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 t’s
always hard to pinpoint the start of spring but
April 18th may have been it. It
was a beautiful Sunday morning in Central Park and it
seemed to herald the end of a long winter. No more sudden
cold spells or chilling, blustery winds. Just 70 degrees,
sunshine, blue skies and sunscreen for the conscientious.
The
weather was a blessing for the Niketown
Run for the Parks, especially considering four years
ago the temperatures at the event hovered around 36
degrees and it snowed.
Considered
to be the kickoff race for the summer running season,
the event includes a four mile (6.4 kilometer) race
for men and women, as well as numerous short races for
children. Nearly 6,000 people turned out to run, from
the oldest, a man in his nineties, to the youngest,
a group of three-year-olds. |
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| Though
races started at 9 a.m. and set-up began well before
7 a.m., preparation for the event actually began four
or five months ago, says David Rivel, the executive
director of the City
Parks Foundation.
The
race brought in about $150,000 for the City Parks Foundation.
That money, raised through entry fees and sponsorships,
might be small change considering the four-year, $25
million public-private partnership to fund the parks
that was announced by Mayor Bloomberg in October 2003.
But it helps the department run its more than 900 programs
each year, which include events such as summer concerts
and races.
 f
course not everyone was there to run or even
to raise money. Hundreds of spectators turned out to
cheer on their loved ones or just to enjoy the weather.
Lawn chairs and picnic baskets began to appear late
in the morning near the start and finish line.
Rivel
admits running isn’t his thing. “I’m
not much of a runner myself and I sort of do my duty
up on the podium,” he says. “But it’s
a lot of fun seeing everyone run in Central Park for
City Parks Foundation. It’s a great feeling.”
Katie
Hagen of Ridgefield, CT came with her husband to watch
their daughter Jennifer, who is training for a marathon.
“It’s a wonderful day, the flowers are beautiful,
it’s been a long winter,” she says. |
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 ames
Fabiano, who started running to trim down his
220 pound frame, says he didn’t raise money for
the parks but was out to beat his four mile time. Ellen
Valente also didn’t do any fundraising and decided
to run only at the last minute.
“I
did a long run yesterday and I wasn’t going to,
but it was such a nice day I thought, ah, it’s
too nice to pass up,” she says.
For
some of the more serious runners, spring came too early
and too hot. A member of the Road Runners and the Staten
Island Athletic Club, who runs competitively for his
teams, was already sweating profusely from his warm-up.
“It’s
too warm for me. I would rather run when its 55 degrees
than 65 or 70,” he says.
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PHOTO:
Alexandra Huddleston |
| All
runners welcome, uniforms not required. |
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PHOTO:
Alexandra Huddleston |
| A
runner catches his breath and some rays. |
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