LAST UPDATED: 23 February 2024
NYRR sues NYCRuns over Brooklyn Half Marathon trademark
In the complaint, NYRR alleges that NYCRuns' use of the Brooklyn Half Marathon name has led to runner confusion and mixups in registration.
New York Road Runners (NYRR), the non-profit organizer of the NYC Marathon, has filed a lawsuit against fellow NY-based race management company, NYCRuns, for trademark infringement.
In the complaint, filed February 16, 2024, NYRR alleges that NYCRuns' Brooklyn Half Marathon infringes on NYRR's Brooklyn Half and Brooklyn Half Marathon trademarks, which NYRR has owned continuously since 1981.
The complaint further alleges that NYCRuns' use of the Brooklyn Half Marathon name has caused confusion among runners, resulting in some unintentionally registering for the wrong event.
NYRR and NYCRuns both organize half marathon races in Brooklyn within two months fo each other. NYRR's event, the RBC Brooklyn Half, is the more popular of the two events by registration numbers, although NYCRuns' Brooklyn Half Marathon is also quite popular with local runners for its choice of route around Brooklyn.