People hold their hands in the air as they run down a long path

NYBG 5K Fun Run

Sunday, September 27, 2026

8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. | At the Garden

Celebrate the end of Climate Week NYC with NYBG’s second annual 5K Fun Run! This scenic 3.1-mile road and trail course takes runners through some of the Garden’s most gorgeous scenery, including the historic Thain Family Forest, one of New York City’s largest remaining old-growth forests, as well as the Judy and Michael Steinhardt Maple Collection. Along the way, participants will pass historic landmarks such as the Lillian and Amy Goldman Stone Mill, Mertz Building, and the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Your participation directly supports NYBG’s work here and around the world to protect biodiversity and develop plant-based solutions to climate change.

New this year!

New Course with a mile of new track! This year’s 5K course offers the best of both road and trail running, taking participants through some of the Garden’s most beautiful landscapes, including a memorable stretch through the historic Thain Family Forest. The 3.1-mile route features approximately one mile of new course terrain not included last year, giving returning runners a fresh experience while maintaining breathtaking views of Garden collections and rolling elevation changes that make this run a favorite.
Finish Line Clock. While this event is not timed, the course is equipped with timing clocks for those who wish to track their success.

Your guests can cheer you on as you pass by the Visitor Center, with the purchase of an All-Garden Pass. After your run, join us on Daffodil Hill for festivities including meet-and-greets with Boogie Down Bronx Run Club and NYBG experts to learn about their important work across a range of disciplines. And don’t forget to grab your NYBG 5K Fun Run T-shirt before you set off to enjoy the rest of your day at the Garden! This event is rain or shine. Participants must be ages 13+.

Tickets:

Early Bird Pricing (June 3 through August 3): $44 for Members | $52 for Non-Members
Standard Pricing (August 4 through September 26): $55 for Members | $65 for Non-Members

Ticket Includes:
All-Garden Pass Admission – Run Registration – Commemorative T-Shirt – Music & Activities
Bibs and Course Details will be mailed to registrants who register by August 20.

Get Tickets

Above photo © SonoVisualss

About the Boogie Down Bronx Run Club

This run is designed in partnership with the Boogie Down Bronx Run Club (BDBRC), a collective of everyday Bronx residents whose mission is to promote wellness, inspire, and engage people of all abilities. BDBRC members will be serving as course support throughout the event, so be sure to say hello!

A green T-shirt with the words "NYBG 5K Fun Run 2026" on it

Get Your Commemorative NYBG 5K Fun Run T-shirt!

Your registration includes this year’s 5K Fun Run T-Shirt! T-Shirt pick-up will be after your run at the Post-Run Celebrations on Daffodil Hill.

Two people sit on a picnic blanket, laughing over something on a phone

Post-Run Celebration

Daffodil Hill; 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Celebrate your run finish with us! Festivities include meet-and-greets with NYBG experts to learn about their important work across a range of disciplines; lawn games; a stretch-zone for post-run recovery; food and beverage for purchase; and music! Don’t forget to pick-up your commemorative 2026 NYBG 5K Fun Run T-shirt.

Hang out with Boogie Down Bronx Rub Club
Say hello to your course support! Learn more about running in The Bronx and buy some commemorative BDBRC merch.
Music with Uptown Vinyl Supreme
Celebrate your run finish to the sounds of Uptown Vinyl Supreme! Based in the Bronx, Uptown Vinyl Supreme is a DJ collective and community organization paying homage to the analog roots of music, party, and dance culture through records. The collective is made-up of friends and lovers of vinyl Sunny Cheeba, Buddy, Josh Hubi, and Chiqui B.
Meet the Scientist: Michael J. Balick
From veteran curators to recent grads, our diverse team of scientists represents centuries of combined knowledge across a wide variety of specialties. Learn from Dr. Balick about the variety of plants that help relieve joint pain.

