Leonora Petrina, of New Zealand (and now Bayport) scored as the overall winner of the 29th annual Runner’s Edge Long Island Women’s Run on July 14 as a record field of 455 runners, walkers and wheelchair athletes crossed the finish line on the track at Farmingdale High School. It was Petrina’s third consecutive win in the event.
Top local finishers included Jill Loveland of Hicksville, who took fourth-place honors in the 20-24 age group, Jenney Tesoriero of Westbury, fourth in the 40-44 age group, Shari Zimmerman of Westbury, third in the 60-64 age group, and Susan Schmuck and Natasha Bobrowski, both of Westbury, who were the top Athena Weight Division finishers.
Not surprisingly, Maria Michta’s winning time of 24:05 in the Racewalk Division was nearly four full minutes in front her nearest competitor, Lorie Sheinwald, of Old Bethpage. Michta’s last race before the Farmingdale Women’s Run was her winning 20K racewalk performance in the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, and her next race will be the Olympic 20K Race walk in London.
The heat and humidity certainly played their role this year, but the earlier starting time of 8:30 a.m. took a bit of the edge off, and the ice cream, watermelon and Glen Wolther’s pastries at the finish line made everyone forget how tough the run might have been.
The Runner’s Edge running and multisport specialty store served as the title sponsor once again (thank you Bob Cook) and the matrimonial law firm of Mejias Milgrim Alvarado returned as the presenting sponsor. Danny Kulchinsky and Mayfair Diamonds and Fine Jewelry also returned as a presenting sponsor. Adriana Staiano was the lucky winner of a $2,000 retail value pair of diamond earrings generously donated by Mayfair as the grand prize in the post-Run raffle. Other generous sponsors were the always generous All Round Foods (thank you Glen Wolther), Clif Bar & Company, and Saucony. Thanks as well to booth sponsors True Sport Care and European Wax Center.
