Congratulations to local endurance athletes Amy Goldstein and John Kaufmann of Farmingdale, who were among the hardy finishers in the Nassau-Suffolk Greenbelt Trail 25 Kilometer Run, held on Saturday, May 7.
Kaufmann completed the Run in 4 hours, 49 minutes, 42 seconds, good for 84th place overall. Goldstein scored in 4 hours, 50 minutes, 45 seconds, one place behind in 85th place.
There is nothing quite as nice as the Nassau-Suffolk Greenbelt Trail Run on a beautiful Spring morning, and 93 runners enjoyed a picture perfect day to run 25K in the woods, with 45 runners completing the accompanying 50K Run.
The course runs from the GLIRC Clubhouse to the Sunnyside Boulevard trailhead about a half-mile away, and thence to the Cold Spring Harbor Trail terminus and back. After getting back to Sunnyside Boulevard, the runners turn around and retrace their steps up to Cold Spring Harbor and then back again before finally returning to Sunnyside Boulevard and thence to the finish line at the GLIRC Clubhouse. It takes a certain amount of mental toughness to get to Sunnyside Boulevard and then turn back again, especially when so many 25K runners, with big smiles on their faces, are heading back to the Clubhouse finish at the same time.
This was a tough year for the Runs from a logistical standpoint, as Race Director Nick Palazzo had to take a back seat because of surgery only a few days before the event, but Bob Sherman, Rich Innamorato, Linda Ottaviano, Irene Robinson, and Curt Robinson were among those who stepped up to the plate and made things happen – along with an incredible cadre of volunteers, old and new, out in the field.
