Annual Bethpage Ocean to Sound Relay to Begin at Jones Beach Sunday Morning

Bethpage Federal Credit Union will be sponsoring the Greater Long Island Running Club’s 26th annual Ocean to Sound Relay. The race is slated for Sept. 25 smd will be kicking off at in Wantagh.

Over 1,000 runners are expected to participate in the relay, which will benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  Dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services, money raised from the relay will go directly to support the organization’s Long Island Chapter.  Long Island runner Alan End, who founded the relay back in 1985, will be the relay director.

“We want to thank Bethpage once again for coming on board as our title sponsor,” said  Mike Polansky, president of the Greater Long Island Running Club. “ Now in its 26th year, the Bethpage Ocean to Sound Relay is a special event here on Long Island as runners come together to form teams exemplifying great camaraderie and team spirit, like no other.”

The Bethpage Ocean to Sound Relay starts at Jones Beach State Park and finishes on the grounds of the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park in Oyster Bay.  One hundred and fifty  eight-person teams will navigate their way through 15 different Long Island  communities starting in Wantagh, traveling through Seaford, Massapequa Park, Massapequa, Farmingdale, Old Bethpage, Plainview, Woodbury, West Hills, Huntington, Lloyd Harbor, Cold Spring Harbor, Syosset,  Oyster Bay Cove and Oyster Bay.

“The Ocean to Sound Relay is a truly unique, only-on Long Island event that draws runners from the entire tri-state area,” said Linda Armyn, Senior Vice President, Bethpage Federal Credit Union.  “Last year Bethpage had three teams participate in the relay, including our president, Kirk Kordeleski.  Bethpage is a proud supporter of many health and wellness initiatives on Long Island and we look forward to working closely again with the Running Club over the next few months.”

There are 13 different categories for runners including men’s, women’s, mixed open, men’s masters, women’s masters, mixed masters, men’s seniors masters, women’s seniors masters, corporate, law enforcement/firefighter, physically challenged, one person team and Bethpage.  A gala post race party affectionately called the “Best Post-Race Party in the Northeast” will take place immediately following the relay at the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park on the shoreline of Oyster Bay Harbor near the finish line, where awards will be presented in each of the individual categories to each member of the top three teams in each category.

The entry fee for the Bethpage Ocean to Sound Relay is $360 per team ($45 per runner) through Sept. 18, which covers entry into the race, a special commemorative t-shirt for each runner, and entry into the post-race party.  After Sep. 18, , the entry fee is $400 per team.  For more information, or to register, go to www.glirc.org.