"The hills of old Long Island" attracted 76 runners to the starting line of the 1998 edition of the Long Island Endurance 50 Mile and 50 Kilometer Runs on May 16. Unfortunately, those very same hills, coupled with the oppressive heat and humidity of the first summer-like day of the season, took a definite toll, as only 55 hardy souls made it back to the finish line at Fireman's Field in Oyster Bay.

Local ultra-star Rudy Afanador, who won the 1997 Long Island 50 Miler, held the lead for the first 22 miles of this year's 50 Miler, but Brian Teason was not intimidated. Brian, a Long Islander, by birth who now makes his home in Florida, stormed past Rudy on Washington Avenue, and wound up winning the race by 50 minutes, setting a course record of 5:52:05 in the process. Lisa Smith of Berrendsville, New Jersey was the first of five women who successfully completed the 50 Miler, catching Rudy in the final miles and setting a women's course record of 6:42:52. Rudy hung on for third place overall and 2nd in the Men's Division.

A total of 26 runners completed the 50 Miler, including 66-year-old Dick Opsahl of Lloyd Harbor, who is preparing for an attack on the "Grand Slam" of 100 Mile Trail Races later this year.

In the 50 Kilometer Run, Arthur Golbert of Rockville Centre, who has been a "bridesmaid" in this event for the past two years, finally made it to the winner's circle, completing the Run in 4:09:38. Ed Finnegan of West Haven, outlegged veteran endurance runner Pete Breen of Huntington for 2nd place, and Hanna Ben-Shoan of Brooklyn was a comfortable winner in the women's division.

Three centuries of history pervade the Long Island Endurance Run courses. Early on in both races, the runners pass Raynham Hall in Oyster Bay, where Sally Townsend learned of Benedict Arnold's plot to turn West Point over to the British and got the word to General Washington in time to foil the scheme. Later on, both courses pass immediately through "TR" country - wandering past the Theodore Roosevelt Wildlife Sanctuary only a mile from Teddy's home at Sagamore Hill. The latter stages of both the 50K and 50 Mile course weave through Huntington, home of Long Island's Poet Laureate Walt Whitman.

In truth, however, most of the field was more-or-less oblivious to the historical background of the course. It was hot, oppressively hot, and by the time the runners reached the last big hill (the mile long "Fish Hatchery Hill" 26 miles into the 50K and 45 miles into the 50 Miler) their only concern was getting enough fluids and nutrition for the last push to the finish.

The Long Island Endurance Runs were administered once again by the Plainview-Old Bethpage Road Runners Club, and co-directed by POBRRC's Nick Palazzo (who will be joining Dick Opsahl in attempting the Grand Slam later this year) and Vice President Don Butchin. POBRRC Co-Vice President Mindy Davidson put together a crew of over a 100 volunteers who kept things moving smoothly throughout.

Everyone is most welcome to join us next year for the 5th annual Long Island Endurance 50 Mile and 50 Kilometer Runs on Saturday, May 15, 1999.