“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!
The finish part of the Start & Finish needs updating. Currently reads “Begins with a lead-in to Center Sprint, which is also the finish line.” Should say the finish line is the NY KOM.
Fixed!
Just finished ride with bikealicious group ride and no badge, something wrong?
Same here, no badge/bonus xp and I’m on the latest version.
I’m doing it tonight for the badge on the Phoenix Rising ride. I’ll let you know if it’s buggy for me as well.
Did this today with Phoenix Rising and no badge or bonus XP
After contacted Zwift customer support, they finally gave me badge and 485XP
So the details for this route need to be fixed. There is no XP bonus for completion and there is no badge when completing the event. It’s the only non-starred route in Zwift (to prevent anyone from “finishing” all the route badges?).
Thank you Mathew for clarification 👍
Zwift confirmed that there is supposed to be a badge for it. Everyone who completed this route and did not get a badge should report that to support and ask for a badge. More reports would help get it fixed sooner.
und wem melde ich das? Ich habe auch weder ein Abzeichen noch die 485 Bonus XP erhalten.
Contact support
To navigate this route, what route should you pick?
It’s currently an event-only route, so you can only ride it “officially” as part of an event.
Indeed. Sorry, I should have been more clear. If one wanted to “rebel route” it – turn by turn…start with Prospect Park loop?
im going to play around with it 🙂
As of today, the badge for this route is still missing.
Also still listed as “Event Only” so guess that actually wasn’t part of the update.
That’s because they haven’t updated Companion app yet. You updated your game version (so it’s available there now), but Companion still needs an update. It’s goofy, I know… but that’s how it works.
Oh gotcha. I’ll have to see if there is a way to add it to “my list” without using companion then.
This is now showing as a free ride in the companion app. I have not opened Zwift app to verify it shows the same. Is this confirmed, or a bug in the companion app @Eric Schlange
Confirmed. Last week’s game update made it a free rideable route: https://zwiftinsider.com/update-1-106-158210/