions, and youth leaders who are using running to reclaim their lives. With Mental Health Awareness Month in May approaching, the race aims to raise funds for NAMI through its Brave Together program. This year marks a new initiative with a volunteer-led water refill station at the start of the course, part of NYRR's broader push towards greener race-day operations.