The brainchild of Peter Walsh, owner of Coogan’s, in partnership with the New York Road Runners, this past Sundays 5K race was one of the largest and most exciting community running events ever held in New York City. All shades of green costumes, Dominican flags and soul music played along the great long way up Fort Washington Avenue around the Cloisters and back to the Armory at 168th Street.
Over twenty bands from Salsa, to Beatles, to Bagpipes to Blues and Marching Bands entertained a highly enthusiastic field of racers and walkers from the entire New York Metropolitan area. Congressman Charles Rangel, Assemblyman Denny Farrell, Councilman Bill Perkins (an entrant himself), President Chris Ward, of the New York and New Jersey Port Authority, New York Road Runners President Mary Wittenberg and Mike Frankfurt, Chairman of the Armory Foundation were all on hand to congratulate the unending thousands of finishers and the over five hundred youngsters aged four on up who did their own sprint racing after the 5K had finished. Every youth received a personal medal hung ceremoniously about their shoulders by a New York City Fire Fighter or Police Officer.
The Coogan’s Salsa Blues and Shamrock 5K has become an important fundraiser for the Armory and all of its children’s programs, which total more than 100 running events yearly (a public school track and field meet was actually underway as the 5K proceeded outside). New York Presbyterian Hospital Columbia University, the New York and New Jersey Port Authority, Coogan’s Restaurant and the New York Road Runners all joined hands to help our New York City kids.
A lasting highlight of the day was the traditional open house at Coogan’s Restaurant after, where shepherd’s pie, corned beef and plenty of Guinness were consumed by an overflow running crowd that winged its way south along Broadway for over a city block.
All of this is a credit to founder Peter Walsh whose restaurant Coogan’s at Broadway and 169th street is the place to gather for the running community of New York. Running memorabilia of all colors and types lined the walls at Coogan’s including a track writer’s room with every cover framed of Sports Illustrated that featured a runner or running motif. The hospitality and good food at Coogan’s overseen by Peter and his partners Dave and Tess are unparalleled in our city and deserve a short A train “jog” to Washington Heights. Hats off to Peter Walsh and the New York Road Runners for developing such a great New York City day. Next year will be even better.
