47.0°,
Mostly Cloudy Marathoners head to the races
Hundreds turn out to run through Long Island streets
In spite of rainy weather, hundreds of locals and visitors lined central Nassau County streets last weekend to support participants in the region’s biggest race, the Long Island Marathon.
For more than 40 years, locals and runners from across the world have gathered for the marathon and its associated events. What started in the 1970s as just a 26.2-mile race now includes a half marathon, a 10K, a 5K, a 1-mile run, a kids’ fun run, a finish line festival and a two-day sports and fitness expo.
Like a marathon itself, officials said that the history of the race covers a great distance and has many twists and turns. According to the event’s website, its origins date back to the inaugural Macombs Dam Park Marathon in the Bronx in 1958. That race was later renamed the Cherry Tree Marathon, but continued to run in the Bronx until 1970, when it moved to Central Park.
Only three years later, officials said, what was then known as the Earth Day Marathon was moved from Manhattan to Roosevelt Raceway. Five years later, it moved once again, to East Meadow’s Eisenhower Park, and was dubbed the Long Island Marathon.
The course takes runners from Charles Lindbergh Boulevard through the streets of Westbury, onto the Wantagh Parkway and into East Meadow, terminating at the park. The other events are held at or near the park and the Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Runners and spectators alike had to contend with plenty of rain on Sunday, but it didn’t appear to deter them. About 550 people finished the marathon, and hundreds more lined streets like Merrick and Carman avenues, toting signs with supportive and humorous messages for the athletes under umbrellas and plastic wrap.
For the second consecutive year, Oz Pearlman, a 33-year-old Manhattan resident, was the winner, finishing in 2 hours, 29 minutes. Northport’s Amanda Filiberto finished first in the women’s division, in 3:03. In the wheelchair division, New York City resident Marcel Lignon took first, in 1:30.
