More than 300 women showed up at the Woodward Parkway Elementary School in Farmingdale on July 11 to participate in the 16th annual Vytra Women's 5 Kilometer Run, and runners from all over the local area came home with lots of awards in a field that included some of the top female runners in the world! The runners traveled a 3.1 mile course through the streets of South Farmingdale.

Although she couldn't keep up with Teresa Wanjiku of Kenya, who was the overall winner, or Irish Republic national champion Breeda Dennehy Willis, who finished second, Plainview superstar Lori Harfenes Melnik was the first Plainview-Old Bethpage resident to cross the finish line, scoring as 27th overall and third in the 40-44 age group, with a finishing time of 19 minutes, 39 seconds.

But the morning wasn't as much about winning awards as it was about participating and being a part of a unique Long Island celebration of women's running and fitness. There were lots of mother-daughter teams, sister-sister teams, and even a pair of seven-month pregnant ladies -- Ellen Brach and Liz Flahavan, who crossed the finish line with big smiles on their faces.

The primary sponsor of the run was Vytra Health Plans, with other support being provided by OSI Pharmaceuticals, the Glen Head Flower Shop, The Runner's Edge of Farmingdale, and the Town of Oyster Bay and its fine Department of Recreation and Parks. The run was conducted under the auspices of the Greater Long Island Running Club, with GLIRC's Suzanne Vasata serving as the race director.

"We were thrilled at the turnout for this year's run," observed Race Director Vasata, and at the enthusiasm of the runners as well as the support we received from Vytra, the Town of Oyster Bay and all our other friends! It was especially fitting that this morning of women's athletics on Long Island took place on the same day as our United States women's soccer team won the World Cup."