Shari Mark of Massapequa Park, Mary Anne Goldman of Farmingdale, Kathleen Schroeder-Nemeth of Massapequa and John Daly of Massapequa led a large contingent of local runners who successfully completed the sixth annual Kings Park 15 kilometer run, which was held on Sunday, March 23. A record total of 781 runners crossed the finish line.

Mark, 28, scored as the fourth woman overall and took second place honors in the 25-29 age group with a time of 1:03:51. Veteran runner Goldman took top honors among the women in the 55-59 age group, crossing the finish line at the WT Rogers Middle School in Kings Park in 1:18:31. Schroeder-Nemeth was the second place finisher in the Women's "Clydesdale" Weight Division, scoring in 1:32:42. Daly didn't win a trophy (he was fifth in the very tough 45-49 age group) but his finishing time of 1:00:56 placed him 47th overall and first among the large group of finishers from Farmingdale and the Massapequas.

The Kings Park 15 Kilometer Run was deliberately designed to be the toughest of challenges, incorporating as many hills as possible into 9.3 miles, culminating with the final one mile climb up Old Dock Road to the finish at WT Rogers Middle School. As one competitor put it, it hurts, it really hurts, but what a sense of accomplishment and pride when you cross the finish line."

The Kings Park Run is administered by the Greater Long Island Running Club, with Mary Ellen Stajk of the club's executive board serving as race director. The run is part of the KeySpan/Long Island Track & Field Grand Prix of Long Island Racing and serves as Long Island Track & Field's 15 Kilometer Championship Run.