The Manhattan neighborhood of Washington Heights provides the ideal venue to start the New York Road Runners Club point season, with bands playing funk, folk, southern rock, merengue, mariachi, bagpipes, and, of course, salsa and blues throughout the entire 3.1-mile course.

The NYRR Coogan's Salsa, Blues and Shamrocks 5K now attracts more than 5,000 runners annually, all of them eager to take on a challenging course with its notorious hills in a diverse neighborhood known for its history and community spirit.