NYRR Open Run is the least intimidating running event in New York: free, weekly, volunteer-led and explicitly built for walkers as well as runners. The Marine Park course is flat with no sharp turns, looping out from the Carmine Carro Community Center through one of Brooklyn's largest and least-crowded parks. If you have been meaning to start running and keep not starting, this is the on-ramp with the lowest possible stakes.
What to expect
Turn up at the Carmine Carro Community Center, sign in with the volunteers, and go when the group goes. There is no start gun, no timing chip and no finishing pressure — walkers, strollers and slow runners are the entire point. The flat 5K course loops through Marine Park and returns to the same building.
Good to know
- The B3 bus along Avenue U is the practical way in; Marine Park sits well outside subway range.
- Free and open to all ages and paces, with walkers as welcome as runners.
- First-timers should create an NYRR Open Run account online; after that you simply show up.
- The course is flat with no sharp turns, so it suits strollers and complete beginners.
- Bring water and sunscreen — shade on the course is limited.
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Common questions
Do I have to run?
No. Open Run is explicitly for walkers as well as runners, at whatever pace suits you, and nobody is timing anyone.
Is it free?
Yes, and it is free every week. There is no entry fee, no bib and no race registration.
Where do I meet?
At the Carmine Carro Community Center inside Marine Park, where volunteers check people in before the group heads out.
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