2021 Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K

Twenty-one Harriers lined up at the start of this year’s Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K. It was a chilly, sunny, and exciting morning as runners prepared to race the first Dash in two years.

The Harrier men’s team placed 4th, with Lee Sossen, Charlie Pearlman, Ryan Langdale, Luke Kennedy, and Stephen McCracken scoring. On the women’s side, the team placed 5th, with Laura Kelly, Maddie Rizzo, Jess Lee, Susan Bayat, and Helen Charlton scoring.

The race was a mix of runners racing at full effort, and those such as Harriers Hanon Jhung and Matt Coneybeare, who used the race as a shakeout for the following day’s TCS NYC Marathon.

Longtime Harrier Gavin Goldstein summed it up: “Great to see the Hs our there, especially all the smiling faces at the finish line. Loved all the Harriers cheering,” adding that it “put a smile on this old runner's face.”

Jess Lee declared the conditions “perfect weekend weather for racing,” and remarked on the sparser-than-usual field: “For once, the first mile wasn't a huge cluster of tourists with selfie sticks so I definitely tried to take advantage of my situation.” Jess was surprised how good she felt during the race, “considering I haven't run that speed for more than 800m. In the end I came out with a 50 second PR! Very happy.”

For those Harriers not racing the NYC Marathon the following day, this was the last Harriers points race of the year. Congrats to all who finished out the year with this speedy 3.1-miler through the street of midtown.