Long Island Marathon postponed to October

Posted

The Jovia 2020 Long Island Marathon has been postponed from May 1-3 to Oct. 2-4, officials announced on March 20.

Named after its new title sponsor, the Jovia Financial Credit Union — formerly NEFCU — and in its second year with a new course, the marathon, which begins and ends in Eisenhower Park, is one of Long Island’s best-known running events.

Staging the race takes the coordination of many departments of county government, whose resources are now focused on curbing the spread of the coronavirus, County Executive Laura Curran wrote in a Facebook post addressing the marathon’s postponement.

Race Director Corey Roberts, of Race Awesome, said that the race requires the support of hundreds of members of the county health, parks, emergency management and public works departments, all of whom now have their hands full. Roberts met with county officials on March 19 to develop a schedule for the new race weekend.

There will be a 5K run on Friday, Oct. 2, a 10K on Saturday and a 13.1-mile half marathon on Sunday. There will be no full marathon or 35.5-mile challenge, however, and athletes will have the option of transferring their entries to a 22.4-mile challenge (all three remaining races). There will be no additional fees to do so for those who signed up for the full marathon, and runners who signed up for the 35.5-mile challenge and take part in the shorter combined challenge will receive a refund of $15, the price difference.

Athletes who cannot participate on the new dates can either have their entries rolled over to the 2021 race, at no additional cost, or take part in a virtual race. Those who choose the latter will receive marathon “swag” in May and can upload their race results online. Other than the above, there will be no refunds.

“With that, while practicing social distancing,” Curran wrote on Facebook, “residents are still encouraged to take a break from the screens and get some fresh air at any of Nassau’s 70 parks and preserves spanning 6,000 acres throughout the county.”