Running the Brooklyn Bridge: Distance, Crowds and Timing
How far it is to run across the Brooklyn Bridge, how busy it gets, and the time of day that actually works for a run.
Photo: Niranjan Arminius, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Brooklyn Bridge is about 1.1 miles long including its approaches, according to NYC DOT (6,016 feet). The main span is 1,595.5 feet.
The real problem is people
On a typical day about 30,000 people walk the bridge and about 3,000 ride it. In the middle of the day you are not running, you are weaving. Go early in the morning. That is the only time it feels like a run.
Share the path
The walkway is shared with cyclists. Stay in the pedestrian lane, hold a line, and do not stop suddenly for a photo. Run it out and back, or link it to Brooklyn Bridge Park and the waterfront greenway for a longer loop.
Downhill on the way down
The walkway climbs toward the middle of the span and comes down the other side. Ease off on the descent and watch your knees and shins. If they hurt afterward, the Injury Clinic covers both.
Hurt? See Form & Function Chiropractic and Rehab in Brooklyn
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