Runners and walkers from Levittown and all over Long Island are cordially invited to join in the fun on Sunday, April 3 for the 34rd annual Nationwide 10K Run for ASPIRE, Long Island’s oldest continuously held 10K run. This will be the first Sunday running of the event, which had been traditionally held on a Saturday.
The Run will once again be utilizing the traditional challenging but fair course through the roads of Plainview and Old Bethpage, starting and finishing at the H.B. Mattlin Middle School on Washington Avenue in Plainview. New Co-Race Director Karen Schackner has joined veteran Director Bob Windorf in putting together an event that promises to be the biggest and best ASPIRE Run ever!
Runners from Levittown have always been a major part of the ASPIRE Run. In the 33rd annual running of the event in 2010, a strong Levittown contingent was led by 25 year old Jodi Schoppmann, who scored as the first woman overall against a very tough field.
Greater Long Island Running Club (GLIRC) will organize the run with the continued support of Anthony Wiszowaty of Nationwide, and his agency’s many other Nationwide agents on Long Island. This race honors the memory of GLIRC’s and Nationwide’s own Stanley Kramberg, with the entire net proceeds of the event being turned over to the ASPIRE Program for the rehabilitation of young amputees, and ASPIRE’s Stanley Kramberg Memorial Scholarship Fund.
A hearty welcome to new ASPIRE sponsor Top Gun Exterminating, a leader in the exterminating field whose owner John Aprea is a dedicated runner and long time GLIRC member.
Thanks also for continued support of this signature GLIRC and Long Island running event to Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto and all our good friends from the Town’s Department of Parks, and to presenting sponsor The Runner’s Edge. Mizuno will be back once again as our official shoe company sponsor, as the ASPIRE 10K “family” continues to make this a first class event.
The event will continue to provide awards in age groups through 85 plus, along with Clydesdale Weight Divisions. Top male and female overall and master’s finishers will take home a pair of Mizuno running shoes. Every entrant will receive one of the high quality long sleeve Run for ASPIRE shirts. Other great perks of the ASPIRE 10K include free massage, a fun run for the kids before the main event, post-race refreshments and a nice post- race raffle to cap the morning.
While the ASPIRE 10K is very much geared towards the average recreational runner, it will once again also offer a $500 prize if the first male runner to cross the finish line breaks the course record of 30:27 set by Pat Peterson in 1988, and a $500 prize if the first female runner to cross the finish line breaks the women’s course record of 34:55 set by Angela Hearn in 1989.
Applications can be obtained by calling Mike or Linda at the GLIRC office at (516) 349-7646 or TOBAY Recreation Supervisor Diane Ramos at (516) 797-4125.
Volunteers are much needed and appreciated. Contact Mindy Davidson at (516) 520-9481 (before 9 p.m.) or mindyruns @aol.com.
