Tehila Novak Runs for Fun, Camaraderie, and the Joy of Race-Day Meetups
To celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month, we’re spotlighting Tehila Novak, a member of Nice Jewish Runners and a four-time finisher of the United Airlines NYC Half.
Jewish American Heritage Month is a time to discover, explore, and celebrate the vibrant and varied American Jewish experience from the dawn of our nation to the present day.
Tehila Novak started running seven years ago, when she was 42. “I was looking for something in my life—I’m not sure what,” she said. “An opportunity with a coach fell into my lap, and it was the best thing ever for me.”
She’s since run the New Balance Bronx 10 Mile, the TCS New York City Marathon, and the United Airlines NYC Half four times—most recently this year when she finished in 2:08 and felt elated as she crossed the finish line.
“The feeling I get after a run makes me feel like I can do anything—face all the challenges that come up,” Tehila said. “It’s truly one of the best feelings. It’s also the biggest lesson that I can do hard things!”
She’s a single mom of two daughters, ages 24 and 20; her younger daughter is an occasional runner.
Tehila lives in Long Island and sometimes does her weekend runs with Nice Jewish Runners, a club that formed in 2023 for Jewish people and their friends. “The camaraderie of the running community is very special,” she said.
“In the past couple years, I have been representing my Jewish identity when I run races, whether it’s wearing an Israeli flag or my Nice Jewish Runners tank or any other identifying paraphernalia. It’s so nice to see the support on the courses both from Jews and non-Jews as well.”
She said she runs races “mostly for fun. I love the energy on the course.”
The United Airlines NYC Half is Tehila’s favorite race—“by far,” she said. “I love the course. I love the energy. It’s a great race.”
This year was extra-special, thanks to a chance encounter with a fellow participant, Harjinder Singh, about a mile before the finish.
“Harjinder and I met on Instagram several years ago and we’ve tried to meet up at races, and it never worked out,” she said. “Randomly this year he found me on the course, recognized the Jewish star on the back of my tank, and we continued to the finish line together.
“It just happened. Totally random.”
“It was the best feeling ever,” said Harjinder, who runs for the NYC DOT Run Club. “We’ve known each other for many years.”
Tehila has met other runners at races and keeps up with them on social media. “It’s nice that we can follow each other’s journeys,” she said.
“I picked up running late in life,” she added. “It gave me the confidence and push to make some very big changes in my life that I am forever grateful for. I just appreciate being able to get out there.”
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