Glen Cove’s Long Island Runs Too: A growing running club building community and fitness

What began as a personal fitness journey for Brenda Sale has quickly turned into a growing community effort to bring people together through running. A Glen Cove native, Sale founded a local run club just three months ago, and despite its recent start, the group has already begun to build a strong sense of connection and accomplishment among its members.
“So as of right now, we’re about 10 to 12 members,” Sale said. “It really depends on the week. Some Saturdays I get more people, some less — but honestly, whoever shows up is a win.”
The club, which meets weekly at Garvies Point, gathers under the gazebo adjacent to the children’s playground before heading out for a scenic three-mile loop that runs along the water and past the beacon. Runners of all levels are welcome, including those just starting their fitness journey.
“A lot of it is casual runners,” Sale explained. “I only get maybe one or two seasoned runners who are training for a race or coming off of one. I get a mix of different people — people who run all different kinds of paces and even some walkers as well.”
Running wasn’t always a central part of Sale’s life. In high school, she was a member of the Glen Cove kickline team and served as captain her senior year. At the time, running was simply the easiest form of exercise available when she wanted to stay active. But two years ago, facing health issues, she realized she needed to make her well-being a priority.

“I kind of struggled with maybe understanding or figuring out what kind of workouts were almost tangible,” she said. “Running was the easiest thing for me to pick up.”
Her dedication led her to complete her first marathon — the New York City Marathon — last November. Inspired by that transformative experience and the lack of nearby run clubs, she created her own. The club’s name, Long Island Runs 2, reflects her desire to bring that sense of community and achievement closer to home.
“It just popped in my mind — this is extremely frustrating — because Long Island runs too. And that just stuck with me,” she said.
For Elisa Lahey, a stay-at-home mom and close friend of Sale’s, joining the run club in January became a turning point in her life.
“I never really enjoyed running,” Lahey admitted. “But I wanted something to kind of do — a healthy hobby that would get me moving and meet new people.”
After attending her first session, Lahey said she felt motivated and encouraged, and has since been running four to five times a week. Last week she ran for five consecutive miles withut stopping, an accomplishment she credits to the running club.
The group’s welcoming environment has helped Lahey overcome personal hesitations and given her something to look forward to.
“I’m an introvert,” she said. “Getting out of my comfort zone is something I struggle with. But this club has been the one day of the week I really look forward to now.”