Suffolk County Marathon draws thousands; top finishers end in less than three hours

Runners Jonathan Schloth and Cristin Delaney-Guille took first place in the men's and women's categories respectively in the 10th Suffolk County Marathon on Sunday. 

Schloth, 28, of Lynbrook also won the overall 26.2-mile race with a time of two hours, 36 minutes and 30 seconds ahead of runners Tim Lynch and Andrew McCabe. Delaney-Guille, 43, of Long Beach set a personal best with a time of two hours, 59 minutes and 48 seconds ahead of Amanda Whittaker and Alicia Friedman. 

Schloth, who said Sunday's race was his seventh marathon, registered for the marathon because it's for "a good cause and a good opportunity to race."

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

Delaney-Guille, who plans to celebrate with a box of doughnuts, said she entered the race intending to beat her own time goal so "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 Catholic Health 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 baseball team’s momentous 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 local veterans’ services and organizations, said county officials. 

"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," said Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine in an interview before the event Sunday morning.

Michael LaRose, 33, led the runners across the starting line in his racing chair, a type of wheelchair with three wheels powered by the athlete’s upper body strength, according to the Kelly Brush Foundation. The Vermont-based nonprofit provided 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’s 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, or 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 wore a shirt that read "Proud sister!," cheered her 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," she said. "I'm so proud."

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

The Net proceeds from the 2024 marathon weekend were not yet available, officials said Sunday. All raised funds will be distributed to local nonprofit veteran organizations through an open application process overseen by the Suffolk County Marathon Grant Committee, with 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.