45th Shelter Island ‘Sapphire’ 10K a rousing success

The thermometers may have read near 80 degrees at race time Saturday, June 15. But participants — whether runners, walkers, wheelchair competitors, parents pushing baby carriages and dogs on leashes — crossed the finish line looking heat beat, and anxious for the cold bottled water available as soon as they had claimed their finishers’ medals.

Even before the racers began at 5:30 p.m. on the course on Route 114 outside Shelter Island School, a strong sun beat down, another competitor for their energies.

It was an emotional opening ceremony as competitors and their supporters honored two men whose lives ended when they were so young — 1st Lt. Joseph Theinert, who died at the age of 24, protecting his troops in Afghanistan in 2010, and Christian Napolitano, 31, who succumbed to injuries he sustained when struck by a vehicle in Peconic on April 30. Christian died on May 10.

The final mile of the race is festooned with 7,054 American flags set out by volunteers and has been dubbed “Joey’s Mile,” reminding all of his sacrifice.

And when Race Director Mary Ellen Adipietro announced this year’s dedication to Mr. Napolitano, she said, “The hardest goodbyes are the ones we don’t get to say.” Cousins Andrew Smiley and Lee Knoeppel spoke about Christian, with Mr. Smiley recalling what he called Christian’s “goofy sense of humor” and that he was “a man who helped those in need.” It was his cousin’s “caring nature” that engendered the love of all who knew him.

Mr. Knoeppel spoke about the “overwhelming love” the community has shown that has helped sustain the family through this painful time.

He read a poem Christian wrote when he was just 12:

Yummm

Yum is yum

It’s the one thing

that is impossible to explain

yet it’s impossible to Not explain.

It’s like a cool summer day where you have nothing to do

But everything is perfect.

Yum is just great it never means anything Bad.

It’s always just the thing

that finishes a hard days work

Yum is its own emotion

Some people say it just describes food but for me it is everything.

The voice of the event, Dr. Frank Adipietro, pronounced the 10K as “the biggest event to happen on Shelter Island.” He welcomed his son Liam and several friends from the Villanova running team, who participated in the 5K on Saturday.

Dr. Adipietro introduced former Olympians Joan Benoit Samuelson — the gold medalist in the first Olympic Marathon that welcomed women in 1984 at the Los Angeles summer games — as “the most impressive person I have known.”

After wishing participants luck as they were about to embark on the course, the 67-year-old former Olympian talked about retiring, but it wasn’t going to be at this year’s 10K; she ran a more thanrespectable 43:50.64, showing the style that has brought her accolades throughout her illustrious career.

Bill Rodgers, at 76, participated in the 5K Walk/Run where he posted a fine 31:10.88 time.“I’m a little bit older, but I still love running,” he told the crowd before the race. Just two weeks earlier, he ran three races, all fundraisers for good causes, but also to demonstrate running is a sport that can be a lifelong endeavor.

Edgar Cerna, Northwell Health’s Senior Director of Operations, praised the youths in the “Strides for Success” program who came from Bay Shore and Brentwood to run the course in a sport he pointed out needs no special equipment or playing field, just a good pair of running shoes and any venue of their choosing.

He later described the program as affording the students an opportunity to envision themselves outside of their reality. The Strides for Success partnership with race timers and organizers, Elitefeats, is a natural extension for Northwell Health, the premier sponsor of the Island event, Mr. Cerna said.

Lenore Berner gave a soaring rendition of the National Anthem, and, the opening ceremonies completed, the four wheelchair competitors were cheered as they started their race along the 10K course. They were followed within a few minutes by the huge field of nearly 1,800 10K runners, and 20 minutes later by 5K participants — some running the shorter course, with others pushing baby carriages or bringing their dogs along for the experience.

Crowds mobbed the sidewalks cheering on participants, clapping and shouting words of encouragement.

Knowing it would be close to a half hour before the first runner crossed the finish line at Fiske Field, there were a number of people remaining on the school lawn snacking and relaxing before heading down to the field.

Prior to the races along the course, there was the “Kids Fun Run” on Fiske Field, where parents were at least as excited as their children. Everyone emerged a winner.

Following the race and prior to the awards, the Greenport Harbor Brewery offered free beer to those of legal drinking age and the Stars Café staff worked over a hot stove in the field to prepare food for the crowd.

There was general agreement that the event surpassed expectations as Shelter Island hosted another great summer’s day of sport, fellowship and community participation.