The first annual Lovenox Five Mile Race for Cardiac Wellness was held in Hicksville's Cantiague Park on Sunday morning, Oct. 31, and a large contingent of runners from Hicksville did themselves very proud on their home course.

The top Hicksville finisher was 42-year-old Don Di Donato, who went head-to-head with ultimate first-place finisher Carlos Castro, Jr. of Levittown for the first four miles, and hung on to take second place overall and first in the Masters (age 40 plus) Division. Di Donato crossed the finish line in 26 minutes, 27 seconds, a pace of 5:18 per mile.

Another local resident who did very well was 18-year-old Denise Goldberg, a 1999 graduate of Hicksville High School who now attends Molloy College. Goldberg took first place honors among the women age 15 to 19, with a time of 42:59.

Other Hicksville finishers in the Lovenox 5 Mile Race included Bob Mosz (34:15), Leo Murillo (36:19), Charles Tracy (36:38), John Lively (37:55), Gary Lefebvre (38:17), Brian McCann (38:47), Phil Essigman (39:48), Cheryl Russo (40:30), Vincent Del Bagno (40:56), Ollie Stone (41:00), John Hooper (42:06), Dominic Haglich (42:47), Phil Costello (42:52), Khanh Duong (43:09), Melissa Parodi (45:21), Christopher Fox (45:24), Vincent Lofaro (46:41), Maria Hlavaty Stone (47:16), Liz Flahavan (48:35), Lucy Viecoco (49:00), Edison Pacheco (49:00), William Lawrence (50:09), Michael Clark (50:12), Thomas Kenny (50:41), Denise Schmidt (51:25), Jeannie Rogers (51:25), Jose Sayo (51:43), Barbara Decker (56:15), and Damian Desiderio (58:40). There were a total of 369 finishers overall.

"We are thrilled by the enthusiastic response of the Long Island running community to the Lovenox Five Mile Race for Cardiac Wellness," observed Christine J. Rice, spokesperson for Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Pharmaceuticals, the company which sponsored the race. "Our organization has been a national sponsor for the American Heart Association, and we are looking to strengthen our commitment to include more emphasis on a community-based level. We are confident that this race will help us all take strides toward the major goal of cardiac wellness, and we offer our sincere thanks to Hicksville and to everyone who was a part of this most important event."

The Lovenox Race was part of the 1999 KeySpan Grand Prix of Long Island Distance Running, administered by Long Island Track & Field. In honor of the occasion, KeySpan presented the American Heart Association with a check for $1,000.

The race was managed by the Greater Long Island Running Club under the direction of Club President Mike Polansky. Technical direction was provided by David Katz of Finish Line Road Race Technicians. Scoring was by the new "ChampionChip System."

Among those distinguished guests who were on hand to present the awards to the runners and walkers were Dr. Stanley Katz, chairman of the division of cardiology at North Shore University Hospital; Dr. Andrew E. Sama, chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at North Shore University Hospital; and New York State Assemblyman Mark Herbst. Dr. Katz participated in the race, finishing the five miles in an excellent time of 43:14. Oyster Bay Town Councilman Leonard B. Symons was also a participant in the race, crossing the finish line in 46:42.