SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY – (November 1, 2016) – Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone announced that more than 3,000 runners from 26 states, the District of Columbia and six countries participated in the Catholic Health Services’ 2nd Annual Suffolk County Marathon & Half Marathon to Support Our Veterans. All net proceeds generated from the event will go directly to veteran service organizations in Suffolk County.
The male and female winner of the full marathon were: Mark Maggi, Cohasset, MA – 2:48:08.43; Pam O’Sullivan, Nashua, NH – 2:58:45.93
The male and female winner of the half marathon were: Ben Jacobs, Minnetonka, MN – 1:12:37.32; Leonora Petrina, Bayport, NY – 1:17:23.28
The male and female winner of the 5k: Peter Argerakis, Blue Point, NY – 17:40.10; Mckenna Mazeski, Aurora, CO – 19:23.45
The winner of the wheelchair division: Mark Braun, Mounds View, MN – 1:02:30.00
The male and female winner of the Half Marathon National and International Championship for the Intellectually Disabled were: Alex Eletto, Stony Brook, NY –1:18:48.22; Belle Lipponer, Stony Brook, NY -- Time: 2:33:53.00 (Stony Brook, NY)
Along with raising funds for the veterans, the Suffolk County Marathon was a qualifier for the 2018 Boston Marathon.
“For the second year in a row, more than 3,000 runners were on the course along the south shore to give back to Suffolk County’s 90,000 veterans that make countless sacrifices to protect our freedoms,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. “It was an absolute pleasure to have so many veterans and active duty military personnel run beside us as all the net proceeds will help to expand and enhance services for these men and women. I’d like to thank all those who made the race and Taste of Long Island Festival a huge success, including our sponsors, vendors, emergency services personnel, local businesses, community leaders, runners, volunteers and so many more.”
The marathon route took runners along Suffolk County’s south shore, starting and ending on Montauk Highway in downtown Patchogue, and took runners through Blue Point, Bayport, downtown Sayville, Oakdale – including the former St. John’s University campus (now Amity Education Group) and past the historic Bourne Mansion, New York State’s Heckscher State Park and Bayard Cutting Arboretum.
“We want to continue to make this event a destination marathon while highlighting our downtowns and our wonderful assets along the south shore,” added County Executive Bellone. “In addition to reversing the course, we worked with our local chambers of commerce and local business leaders to organize various events in order to enhance the experience for our spectators and visitors.”
The 2016 Suffolk County Marathon was the third marathon County Executive Bellone ran, previously running in the 2014 New York City Marathon and 2015 Suffolk County Marathon. The County Executive’s participation was inspired by his commitment to live a healthier lifestyle, which includes a 69 pound weight loss since 2013.
The FreedomFest: Taste of Long Island Festival was also held in down Patchogue park in conjunction with the marathon, half marathon and 5k race to highlight the region’s local businesses, such as local craft breweries, award winning wines, and local eateries and produce. The Taste of Long Island Festival was made possible with the support and partnership of New York State, the Village of Patchogue, the Long Island Wine Council, the Long Island Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Patchogue Chamber of Commerce and the nonprofit veterans’ organization Project9Line.
In addition, through the efforts of Jayson Velez of the Jay Scott Band and Patrick Donohue, founder of Project9Line, more than 20 local bands and musicians performed throughout the event across three stages.
The Suffolk County Marathon and Half Marathon additionally is part of the 2016 Suffolk County Veterans Running Series, a series of local races throughout the County that will raise additional funds for veterans causes.
The previous races included the Annual Cpl. Christopher G. Scherer “I DID THE GRID” Run/Walk, Navy SEAL Michael Murphy 4-Mile Run Around the Lake, Oakdale Chamber of Commerce Firecracker 5, Airbone Tri Team 5k and the Cow Harbor Warriors Captain Joseph J. Boccia Jr. USMC 4-Mile Warrior Run. The last two races of the series will be the Veterans Day 4k Cross Country Race in Northport on November 5 and the Annual Long Island Run for the Warriors in Lindenhurst on November 12.
Sponsors of the 2nd Annual Suffolk County Marathon, Half Marathon and 5k include
but are not limited to: Title Sponsor – Catholic Health Services, All Round Founds, Bethpage Federal Credit Union, WBAB, WBLI, Patchogue Family YMCA, Suffolk County AME, St. Joseph’s College, Canon, PSEG Long Island, Sayville Running Company.
For information on the winners of the races, photos and more information on the event, visit www.suffolkmarathon.com or www.facebook.com/SteveBellone.
Posted comments about the marathon:
Ronita Bland: Great race and course support. Showered quickly at the Y (Thanks a million for that option) and hit the road.
Siobhan Mary: What an amazing day!! Thank you to all the volunteers and police officers who helped out yesterday!! I ran my first marathon and they all were so supportive!!
Josephine Cacace: It was a great venue with the Freedom Fest afterwards. All of the water stations on the course were very much appreciated and needed. The amount of race volunteers keeping the course clear and safe was spectacular.
Theresa Pasquino Lanham: Thank you !!! My niece and I did the 5k. I loved the location. Thank you to all the police departments, EMT’s, volunteers, the bands, supporters, spectators to cheer us on, the shuttle bus was a great help. I know I'm missing a lot of people. Thanks to everyone without them we wouldn't be able to do this. I know you will have people complain but it’s for one day. I'm glad you included a 5k this year. I really hope next year Patchogue will host it again.
Thomas Carroll: A beautiful day for the race! Thanks to all the volunteers, emergency services personnel and spectators! The support was heartfelt.