Mike Polansky of the Greater Long Island Runners Club called to say, “I was running in Oyster Bay last Sunday, [Aug. 9] and saw so many people on bikes and training for the Triathlon. They waved and said, ‘We’ll see you in a few weeks.’ The Triathlon is bringing in a great deal of people to Oyster Bay where the start and finish of the race is at Firemen’s Field. And, it’s great for business. People stop at Taby’s to eat and visit the hamlet.”
People training for the three-pronged event come to Oyster Bay to practice. “The Oyster Bay area is a great running location. Look at the Brooke Jackman Run for Literacy and the Bayville 5K Run,” he said.
We also had the Swim-A-Cross at Centre Island Beach on Saturday, Aug. 8. Bob Bertlotti was there representing Oyster Bay. He is a mechanical designer and works at V-Twin Cycles motorcycle shop on Hamilton Avenue. “This swim is practice for the Oyster Bay Triathlon. I’ve never done anything like this before. I’m practicing and hope to finish at the Aug. 30 event,” he said.
Mr. Polansky has great hopes for the day too. “On Saturday, Aug. 29 is the kid’s triathlon. It just happens in Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park. On Sunday, Aug. 30 is the Triathlon. It’s one of the biggest triathlons in the Northeast – and it’s good for business in Oyster Bay,” he added.
He also wanted local resident to be aware of where the event will impact the local streets. In a letter to residents he said:
Dear Friends:
On Sunday, Aug. 30, our club will be cooperating with the Town of Oyster Bay Parks Department to stage the 22nd annual Runner’s Edge TOBAY Triathlon in the hamlet of Oyster Bay and surrounding areas. The first wave of athletes will enter the harbor at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park on the 30th for the swim at 7:30 a.m. and the last participant should cross the finish line by about 10:30 a.m.
We would appreciate it if you could avoid driving on the course route if at all possible. We understand that Long Island’s oldest and most successful multisport event may well cause an inconvenience to many local residents, and we apologize in advance for that. At the same time, we are trying to do everything we can to minimize the inconvenience, and we welcome your suggestions as to how we can best do so. We beg your indulgence for this “once a year” event.
Please keep in mind that the influx of triathletes into Oyster Bay brings lots of business to local stores, on Aug. 30 and Aug. 29 when the “kids” Triathlon is held in the Park, and for most of the summer, as Triathlon participants visit Oyster Bay to train. Please also keep in mind that the proceeds of this event will once again go to such important charities as the Long Island Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the Gerald Kaufman Memorial Fund.
All of you are invited to join in the fun. Nearly a third of the participants, who range in age from 8 to 80, will be from Oyster Bay, East Norwich, Bayville, Mill Neck and other local communities, so come on out and cheer your friends and neighbors on!
You are also invited to go a step further and help us out at the Park as volunteers doing such things as helping with water, food or even giving out medals to the finishers. If you volunteer, you will get a free commemorative T-shirt just for helping out. Your total time commitment would be about two hours. Please call Mindy Davidson, our coordinator of Volunteers, at 349-7646 to volunteer.
Please also feel free to call us at that number with whatever questions you may have about this year’s Triathlon, and most definitely with any suggestions you may have as to how we can minimize the inconvenience to the community.
I look forward to seeing as many of our local friends and neighbors as possible on Aug. 30. If you have any questions in the meantime, please feel free to call me at 349-7646.
Best regards
Mike Polansky, President, Greater Long Island Running Club.
One of the nicest things about the Brooke Jackman Run for Literacy was all the local residents who came out to volunteer to help the race. It is great to see people truly involved in the “life” of this wonderful hamlet, so we urge you to keep up the caring traditions of Oyster Bay.
It’s a wonderful place to live because of all the great people who reside here.
FYI:
TOBAY Triathlon Bike Course
The bikers will exit Roosevelt Park by the Marina onto South Street, and will turn left onto East Main Street, bearing right as East Main Street channels into Cove Road. The bikers will head south on Cove Road for about 1.5 miles and then turn left onto Moore’s Hill Road, passing the Police Booth and continuing to a right turn onto Stewart Lane. They will take Stewart to Route 25A and turn right onto 25A, and then right again onto Berry Hill Road. The field will finish with a right onto South Street at the bottom of Berry Hill Road, and continue until turning left onto Audrey Avenue and entering the Park at Larabee Avenue.
TOBAY Triathlon Run Course
The runners will exit Roosevelt Park onto Larabee Avenue, turn left at the traffic light onto West Main Street and make an immediate right onto Underhill, and another immediate right onto Mill River Road. They will turn right onto Glen Cove Road, and left onto Planting Fields Road. About 100 yards past the entrance to the Planting Fields Arboretum they will turn around and return down Planting Fields Road, turn right onto Glen Cove Road, and left onto Lake Avenue. At the big intersection at the end of Lake Avenue, the runners will turn right onto West Shore Road, make the first left onto Bayside Avenue and proceed back into Roosevelt Park to the finish.
“Remember what Elvis Presley said: It is better to wear out than rust out.”
