Nearly seven thousand runners, including some two hundred diplomats and UN staff returned to the streets of New York for the annual Dash to the Finish race that starts on First Avenue outside the United Nations building and ends in Central Park. It was a beautiful morning for a run, sunny and breezy with autumn colors painting Central Park in shades of red and orange.
This was the first race on the streets of New York since COVID-19 forced everyone inside and led to the cancellation of the NYC Marathon and the Dash to the Finish in 2020. Everyone appeared excited to gather outside the United Nations with 195 flags raised along First Avenue and to own the streets of the city typically reserved for vehicles. As the signal was given, with crowds cheering on the sides, runners dashed along 42nd street and up 6th Avenue into Central Park where they crossed the finish line, the same finish line that 30,000 marathoners will cross the next day. The race felt more special for may returning and new runners.
Team UN kept the practice started in 2015 with hundreds of diplomats, UN staff and families signing up for the Dash and proudly wearing #TeamUN t-shirts with a message on the back about Keeping the Promise and ActNow for the SDGs. Maher Nasser, Director of the Outreach Division, Department of Global Communications, who has led the effort behind Team UN since 2015 addressed all race participants saying “We are here to join you from the United Nations, Ambassadors, diplomats, staff and families to run the streets of New York with you and ask world leaders to keep the promises made on climate and the SDGs. Climate change necessitates urgent action with no time to waste. Good luck and see you at the finish line”.
Team UN runners echoed this message: “By raising awareness about the Global Goals and ActNow (UN individual action campaign on climate change and sustainability) this year, Team UN made its racing more meaningful. I am already looking forward to next year’s Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K race!”, said Esra Sergi from the Climate Action Team, Executive Office of the Secretary-General.