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Fifth Avenue Mile: New York’s iconic race returns this weekend

CL
By Clément Laborieux

Published on Sat, September 6, 2025

Updated on Thu, September 10, 2026

Fifth Avenue Mile: New York’s iconic race returns this weekend
© NYRR

One mile. 1,609 metres. A cult distance in the United States, where it has shaped the history of athletics. This Sunday, September 7, New York will pulse to the 44th edition of the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile, organised by the city’s running association, NYRR. Amid Manhattan’s skyscrapers, on one of the world’s most famous avenues, the best middle-distance runners will go head-to-head. And they won’t be alone: nearly 8,500 amateur runners will also line up at the start. Marathons.com takes a look at this legendary race.

An iconic race, born in 1981

Created in 1981, the race quickly became an institution, a genuine link between the track and the road. There are no sharp 90-degree turns here, and no time for race tactics. Just one long straight stretch along Fifth Avenue, facing Central Park. An extended sprint that has welcomed the biggest names in world middle-distance running, from Jenny Simpson (the record-holder for most victories, with seven) to Josh Kerr more recently.

The roll of honour is impressive, as are the race records: 3:44.3 for Britain’s Josh Kerr (2024), and 4:14.68 for Britain’s Laura Muir (2022) and American Karissa Schweizer (2024). Out-of-this-world times, but ones that cannot be ratified by World Athletics: the course is downhill and the start is too far from the finish, ruling the marks out of the official lists. But that is not really the point. The 5th Avenue Mile belongs to a different category: pure competition, spectacle and full-on American showmanship.

One mile. 1,609 metres. A cult distance in the United States, where it has shaped the history of athletics. This Sunday, September 7, New York will pulse to the 44th edition of the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile, organised by the city’s running association, NYRR. Amid Manhattan’s skyscrapers, on one of the world’s most famous avenues, the best middle-distance runners will go head-to-head. And they won’t be alone: nearly 8,500 amateur runners will also line up at the start. Marathons.com takes a look at this legendary race.© NYRR
One mile. 1,609 metres. A cult distance in the United States, where it has shaped the history of athletics. This Sunday, September 7, New York will pulse to the 44th edition of the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile, organised by the city’s running association, NYRR. Amid Manhattan’s skyscrapers, on one of the world’s most famous avenues, the best middle-distance runners will go head-to-head. And they won’t be alone: nearly 8,500 amateur runners will also line up at the start. Marathons.com takes a look at this legendary race.© NYRR
One mile. 1,609 metres. A cult distance in the United States, where it has shaped the history of athletics. This Sunday, September 7, New York will pulse to the 44th edition of the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile, organised by the city’s running association, NYRR. Amid Manhattan’s skyscrapers, on one of the world’s most famous avenues, the best middle-distance runners will go head-to-head. And they won’t be alone: nearly 8,500 amateur runners will also line up at the start. Marathons.com takes a look at this legendary race.© NYRR
One mile. 1,609 metres. A cult distance in the United States, where it has shaped the history of athletics. This Sunday, September 7, New York will pulse to the 44th edition of the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile, organised by the city’s running association, NYRR. Amid Manhattan’s skyscrapers, on one of the world’s most famous avenues, the best middle-distance runners will go head-to-head. And they won’t be alone: nearly 8,500 amateur runners will also line up at the start. Marathons.com takes a look at this legendary race.© NYRR
One mile. 1,609 metres. A cult distance in the United States, where it has shaped the history of athletics. This Sunday, September 7, New York will pulse to the 44th edition of the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile, organised by the city’s running association, NYRR. Amid Manhattan’s skyscrapers, on one of the world’s most famous avenues, the best middle-distance runners will go head-to-head. And they won’t be alone: nearly 8,500 amateur runners will also line up at the start. Marathons.com takes a look at this legendary race.© NYRR
One mile. 1,609 metres. A cult distance in the United States, where it has shaped the history of athletics. This Sunday, September 7, New York will pulse to the 44th edition of the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile, organised by the city’s running association, NYRR. Amid Manhattan’s skyscrapers, on one of the world’s most famous avenues, the best middle-distance runners will go head-to-head. And they won’t be alone: nearly 8,500 amateur runners will also line up at the start. Marathons.com takes a look at this legendary race.© NYRR

A stacked elite field for the 2025 edition

In the women’s race, the favourite is Karissa Schweizer, the defending champion and joint holder of the course record. She will face a host of 800m specialists, including Ajee’ Wilson (2022 world indoor champion) and Raevyn Rogers (2020 Olympic bronze medallist). Americans Heather MacLean (indoor 1,500m national record-holder) and Valerie Constien (a finalist in the 3,000m steeplechase at the 2024 Paris Olympics) add further depth to an already formidable field.

