Suffolk County Marathon draws thousands; winners finish in under 3 hours

In the cold hours before dawn on Sunday, the streets of Babylon Village teemed with runners warming up ahead of the Suffolk County Marathon — including Jonathan Schloth and Cristin Delaney-Guille, who later in the morning would take first place in the men's and women's divisions. 

Schloth, 28, of Lynbrook, won the 26.2-mile race with a time of 2 hours, 36 minutes and 30 seconds, ahead of Tim Lynch and Andrew McCabe. 

Delaney-Guille, 43, of Long Beach, set a personal best with a time of 2 hours, 59 minutes and 48 seconds, finishing ahead of Amanda Whittaker and Alicia Friedman. 

Schloth registered for the event just weeks earlier because it's for "a good cause," the third-year law student said of his seventh marathon.

Marathons "keep me organized. They keep me grounded and it's a great opportunity to interact with an amazing community of people and runners," he said over a celebratory lunch with friends at  Whiskey Down Diner in Farmingdale. "We all go through the same training, have the same injuries, the same struggles, so it's a good opportunity to push yourself to do something and connect with this awesome group of people."

Delaney-Guille, who planned to celebrate with a box of doughnuts, said she entered the race intending to beat her own time. For her, "winning was a bonus."

"It meant the world to me to finally hit my goal and squeak in under three hours," said the 23-time marathon runner and winner of the Long Island Marathon in May. "It's a really proud feeling to know that you push your body to its limits for such a long distance, and I enjoy the solitude of a long race like that."

More than 2,500 registered for races hosted during the 10th annual Suffolk County Marathon weekend. On Sunday morning, people jogged and stretched to warm up, many sporting bright clothes or loud socks. One runner wore a Yankees' jersey, perhaps in celebration of the team’s win Saturday night that will send them to the World Series for the first time since 2009.

Even in the hustle and bustle of early morning race preparations, veteran Chad Lennon, 44, stood out from the crowd. The Suffolk County legislator, clad in military fatigue trousers and boots, carried an American flag so large that he was dwarfed by comparison.

Lennon, who represents the 6th District, ran the 10k with a 22-pound weighted vest — one pound to represent, on average, each veteran who takes their own life per day, he said.

The marathon weekend, which has raised more than $1 million over the past 10 years, is designed to benefit veterans’ services and organizations, county officials said. 

"Our flag flies because veterans have stepped forward to defend our country and to serve our country. So it's our way of saying thank you," Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine said in an interview before the event Sunday.

Michael LaRose, 33, led runners across the starting line in his racing chair, a type of wheelchair with three wheels powered by upper body strength, according to the Kelly Brush Foundation. The Vermont-based nonprofit gave him a grant to purchase the chair, which he has been using to race for the past two years.

For Steven Cipriano, 41, Sunday marked the second marathon he has run since falling from a roof in Port Washington in 2021. He suffered a brain injury, broke multiple bones and injured his lungs in the fall.

"The best thing to do is keep on moving, keep my head up and work hard," he said. 

It was also a proud day for many onlookers at the marathon, who have watched their loved ones train for the race while balancing school, careers and health journeys.

Caroline Lanzillotta, 24, of Rockville Centre, wore a T-shirt with a picture of herself and her twin sister Julia, who ran her first half marathon on Sunday. Caroline Lanzillotta wore a shirt that read "Proud sister!" and cheered Julia on as she passed.

"She’s been a great runner since high school and she’s finishing up her third year of law school. That wasn’t hard enough, so she just had to do more," Caroline Lanzillotta said. "I'm so proud."

Danny Kovler and Maria Mahoney won the men's and women's half marathon, and Caleb Fiedtkou and Megan Eiseman won the 10k divisions.

The total net proceeds from the 2024 marathon weekend were not yet available, officials said Sunday. Funds will be distributed to nonprofit veteran organizations through an application process overseen by the Suffolk County Marathon Grant Committee, with the money dispersed through the I Run this Island Foundation, according to the county.

By Brianne Ledda

brianne.ledda@newsday.com@brianne_ledda

Brianne Ledda covers the Town of Islip for Newsday. She previously covered Southold and Greenport for The Suffolk Times and is a graduate of Stony Brook University.