The sun was out early, in Washington Heights, on Sunday March 7th, and so were New York City runners. Nearly 6000 runners turned out to participate in the Coogan’s 2010 Salsa, Blues & Shamrocks 5K. The temperature was on the brisk side, but it was perfect for running.

The famed New Balance Track and Field armory was the start and finish of the race. The course went north on Fort Washington, into Ft. Tryon Park, around the Cloisters, then back down Ft. Washington.  As difficult as “out and back” course logistics can be, the NYRR staff pulled it off in perfect form.

Derese Deniboba of NY won the mens’ race with a scorching time of 14:34. For the women, Claudia Camargo was the first to cross the line, scoring a 16:35.

Congratulations to all those who participated in Sunday’s race. Full results can be found here.

Photos from the event can be viewed here.

(All photos by: Zach Tolbert)

Sunday, August 6, 2009, join together with fellow New Yorkers, in the spirit of celebration of the lives of those lost on September 11, 2001. This event will offer a great opportunity for all people who were affected by the events of 9-11 to come together to remember each victim, while running, or walking, around beautiful Governors Island, in the heart of New York Harbor. The even is called “World Trade Center Run to Remember.”

The event will host a 5k Run, and a 3k family run/walk. Online registration for the 5k and the 3k is available online. If the weather continues the way that it has been, Sunday should be an incredible day for running, especially on an island located in the middle of the harbor.

Don’t forget to check the events calendar, for all upcoming races in the month of September.

Join the New York Road Runners, the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce Health Committee, the Daily News, Fox-5, and WBLS-FM this weekend in St. Nicholas park for a family fitness event. The 5k will kick of at 8:30 AM, followed by the 2 mile walk at 9:30 AM. As of today, online registration for the event is still open.

The course for the 5k is as follows: Head north along Edgecombe Ave. At 141st Street, bear right onto Bradhurst Ave. Turn left (West) at 145th Street. Turn right (North) back onto Edgecombe Ave. At 155th Street, take sharp left (south) onto St. Nicholas Place. Turn right (west) on 150th Street. Turn left (south) onto Convent Ave. Turn left (east) onto St. Nicholas Terrace. Proceed straight (south) along top of St. Nicholas Park. Turn left (east) on 127th Street. Turn left (north) on St. Nicholas Ave. Proceed straight (north) on St. Nicholas Ave, alongside St. Nicholas Park. Here is a link to the NYRR Course Map.

This is a great opportunity for those participating in the 9+1 program to run a race that does not take place in Central Park. View all upcoming races on the Run-NYC Event Calendar.

Torrential rains did not stop dedicated New York City runners from paying tribute to Sgt. Keith A. Ferguson, Sunday morning. According to some of the participants, the ceremony before the race, was very touching. It was also noted that there were some close calls during the race, involving cyclists, and that the number pick-up was a bit disorganized. One participant noted:

The start was a little disorganized. I think they tried to group people by their pace, but it didn’t pan out. It could have improved everyone’s experience if it was corraled properly somehow since the path is so narrow. Also, I couldn’t believe the bridge was not closed off to pedestrians and bicyclists. With hundreds of runners flooding that narrow space, there could have been some dangerous situations. Aside from those 2 points, I thoroughly enjoyed this 5k. It was a great experience and I look forward to running it again next year… hopefully it will be a little bit better organized.

Congratulations to all of those who participated in Sunday’s race.