Ring In The New Year At Central Park Midnight Run

CENTRAL PARK, NY — Not interested in hitting the booze this New Year's Eve? Try the complete opposite and ring in 2018 by running four miles in the freezing cold. Plenty of other people are doing it.

The New York Road Runners (NYRR) will hold its 39th annual Midnight Run this New Year's Eve in Central Park this New Year's Eve. More than 5,000 runners are expected to participate in the four-mile race despite the bitter cold, according to a press release.

"The NYRR Midnight Run is one of the best New Year’s Eve events in New York City, providing a festive experience for those looking to ring in the New Year in a unique way with the only fireworks show in Manhattan that night," Michael Capiraso, president and CEO of New York Road Runners, said in a statement. "This race provides runners of all ages and abilities with a fantastic chance to start 2018 off on the right foot and begin to fulfill their New Year’s resolutions during the very first minutes of the New Year."

Anyone running on New Year's Eve better bundle up: It's going to reach near record-low temperatures on Sunday night. The New York Road Runners has published a list of tips for staying safe while running in the cold.

The racecourse starts near Rumsey Playfield and runners will pass Central Park landmarks such as the Loeb Boathouse, Turtle Pond and both sides of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. The course is one big circle and the finish line is just steps away from the starting line.

The event will commence at 10 p.m. with a pre-race festival which will feature a dance party, sparkling cider and special bibs on which runners write their New Year's resolutions. Unfortunately the race is not free to join, but it's affordable compared to other New Year's Eve events in the city. You can still sign up on the New York Road Runners' website. The deadline to apply is Dec. 31 at 5 p.m.

Here's a chart detailing the cost to join the midnight race:

Fireworks will be set off at the crack of midnight to kick of the race. This year's field features professional runners such as 33-year-old Stephanie Bruce, who finished 10th in the New York Marathon this year and past midnight run winners Sarah Pagano and Daniel Winn.

"We are thrilled to have a professional athlete field close out 2017 and ring in 2018 in Central Park, with more than 5,000 runners following in their footsteps," Peter Ciaccia, president of events for New York Road Runners, said in a statement.

Photo courtesy New York Road Runners