New York, September 7, 2025 – New York Road Runners (NYRR), the nonprofit that “runs” New York City producing 60 annual adult and youth races including the TCS New York City Marathon, hosted more than 9,000 athletes at the 2025 New Balance 5th Avenue Mile, the world’s most iconic road mile race, Sunday, September 7. The event, which has taken place since 1981, featured 30 heats of one-mile races down Manhattan’s famed Fifth Avenue, stretching 20 blocks from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to Grand Army Plaza.

The event concluded with Olympic medalist and North American mile record holder Yared Nuguse and U.S. Olympic Trials finalist Gracie Morris winning the professional athlete races, becoming the first American duo to sweep since 2016.

In his New York Road Runners and New Balance 5th Avenue Mile debut, Nuguse pulled away from fellow Americans Parker Wolfe—the 2024 NCAA 5,000m champion—and Drew Hunter—the 2025 NACAC Athletics Championships 5,000m champion—in the final meters, breaking the tape in 3:47.7, the third-fastest time in event history. The first man to win his event debut since 2016, Nuguse led a competitive men’s field, with 23 athletes finishing in under four minutes, the most in New Balance 5th Avenue Mile history. In his first season as a professional athlete, Wolfe out-leaned Hunter at the line with both men running 3:48.1.

“I like the idea of racing a fun race,” said Nuguse. “I [did] want to win, I [did] want to come here and do everything I can, but I want[ed] to have a really enjoyable [time] and I’[d] heard that 5th Ave is a really fun vibe.“

After a fifth-place finish in 2024, Morris timed her finish kick perfectly to outpace U.S. Olympic Trials steeplechase finalist Kayley DeLay and last year’s winner Karissa Schweizer to win her first New Balance 5th Avenue Mile title in 4:15.5, also the third-fastest time in event history. Today’s victory marked Morris’s third-consecutive mile victory in the last month, following her wins at the Sir Walter Mile and Guardian Mile in August. DeLay and Schweizer were separated by 0.2 seconds, running 4:17.4 and 4:17.6, respectively.

“I've been a little bit [riskier] in my races and trying to put myself more towards the front—even in bigger fields that are kind of intimidating to me [and] just showing myself that I belong in them,” said Morris after the race.

The strong professional athlete fields were headlined by 10 Olympians and specialists across a variety of distances, including the 800m, 1,500m, 3,000m steeplechase, 5,000m, and 10,000m.

FIRST-EVER BROADWAY MILE

Among the more than 9,000 athletes who raced their way down Fifth Avenue were nearly 70 Broadway performers and theater professionals who took part in the first-ever Broadway Mile. The hit musical “Mamma Mia!,” took home the trophy for Fastest Broadway Mile Team, with Jordan Litz of “Wicked,” Thomas Doelger of “The Book of Mormon,” and Hannah McGrath of The Public Theater running the fastest men’s, nonbinary, and women's Broadway Mile times of 5:13, 5:53, and 6:30, respectively.

Alongside Litz, Doelger, and McGrath, actors, producers, music directors, and stagehands, including Sierra Boggess, Jeremy Jordan, and Patina Miller, fundraised for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the philanthropic heart of Broadway that provides lifesaving essential care to members of the theater community and others in need across the country. Broadway Milers raised $15,000 for the organization, led by top fundraiser Kevin Crawford of “The Book of Mormon”.

New York Road Runners teamed up with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and The Broadway League for the special initiative, marking the first time New York Road Runners and Broadway have collaborated on a race.

“The inaugural Broadway Mile [included] all sorts of incredible people in the running community, [plus] friends and family in the Broadway world all coming together to run for a good cause,” said Fisher. “Beyond that, it feels like a celebration of theater, community, running, and a love for all of these things.”

ADDITIONAL SPECIALTY HEATS

The shortest race distance offered by New York Road Runners, the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile is an accessible event for both beginners and seasoned athletes. In addition to the professional athlete races and Broadway Mile, other specialty heats included the Back to School Mile for kids 2 to 18, one of more than 20 free Rising New York Road Runners youth events produced by the nonprofit each year, the George Sheehan Memorial Mile for older adults, the NYRR Road Mile Championship races, an NYPD and FDNY heat for service members, the Media Mile for journalists, and the NYRR Unlock 26.2 x New Balance heat for participants of the dedicated TCS New York City Marathon training program.

About New York Road Runners (NYRR)

A New York City-based nonprofit, New York Road Runners’ vision is to build healthier lives and stronger communities through the transformative power of running – serving nearly a half a million people annually through its races, free community events, youth running initiatives, and school-based programs across the five boroughs. During its nearly 70 years, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization, producing more than 60 adult and youth races each year, including the TCS New York City Marathon. Held the first Sunday each November, the TCS New York City Marathon features more than 50,000 runners—from the world’s best professional athletes to a vast range of runners across experience levels, ages, genders, abilities, and backgrounds. To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.