About Dr. Michael Balick, Vice President for Botanical Science
For more than four decades, Dr. Michael Balick has studied the relationship between plants and people, working with traditional cultures in tropical, subtropical, and desert environments. He is a specialist in the field known as ethnobotany, working with Indigenous cultures to document their plant knowledge, understand the environmental effects of their traditional management systems, and develop sustainable utilization systems—while ensuring that the benefits of such work are always shared with local communities.
Meet the Herbarium
View herbarium specimens that represent centuries of botanical exploration. These specimens are used to study climate change and document changes in the landscape both locally and around the globe. Learn about the specimens and the Herbarium from Nicole Tarnowsky, Assistant Director of the Herbarium, and her team.
Meet the Urban Conservation Team
Meet members of NYBG’s Urban Conservation Team and explore their redesigned Welikia Map Explorer, a historical ecology mapping tool that reveals what the landscape, plants, animals, and people might have been like on your block in New York City, 400 years ago. NYBG’s research in urban conservation emphasizes the importance of nature to cities and the importance of cities to nature.
Run with Seeds
Stop by the Climate Week Station and learn how to make a seed ball! Our Everett Children’s Adventure Garden Explainers take you through the creation of a native seed ball, and how these seeds travel by air, wind, water, and even by running.
Learn more with NYBG
Visit our Information Booth to learn more about our Bronx Green-Up initiatives, Adult Education classes, Young Garden Circle Program, and opportunities for children and families to learn more about the plant world with NYBG.

Image © SonoVisualss

The Course

A purple and green overhead map of a botanical garden, with a red line depicting a race path

Course Details

Upon arrival to the Garden, runners are directed to the Main Entrance for check-in. Check-in includes ticket check. Bib pick-up is available for those who registered after August 20. Runners are directed to corrals where they may self-select placement based on desired pace with wave starts. The course begins at the top of Daffodil Hill and winds through sweetgums, oaks, and maples, past the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, Burn Family Lilac Collection, through the Thain Family Forest, and alongside the Library and Conservatory before celebrating the last 200 meters of the course alongside the Visitor Center cheer zone. The finish line greets you at the Native Plant Garden with finishers walking along Mitsubishi Wetland Trail to the post-run festivities on Daffodil Hill.

Check-in opens at 7 a.m. and closes at 8:15 a.m.
There is no bag check for this event. If you are driving, you are welcome to leave your personal belongings in your vehicle during the event. You will be permitted to access your vehicle after the event, and return to the Garden for post-run festivities.
Start and Finish Clocks. While this is a non-competitive event, clocks will be at the start and finish lines of the event. Finish times will not be collected by NYBG.
No strollers are permitted on the course. For the safety of those on the course and preservation of our collections, strollers are not permitted on the course.
This course is not ADA accessible. This course has varying elevation levels and includes road and trail pathways with uneven surfaces.
Water Stations. There will be 1 water station on the course at the halfway point. Water will be available at the course finish in the festivities area.
No official video / photography. There are no individual finish photos or video provided by NYBG of this event.
Bring your guests to celebrate! Guests may purchase an All-Garden Pass ticket here. Guests may cheer runners along as they pass by the Visitor Center and join the Daffodil Hill celebration from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
The course closes at 10 a.m.

A person holds up a white water bottle with a floral pattern

NYBG Shop Runner's Discount

Open at 7 a.m.

Participants in the NYBG 5K Fun Run receive a special 20% discount at NYBG Shop on run day! NYBG Members combine with their savings for a 30% discount. Shop runner favorites, from floral water bottles to NYBG socks and more. Please note this discount is only available on Sunday, September 27 between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., in-store only. Discounts are redeemed by showing NYBG 5K Fun Run bib or ticket.

A colorful illustration of flowers dancing with instruments

Experience Flower Power

After the run, visit the ongoing exhibition Flower Power, a joyous celebration of the enduring symbolism of flowers as icons of peace and love.

Learn More

Event Details

Registration includes:
- Participation for 1 individual in the run
- 1 NYBG 5K Fun Run T-Shirt
- Access to post-run festivities on Daffodil Hill from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
- All-Garden Pass access to NYBG from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., including admission to Flower Power.
Registration for the event is for individuals ages 13+. Participants under the age of 18 must have permission from a parent or guardian. Unaccompanied minors (17 and under) are not permitted to participate on their own. All participants ages 13+ must have a registered adult present during their run or walk.
Parking inside NYBG is not available for this event. Parking is available for $22 (Non-Member) / $11 (Member) on a first-come, first-served basis at the Fordham Lot across the street from the NYBG Main Entrance at 2900 Southern Blvd. and at the Garage located at 2960 Webster Ave., Bronx, NY 10458.

Please consider taking public transportation or a car service to avoid parking delays. The Metro-North train is a 20-minute ride from Grand Central Station to the Botanical Garden Stop using the $5 weekend city pass. Bike racks are available at the NYBG Main Entrance if needed. If using a car service, request drop-off at 2900 Southern Blvd.

Scenes from Last Year's Fun Run

Subscribe to our newsletter and be the first to know about all things NYBG

Subscribe Now