On Saturday, September 26, Astoria Park hosts a special edition of NYRR Open Run — one of five free borough-by-borough celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the five-borough New York City Marathon. The run circles the park’s newly renovated track, with the Manhattan skyline across the river as the backdrop.
- When: Saturday, Sept. 26, 8:45–11 a.m.
- Where: Astoria Park, Queens — meet by the track near the comfort station
- Cost: Free
- Who: Runners and walkers of all ages, abilities and experience levels — a 5K with no pace requirement
- Sign up: nyrr.org/openrun/parks/astoria-park, or via a free NYC Parks account
Open Run is normally a free weekly community 5K in neighborhood parks across the metro area; this edition adds a marathon-anniversary party to the usual loop. If 26.2 miles feels out of reach, a free 5K in a Queens park is a low-barrier way into the same running community — and the track itself was just renovated under the Anchor Parks initiative, so the surface is new.