Trek across Long Island makes a ‘Runner’s Stop’

A woman who is championing the effort to help cure blood cancer made a pit stop on Atlantic Avenue in Lynbrook last week, as began the second leg of her 150-mile run from Manhattan to Montauk at the Lynbrook Runner’s Stop on April 24.

“My goal was, and is, to bring attention to the good fight against blood cancers that my fellow athletes and I undergo with every practice and every event we finish,” Glen Cove’s Eva Casale said. “Through running, coaching, fundraising and assisting the society on any level that is needed I hope to remain apart of this effort until we achieve this crucial objective, by running for those who can’t.”

Casale began her run in Manhattan, at the corner of 61st Street and Broadway. As she came down Atlantic Avenue in Lynbrook and greeted friends, family and admirers at the Runner’s Stop, she was 22 miles in to her 150-mile trek. She had already been running for a few hours, but was still ahead of schedule, and said she was feeling good.

“So far, it’s been absolutely great,” she said. “I’m moving well, the weather is nice and cool, and all and all it’s really off to a great start. I’m really thankful for all the support that I’ve been given — there is no way I could do this alone.”

Roughly two dozen of those supporters, many of whom ran along Eva for part of her journey, helped to keep her motivated and running at the right pace, and were on hand to congratulate her as she began the second leg of her journey. Most of them have trained, competed and worked with Casale for years. She first began running and training in order to combat blood cancer not because of a close connection to a love one afflicted with the disease, but by circumstance.

In 2006, she signed up to be a living donor, giving one of her kidneys to a stranger. During the screening process, she was asked if she believed the donation was her “one purpose,” in life. She was stunned by the question, but it motivated her.

“This question actually upset me greatly,” she said. “My reply was that it was one of many purposes in my life and I had many more in the future.”