Thousands of women from around the world took to New York's Central Park on Sunday, April 15, to participate in the 15th Annual SHAPE Women's Half-Marathon. The race, presented by SHAPE magazine in partnership with New York Road Runners (NYRR), is one of the largest women-only half-marathons in the country.
"It's always inspiring to see so many beautiful and strong women pounding the pavement in Central Park," says SHAPE Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Goodman Artis. "We're thrilled to be a part of this empowering event."
Each of the 13 honorees were paired with a young woman from NYRR's Run for the Future program, which trains New York City high school girls to run their first 5K race, build and strengthen self-confidence, and earn money toward college.For the third year in a row, the SHAPE Women's Half-Marathon hosted its annual Women Run the World Relay & Mentorship Program. The relay honored 13 notable female leaders across multiple industries, while also highlighting the importance of supporting, inspiring and empowering the next generation of women.
Each pair ran or walked a one-mile leg of the course as part of a relay team.
The honorees included:
- Amber Rees - Co-founder, Brave Body Project
- Bridget Moynahan - Actress and Activist
- Brooke Mullen - Certified Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor
- CeCe Olisa - Blogger and Entrepreneur
- Daniela Soto-Innes - Chef Partner, Cosme & Atla
- Francia Raisa - Actress
- Katia Beauchamp - Co-Founder and CEO of Birchbox
- Kira Stokes - Celebrity Trainer & Creator of "The Stoked Method"
- Leah Cohen - Chef and Co-owner of New York City's Pig & Khao and Jersey City's Piggyback Bar
- Lindsey Clayton - Co-founder, Brave Body Project
- Megyn Kelly - Host, NBC News' "Megyn Kelly TODAY"
- Rebecca Kennedy - Holistic Fitness Trainer, Peloton Tread Master Instructor
- Tori Bowie - Olympic Runner and Gold Medalist
In addition to the 13 notable women of the Women Run the World Relay, Cynthia Erivo, Tony, Grammy and Emmy award winning actress and singer, sang the national anthem, and Jen Widerstrom, SHAPE Fitness Director and best-selling author of Diet Right for Your Personality Type, presented at the opening and closing ceremonies.
Megyn Kelly, host of NBC's Megyn Kelly TODAY, acted as the race host, delivering opening and closing remarks at the day's events.
"It was such an honor to host yesterday's event," says Kelly. "What makes this event special is the tremendous enthusiasm of the thousands of women who participate and their incredible support for one another. Seeing all of these women bond together was inspiring and made for an unforgettable experience."
Ethiopia's Askale Merachi crossed the finish line in 1:15:18; New York residents Kate Pallardy (1:19:11) and Mary Bida (1:23:40) finished in second and third respectively.
NBC's Megyn Kelly TODAY served as the Media Partner of the SHAPE Women's Half-Marathon. Race Product Sponsors included Cabot Creamery Cooperative, Foster Grant for SHAPE and Natalie's Juice, and GreenBlender, PowerBar, Ripple and True Citrus served as Gift Bag Sponsors.
In 2018, NYRR is celebrating 60 years of helping and inspiring people through running. Since 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world's premier community running organization. NYRR's commitment to New York City's five boroughs features races, community events, youth running initiatives, school programs, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people each year, from children to seniors, with the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR's premier event, and the largest marathon in the world, is the TCS New York City Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features 50,000 runners, from the world's top professional athletes to a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.
