The Syracuse Half Marathon, the city’s biggest race of the year, sold out with 3,000 runners hitting the 13.1-mile course Sunday, as participation climbed since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ed Griffin, an event coordinator for the Syracuse Half Marathon, said that numbers increased about 10% from 2024 to 2025, and another 15% this year. Griffin’s main goal is to continue making the race appeal to every runner, from elites to hobby joggers to walkers.
“Just have fun with it, it doesn’t matter if somebody finishes in 65 minutes, an hour and a half, or over three hours. At the end of the day, 13.1 miles is 13.1 miles,” said Hunter Brignall, last year’s first place finisher.
Griffin added that new clubs in town, like Syracuse Run Club, further promote inclusivity within Syracuse’s running culture. He also noted that run clubs are bringing more of the Gen-Z population into the sport.
With some new faces running this year’s race brings a new look to the event all together. A new course map was created, intended to make the course flatter and faster, with 325 total feet of elevation gain. Also, the race fired off at 7:30 a.m. this year instead of 7:50 a.m. Griffin said he and other organizers had no choice but to make these changes.
“We didn’t have a say in this. We were really pushed by this I-81 project. We had to be in complete communication with the Syracuse Police Department, and they wanted some changes,” Griffin said.
The new course map impacted morning traffic. Not only for runners and spectators, but also for people trying to get to work. Griffin advised everyone to leave early and allow themselves time to get to where they need to be due to several road closures.
Even though the course is different, the race unfolded much as it has in past years. There will be a DJ at the start and finish line, a post-race party in the Oncenter, a live band, free photography, and streets lined with proud residents cheering on their community.
“The Syracuse Half is still my favorite race I’ve ever run,” said Brignall. “The community support gave the race great energy. I had people even cheering my name, and I’m not even from Syracuse, so that was pretty cool.”
VIDEO TRASCRIPT:
Matt Sheremeta: MOST OF THE TIME, RUNNING SOUNDS LIKE THIS…
(Peaceful sound, running footsteps)
Sheremeta: BUT EVERY SPRING IN SYRACUSE, IT SOUNDS A LITTLE SOMETHING LIKE
(Loud cheering, cowbells)
Sheremeta: THATS HUNTER BRIGNALL, WHO’S SYRACUSE HALF MARATHON FINISH LAST YEAR LOOKED A BIT DIFFERENT… THE RIBBON AT THE END WAS STILL UNBROKEN.
Hunter Brignall: “I knew I won on that final straight taking the last turn. I saw the banner. I looked back. He wasn’t there”
Sheremeta: THIS IS THE 13TH YEAR OF THE 13.1 MILE RACE, BUT MARCH 22ND WILL BRING SOME CHANGES… AS A NEW COURSE MAKES THE RACE FLATTER AND FASTER. A NEW COURSE MADE BECAUSE OF I-81 CONSTRUCTION RULES, ACCORDING TO EVENT COORDINATOR ED GRIFFIN.
Ed Griffin: “We didn’t have a say in this, we were really pushed by this 81 project”
Sheremeta: GRIFFIN SAYS EVERY RUNNER CAN STILL EXPECT THE SAME EXPERIENCE… A JACKET.. LIVE MUSIC.. A POST-RACE PARTY.. AND OF COURSE.. SOME HARDWARE TO TAKE HOME… A RACE EXPERIENCE THATS HARD TO FIND.
Griffin: “We run a premium event.. I mean, it’s the best race in the north east”
Sheremeta: AND SURE, IT’S A WHOLE LOT OF FUN TO BE ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT GETS TO RUN IN THE RACE. BUT IT’S THOSE OF US ON THE SIDE OF THE PAVEMENT THAT REALLY MAKE THIS EVENT COME TO LIFE.”
Griffin: “People feel this community spirit and when you’re running this event, they pick you up as you go.”
Brignall: “I even heard people cheering my name, and again I’m not from Syracuse, so it was cool to hear that”
Sheremeta: THE COMMUNITY BRINGS THE ENERGY, COMING OUT TO CHEER WITH SIGNS AND COSTUMES… GRIFFINS GOAL IS TO GIVE RIGHT BACK. THEY RAISED OVER 10,000 DOLLARS, SPLIT BETWEEN FOUR CHARITIES… THE SPCA, GOLISANO CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL, THE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE AND MEALS ON WHEELS.
Griffin: “If you’re going to put on an event like this, you have a duty to give back to the community… and obviously we take advantage of some of those resources”
Sheremeta: WHETHER YOU ARE RUNNING IN THIS SOLD OUT RACE, OR JUST COMING OUT TO PARTY, ONE THING IS CERTAIN…
Brignall: “One decision to sign up changed my life”
Sheremeta: THE EXPERIENCE IS LIFE CHANGING. IN SYRACUSE, MATT SHEREMETA, N-C-C NEWS.
Finishers also received a medal and a race jacket, which Griffin said adds to the value runners get out of the $135 registration fee.
“We run a premium event, it’s the best race in the Northeast,” said Griffin.
Part of Griffin’s mission is to give back to the community that comes and supports his race year after year. The Syracuse Half Marathon raised over $10,000 to be split between four charities:
Ronald McDonald House, CNY SPCA, Golisano Children’s Hospital, and Meals on Wheels.
“If you’re going to put on something like this, you have a duty to give back to the community. We take advantage of some of the resources,” said Griffin. “There will be a few traffic things that slow things up on Sunday. For some, that’s an inconvenience. We hope that what we produce really outweighs any of that.”