The men’s field is just as impressive. Yared Nuguse, the North American mile record-holder and Olympic medallist in Paris, will make his Fifth Avenue debut. But the competition will be fierce, with Josh Hoey among those leading the challenge. The American finished second last year before becoming the 2025 world indoor 800m champion. He will be joined by Hobbs Kessler (2023 world road mile champion), Evan Jager (Olympic medallist and US steeplechase record-holder), as well as the next generation represented by Luke Houser and Parker Wolfe. Frenchman Flavien Szot will also be on the start list. In other words, expect the racing to stay fierce all the way down the avenue.

8,500 passionate runners expected

The 5th Avenue Mile is also a celebration for the wider running community. The race has been open to everyone since 2000, much to the delight of New York’s runners. This year, the renowned New York Road Runners, which also organises the New York Marathon, has pulled out all the stops: nearly 8,500 amateurs will tackle the same course as the pros, with waves organised according to ability. The event is even introducing a “Broadway Mile”, bringing together singers and actors from New York’s stage scene to run in support of charitable organisations. Youth races, an inter-service battle between the NYPD and FDNY, and a race reserved for journalists round out the programme.

One mile. 1,609 metres. A cult distance in the United States, where it has shaped the history of athletics. This Sunday, September 7, New York will pulse to the 44th edition of the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile, organised by the city’s running association, NYRR. Amid Manhattan’s skyscrapers, on one of the world’s most famous avenues, the best middle-distance runners will go head-to-head. And they won’t be alone: nearly 8,500 amateur runners will also line up at the start. Marathons.com takes a look at this legendary race.© NYRR
One mile. 1,609 metres. A cult distance in the United States, where it has shaped the history of athletics. This Sunday, September 7, New York will pulse to the 44th edition of the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile, organised by the city’s running association, NYRR. Amid Manhattan’s skyscrapers, on one of the world’s most famous avenues, the best middle-distance runners will go head-to-head. And they won’t be alone: nearly 8,500 amateur runners will also line up at the start. Marathons.com takes a look at this legendary race.© NYRR
One mile. 1,609 metres. A cult distance in the United States, where it has shaped the history of athletics. This Sunday, September 7, New York will pulse to the 44th edition of the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile, organised by the city’s running association, NYRR. Amid Manhattan’s skyscrapers, on one of the world’s most famous avenues, the best middle-distance runners will go head-to-head. And they won’t be alone: nearly 8,500 amateur runners will also line up at the start. Marathons.com takes a look at this legendary race.© NYRR
One mile. 1,609 metres. A cult distance in the United States, where it has shaped the history of athletics. This Sunday, September 7, New York will pulse to the 44th edition of the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile, organised by the city’s running association, NYRR. Amid Manhattan’s skyscrapers, on one of the world’s most famous avenues, the best middle-distance runners will go head-to-head. And they won’t be alone: nearly 8,500 amateur runners will also line up at the start. Marathons.com takes a look at this legendary race.© NYRR
One mile. 1,609 metres. A cult distance in the United States, where it has shaped the history of athletics. This Sunday, September 7, New York will pulse to the 44th edition of the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile, organised by the city’s running association, NYRR. Amid Manhattan’s skyscrapers, on one of the world’s most famous avenues, the best middle-distance runners will go head-to-head. And they won’t be alone: nearly 8,500 amateur runners will also line up at the start. Marathons.com takes a look at this legendary race.© NYRR
One mile. 1,609 metres. A cult distance in the United States, where it has shaped the history of athletics. This Sunday, September 7, New York will pulse to the 44th edition of the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile, organised by the city’s running association, NYRR. Amid Manhattan’s skyscrapers, on one of the world’s most famous avenues, the best middle-distance runners will go head-to-head. And they won’t be alone: nearly 8,500 amateur runners will also line up at the start. Marathons.com takes a look at this legendary race.© NYRR

Somewhere between spectacle and pure performance, the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile captures what makes running so compelling: raw speed, the magic of a unique setting and the meeting of two worlds, with pros and amateurs sharing the same course. On Sunday, Manhattan will be watching this iconic avenue for a few minutes of all-out effort. New York may be known for its legendary marathon, but the Fifth Avenue Mile is a reminder that the city breathes running in every form, from endurance to sprinting. It is as spectacular as it is unmissable.

✔ Find all the event information on the NYRR website.