Long Island Natives Win 2013 Marathon

The winners of Sunday's 2013 RXR Long Island Marathon are both Long Island natives.

Derek Rammelkamp, of Centereach, won the men's marathon with a time of  two hours, 32 minutes and 11 seconds and Kelly Gillen, a Manhasset native, won the women's race with a time of three hours and three minutes.

Sunday's race was the first marathon Rammelkamp had ever ran.

"I was going to originally do the New York City Marathon in the fall, but that was canceled, so I had to push it back," he said. "This is the local event on Long Island, so I chose to do this."

Rammelkamp ran the marathon with his twin brother, Thomas Rammelkamp, who finished in fourth.

"We were ahead running together for about 18 miles, but then he got tired," Derek Rammelkamp said. "I felt strong and he told me to go ahead."

For Gillen, it was also her first time running the Long Island Marathon.

"Physically I feel pretty good right now, but I will probably really feel it in a few hours," the New York City resident laughed.

Gillen's family moved from Manhasset to North Salem in Westchester when she was small. She played basketball as a teen in North Salem and started running nine years ago.

She also ran the Boston Marathon last month for the ninth time. Gillen said while she had already finished the race and was back in her hotel when the bombs went off, the situation was still scary.

Despite the attack, Gillen said that last month's tragic events will not stop her from doing what she loves -- running.

"I was definitely going to still come here today and I am running in Boston again next year," she said.