Sports
LI Marathon: Record Turnout For 5K and 1-Mile Races
Hundreds compete in first two races of Long Island Marathon.
While the weather was on the cool side Saturday morning, spirits were warm for the runners in the 5k and 1-mile races of the RXR/TIAA-CREF Long Island Marathon.
County Executive Ed Mangano was on hand at the Festival of Races at Mitchel Field to signal the start of each race.
More than 600 runners participated in the 5k race and more than 50 in the 1-mile run. Both races saw a record number of participants.
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Garden City resident Andrew Magdich broke the record for the 1-mile run with a first place finish time of 5:18.
“It feels good,” said Magdich. “Running that mile was a lot different than running it on the track.”
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Thirteen-year-old Carmen Ballon of North Bellmore was the first female to finish the 1-mile run with a time of 7:06.
“It was really tiring,” the young Ballon said.
The 5k race was won by Nicolas Amouroux of France with a time of 17:17. Amouroux was visiting his brother and decided to participate in the Long Island race.
“It was a very organized race. I liked it,” Amouroux said.
Jessica Petrina of Plainview was the first female to finish the 5k race with a time of 21:12. The Titan Fitness trainer said she worked very hard to prepare for this race.
“Feels really great,” Petrina said. "I ran every day and did cardio twice a day.”
While some ran for competitive reasons others ran for charity. This included the 175 participants who ran as part of the Friends of Karen charity group that raises money for supporting critically-ill children and their families.
“It is a great cause and it feels wonderful to help contribute to it,” East Meadow resident John Andree said.
For full race results, visit the Long Island Marathon website.
