Van Cortlandt runners cross the finish line

Months of training and preparation came down to one Sunday in March when more than 28,000 runners, including five representing the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance, gathered for the citywide half marathon this past weekend.

Last week, The Press previewed Team VCPA’s participation of five runners in the New York Road Runners’ (NYRR) 2025 United Airlines NYC Half Marathon on Sunday, March 16.

The annual 13.1-mile run began near the Brooklyn Museum and proceeded over the Brooklyn Bridge, before the race concluded in Central Park.

Mason Jenkins, who moved to Riverdale in 2017, began racing with the NYRR four years ago. He doesn’t listen to music when he runs, but said someone on the side of the course was playing Simple Minds’ 1985 hit “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” which struck home for him during the race.

“That one really hit me,” Jenkins said, who finished 6,486 out of 28643 competitors overall, with a final time of one hour, 47 minutes and 52 seconds. “It’s a song from my youth, sort of anthemic, it gave me the tingles.”

Jenkins said the toughest stretch of the race was running on the FDR Drive for miles seven and eight. He said running on the Brooklyn Bridge was a neat experience, despite the “super foggy” and “eerie” course with limited visibility on the cloudy afternoon.

He began the day with pizza from Kingsbridge Social Club, 3625 Kingsbridge Ave., before the race.

Approximately 13.1 miles later, Jenkins capped off the accomplishment with an omelet and French toast from Tibbett’s Diner.

Delilah Kutler, who ran in her first-ever marathon in 2023, said the toughest part was the commute to get to the start of the race.

“The race itself was really fun, but the worst part was the two-hour commute to Brooklyn,” Kutler, a Kingsbridge resident, said. “It was brutal.” 

That morning, she said the 3 train was not running into Brooklyn and had to wait for a crowded 2 train for nearly 20 minutes before she exited the subway on Eastern Parkway.

She began the day with a protein bar and a pop tart before she left her apartment and an egg-everything bagel with berry cream cheese after she got through security.

“Don’t knock it ’till you try it,” she said.

Kutler finished 27,020 with a final time of two hours, 58 minutes and 27 seconds and said the most memorable song she listened to during the race was Destiny’s Child’s 2001 single “Survivor.”

“I’ve walked the pedestrian walkway a million times but it was pretty sick to run in the street over the [Brooklyn] bridge and even better views,” Kutler said.

As per her annual tradition, she said she was unable to make it to 7th Street Burger for the first time after a race. Instead she went to Acadia restaurant on West 57th Street in Manhattan with a bunch of friends because it was so close to the finish line. She had an egg, challah, za’atar, potato, cucumber and tomato platter.

“The Brooklyn Bridge portion of the race was out of necessity due to construction currently taking place on the Manhattan Bridge, but Kutler said she hopes the half marathon includes the Brooklyn Bridge for future years to come.

“If VCPA is involved in the race next year, 100 percent, count me in,” Kutler said.

The three other runners representing the VCPA in Sunday’s half marathon included Will Nedds, Aaron Cargill and Joshua Medway.

Sunday’s race was the first time VCPA participated in the NYRR citywide half marathon and raised $7,802.

“Van Cortlandt Park Alliance would like to congratulate all of our runners on completing the United Airlines Half Marathon on Sunday,” Van Cortlandt Park Alliance deputy director Christina Taylor said. “What an amazing accomplishment. We are truly thankful to all our runners.”