And they're off Franklin Hospital's Hot Chocolate 5K Run held in blizzard
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The runners ranged in age from 12 to 84. All 167 entrants who braved the weather crossed the finish line without incident. The race was originally scheduled for Dec. 7, but was postponed due to the first snowstorm of the season.
George Schroeder, 32, of Bellmore, was the overall winner, crossing the finish line in 17 minutes, 41 seconds. Schroeder was followed closely by Jaime Palacios, 48, of Flushing, who finished in 17:45.
Marlene Mignano, 35, of Merrick, and Trish Fasini, 25, of Massapequa, tied for first among female contenders. Both women crossed the finish line in 20:06.
Tom Cully, 17, and Nicole Miranda, 16, were the first Valley Stream residents to complete the race. Cully placed 24th overall with a time of 21:22, and Miranda was 46th overall in 22:31.
At 84, William Benson, of Valley Stream, was the oldest competitor. He placed first in his age group and 152nd overall, with a time of 39:21.
The hospital expressed its thanks to Valley Stream Mayor Edward Cahill for sounding the horn to start the race, the Village of Valley Stream, Nassau County police and the Valley Stream Running Club.
This year's race was co-sponsored by KeySpan and was the last leg of KeySpan's 2003 Grand Prix Series.
