By Ashley Pavlakis
Marathons are no easy task to tackle; months of training take place before the big race. For Long Island residents, their big moment was the Suffolk County Marathon which took place on October 19 and 20. The proceeds from the marathon go toward supporting the Veterans living in Suffolk County.
“This year’s event had more than 2,500 participants with runners from across America coming to Suffolk County to support our veterans,” said Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches). “The more than $1 million dollars raised to date from the Catholic Health Suffolk County Marathon is distributed to local Veterans’ organizations through an application and vetting process led by our Veterans Service Agency and the Suffolk County Marathon Grant Committee.”
The Marathon was first established in 2015 with a 5k and 10k run. As of last year, they hit the $1 million mark. The runners lined up at the starting line in Babylon Village, made their way over Montauk highway and the Great South Bay before eventually turning around and completing the race in Gardiner County Park in West Bay Shore. At the finish line, runners were met with a Freedom Fest, where they could cool down and enjoy live music and vendors.
“Everything ran smoothly, the race was awesome. We handled everything with grace and ease. I know it wasn’t that easy, but they made it look easy with the final product of the race itself,” said Suffolk County Legislator Nick Caracappa (C-Selden), Chair of the Veterans Committee. “We were very fortunate to have the weather that we had. The participation [I believe] exceeded the last two years as far as entries, which is great.”
The 2024 edition of the Suffolk County Marathon saw two first-place winners with times below the three-hour mark. Jonathan Schloth won the men’s division and Cristin Delaney-Guille took the women’s division.
“There’s a committee, which I also sit on, that accepts and reviews grant applications for the money that’s brought in by the marathon. The committee reviews these applications and makes a decision on who is to receive and how much, depending on the needs,” Caracappa told The Messenger. “One thing everybody should know is it’s not for capital improvements, it’s for how they improve their services to the Veterans who need them. Whether it be mental health, food, clothing, or whatever they may need, not the infrastructure.”
Suffolk County Legislator Nick Caracappa and his team (pictured below) took part in the marathon as part of Team Legislature.
“Team Legislature, which I put together, is a relay team and we run the whole marathon. We run it in bits and pieces, each member of our legislature has a different piece of the course that they are responsible for running. It was just another great experience in our third year doing Team Legislature. We realize what we’re doing, our contribution is helping our Veterans, which was designed around this marathon,” said Caracappa.
Suffolk County Legislator Chad Lennon (C-Rocky Point), Vice Chair of the Veterans Committee and a Marine Corps Veteran who has served for sixteen years, also took part in the 10k marathon and carried some extra weight as motivation for himself and those around him.
“Twenty-two Veterans a day take their own lives on average, so that’s why I wear that vest for that run. I’ve done it for other runs, and I’ve done other physical activities or challenges to help bring awareness to the epidemic of Veteran suicides that’s been going on for well over a decade now,” said Lennon. “I ran the 10k in boots and utes, a twenty-two-pound vest, and an American flag.”
Caracappa spoke about the positive feedback he’s received from agencies and Veterans who were on the receiving end of the support.
“I’m Chair of the Veterans Committee, so I get to work with these agencies and I know firsthand a lot of their needs. When we’re able to pitch in and help them meet those needs, they’re 100% appreciative and grateful for that, as are the veterans to receive those services. We get stories all the time from their loved ones, how it made a difference to them and how they were struggling, this made a difference for them and that’s the reward,” said Caracappa.
Caracappa addressed the participants before the race with some final words of motivation before they hit the ground running.
“Every stride you take is a stride we make in Suffolk County for assisting our Veterans and it’s much appreciated,” said Caracappa.
“Hopefully, I’ve motivated some folks to keep going, but it really is to demonstrate to our community that you might be in mental, physical, or spiritual pain, but we’re still there to support each other. Every pound for every life that’s taken each day on average is to bring awareness to that,” Lennon told The Messenger of the importance of bringing awareness to Veterans’ mental health issues.
