I am going to start writing race reports on this blog as a place to share my experience with different running events. Personally, I love reading race reports because they give you an idea of what to expect as a runner and you can better decide which races to participate in. That ultimately allows you to use your time and money optimally. Ok, let's get to the first race: The Perogie Dash.
Date: 16 August, 2025
Town: Danbury, CT, USA
Distance: 5k
Parking: Parking at the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, which hosts this annual race, was quite limited. Additional parking was facilitated by volunteers and the local police department on side streets. Because I arrived only 10 minutes before the race start (due to a prior commitment), I ended up jogging 1/3 of a mile to the check-in/start line area. Count that as a free warm-up!
Check In: Very smooth process, in 2025 we had digital bibs that assigned numbers in order of check-in. This was accomplished by scanning a QR code that had been provided to attendees the day before the race. The check-in was performed by volunteers right by the start line.
Course Description: This was a road race with rolling hills. The course was well-marked with spray paint and other ground markings, as well as signs with the pierogi logo. The course was a lollipop shape that took us through nearby neighborhoods. The first mile had gradual rollers, there was a steeper hill in the second mile, and the last mile was coming back along the same path as the first mile. Some folks were playing music for the runners and waving, which showed community support. The last few hundred feet of the race were up the steep driveway of the church, not my favorite way to finish.
Afterparty: The church was very welcoming and offered a delightful repast. There were bagels, fruit, and wonderful pierogi with sides of sour cream and fried onions. There were bags of frozen pierogi and also kielbasa for sale after the race. We also received cotton t-shirts with a custom design. The church had past race shirts on display and it was fun to see the older designs. Notably, their spelling of the race name is different from how I normally spell "pierogi" so I hope it's not verboten to mix the two spellings in this post.
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