This beautiful fall morning was ideal for a run in the park. The weather could not have been any better. People of all ages were present, running different routes. The route of this half-marathon stretches over two clockwise laps through the park. Grete’s Great Gallop serves as a race in which one can qualify for the five borough run of New York Marathon. As a treat for the possibly hungry runners, delicious Norwegian lox on bagels was served.
For those who weren’t up for running a half-marathon, there are always other, shorter races during Grete’s Great Gallop, including a 1.7 mile race. For the youngest the Troll Stroll is a good alternative, for kids at age 2 to 12.
The winner on the men’s side of the race was 26 year old Mikael Tesfaye Kahsay, of West Side Runners (WSX), finishing in 1:07:36. It was a clean sweep for WSX, which has dominated the men’s team points standings in 2012. On the women’s side, Aziza Aliyu, 26, finished first in 1:16:26.
Many of the participants are expected to join in New York Marathon, coming up on November 4.
