More than 200 runners and walkers laced up their sneakers and headed for Coney Island on April 16 for the UFT’s third annual 5K run/walk.

The course took them past the iconic Cyclone roller coaster and Wonder Wheel, down the boardwalk alongside traditional Russian cafes and into the home of minor league baseball’s Brooklyn Cyclones, where home plate had been transformed into a finish line festooned with two towers of balloons.

“It gets everyone to come out on a beautiful day for a great cause,” said Stuart Kaplan, a teacher at the HS for Law and Public Service in Manhattan, who won the race in 22:13. “And it feels really good to win.”

Proceeds from the event benefit the UFT Disaster Relief Fund.

“It’s a great day for a family event,” said UFT Vice President for Middle Schools Richard Mantell, who organized the activity. “It’s nice to see schools create teams and come together.”

Spirits were high for teachers at IS 96 Seth Low in Brooklyn, who let out a cheer when they saw that some of their students had accepted their invitation to join the run. Chelsea Haggerty, the school’s basketball coach, was doing double duty: running alongside her students and then shuttling them to a basketball game later in the day.

“We like to run and we have a lot of school camaraderie,” said teacher Susan Tanzer.

At PS 60 on Staten Island, teacher and runner Diane Greco founded a running group and encouraged her colleagues to join.

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Miller Photography

“We got FitBits and motivated the whole school to be healthy,” Greco said. Fellow teachers Nicole Battino, Monica Iacono and Elana Burriesci followed the Couch to 5K training plan, running together before school or during lunch. They were excited to be participating in their first race.

After crossing the finish line, the PS 60 teachers and other participants were awarded medals.

“This is awesome. I didn’t expect a medal,” said John Lo, a teacher at PS 94 in Sunset Park. “Every year it gets better and better.”

“The 5K run really rallies members together,” said Maria Maravegias, a teacher at Transit Tech Career and Technical Education HS in Brooklyn. “I look forward to it every year.”

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