“Empire Elevation” Route Details (New York)
Released in November 2025 as an event-only route to host the final race of Zwift Racing League Round 2, Empire Elevation is a one-way route that begins in Prospect Park and heads north for a spicy finish on the KOM in Central Park. It became an open route in January 2026.
Released in November 2025 as an event-only route to host the final race of Zwift Racing League Round 2, Empire Elevation is a one-way route that begins in Prospect Park and heads north for a spicy finish on the KOM in Central Park. It became an open route in January 2026.
Route Basics
Length: 24.2 km (15.0 miles)
Elevation: 261m (856‘)
+1.8km (1.1 miles) lead-in with 5m (16‘) elevation
Map: New York
ZIMetrics
Rating: 13.5/100 🛈
Time Estimates 🛈
4 W/kg: 39 minutes
3 W/kg: 43 minutes
2 W/kg: 54 minutes
Start & Finish
Begins with a lead-in to Center Sprint, ends atop the NY KOM.
Format: Point-to-Point
Ride Achievement Badge: 485 XP
Run Achievement Badge: none
Strava Segments
Route Description
Events here begin from the Prospect Park start pens with a 1.8km lead-in to the Center Sprint arch. From that arch, you’ll complete a loop of the southern half of Prospect Park, including The Peristyle Sprint Reverse, before heading north over The Hill KOM.
A right turn takes you into Grand Army Plaza, and soon you’ll find yourself in the Brooklyn subway, which includes a 5-second power segment if you’re so inclined.
Up and out of the subway via the escalator, you’ll hit the corkscrew ramp onto the Manhattan Bridge, climbing to its apex as you cross the East River and complete the Manhattan Sprint. Descend the other side of the bridge, head into the next subway (City Hall Station), where you can hit a 10-second power segment before climbing out and onto the Times Square Circuit.
You’ll complete a full lap of the Times Square Circuit Reverse, which includes a leaderboard awarding an orange jersey to the fastest rider on course. Will you chase it?
Then it’s down into our final subway and up our final escalator onto a road that quickly takes us into Central Park. You’ll soon find yourself heading up, up, up the glass roads of the NY KOM. The finish line of the KOM is the end of the route, but go ahead and coast down to the bottom… you’ve earned it!
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