One hundred sixteen teams of eight runners each successfully completed the 14th annual Nationwide Insurance Ocean to Sound 50 mile relay, held on Sunday, Sept. 26 - and teams from Farmingdale and the Massapequas were out in force for what is one of the biggest events on the Long Island recreational sports calendar.

The Massapequa Road Runners Men's Masters Team (all runners age 40 plus) took 6th place in the highly competitive Men's Masters Division, covering the 50 miles in 5 hours, 41 minutes, 44 seconds. The "Massapequa Menagerie," scored in 7:04:06, good for 24th place in the Men's Open Division. Teams from the Farmingdale based "Runner's Edge" captured 2nd place in the Men's Open Division, 1st place in the Women's Open Division, and 1st place in the Men's Masters and Mixed Masters Divisions. Other local residents competed on a variety of teams - with awards presented in Men's and Women's Open and Masters Divisions, Corporate, Law Enforcement, and Physically Challenged Divisions. Nick Katsounis of Massapequa was the coach of the Long Island Wheelers team that took first place honors in the Physically Challenged Division.

The relay started at Jones Beach State Park at 8 a.m. with the runners heading up the Wantagh Parkway, east through Seaford and Massapequa, north through Farmingdale, Old Bethpage, Huntington and Lloyd Harbor, before turning west and then south through Cold Spring Harbor, Syosset, Plainview, and Old Bethpage, and finishing in the picnic area at Bethpage State Park.

The relay was hosted by the Greater Long Island Running Club, with GLIRC's Alan End serving as relay director for the 14th consecutive year, assisted by his wife Sharon. Nationwide Insurance, through the Wiszowaty Agency in Lynbrook, served as the title sponsor once again. Speedo Authentic Fitness was also a generous sponsor of the event. Technical support was provided by David Katz of Finish Line Road Race Technicians, utilizing the new ChampionChip technology for scoring the relay.

Virtually every competitive runner and running team on Long Island was part of the relay, but the real key for most people was having fun, team spirit and camaraderie, and enjoying a beautiful early autumn run through some of the most picturesque areas on Long Island. "This is a real 'once a year day' for runners on Long Island," said Relay Director Alan End. "Running is usually an individual sport and sometimes even a lonely one, but the focus on at least this day is on being a part of a team and on working together. That's what this event is all about!"

The entire net proceeds of the relay are dedicated to ASPIRE, the special program that provides prosthetic devices, intensive physical therapy and rehabilitation through exercise to young amputees, victims of bone cancer and traumatic amputations. A team of amputees, led by ASPIRE Executive Director Paddy Rossbach, successfully completed the relay once again this year, crossing the finish line in 7:27:03.

The Nationwide Insurance Ocean to Sound relay is a proud participant in the KeySpan Energy Long Island Grand Prix of long distance races, conducted under the jurisdiction of Long Island Track & Field.