More than 11,000 runners will descend on Flushing Meadows Corona Park this Saturday, June 14, for the 12th annual Citizens Queens 10K, part of the New York Road Runners’ Five-Borough Series.
Hosted by New York Road Runners (NYRR), the Queens 10K features a 6.2-mile course that winds through the park, offering views of landmarks including the Unisphere, Citi Field, and the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The race begins near the Fountain of the Planets.
A companion event, the Flushing Meadows Kids Run, will feature about 1,000 youth participants in free dashes and races for children ages 2 to 18. The youth event is part of NYRR’s Rising New York Road Runners initiative, which serves more than 200,000 students nationwide—half of them in New York City.
This year marks Citizens’ second year sponsoring the race. Citizens will also host a post-race festival from 8 a.m. to noon. The festival will include live music on the Citizens Stage, family-friendly activities, and complimentary refreshments from Queens Night Market vendors.
Local culinary offerings will include brownies from DiLena’s Dolcini, ube piaya from Chick’n Rotonda, and other popular dishes from across the borough. Raffle prizes include a signed Eli Manning jersey, New York Giants tickets, and an entry to the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon.
Among those running will be Queens native and hip-hop icon N.O.R.E., who will participate in the Queens 10K for the first time alongside 18 members of his Run Champs run club. He described the event as a “homecoming,” adding that Run Champs is “a movement built on self-love, discipline, and respect.”
“The Queens 10K celebrates the diversity and unity of the borough,” said Rob Simmelkjaer, CEO of New York Road Runners. “Beyond the race, NYRR has been working in Queens for more than two decades to promote healthy living through year-round programs for youth, older adults, and residents of all fitness levels.”
The Queens 10K began in 1994 as the Queens Half Marathon and was later shortened to its current format. It is the fourth race in NYRR’s annual Five-Borough Series, which includes the NYRR Manhattan 10K in February, the United Airlines NYC Half in March, the RBC Brooklyn Half in May, the New Balance Bronx 10 Mile on Sept. 14, and the NYRR Staten Island Half on Oct. 12.
Registration for this weekend’s events has closed, but the public is welcome to attend and cheer on participants.
