I wanted to post the following e-mail that I sent the race organizer (Jason). This e-mail lists items that I feel need improvement to make this event survive.
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To whom it may concern,

I wanted to write this e-mail and thank you for all your hard work. I realize it must be a tremendous undertaking to run a marathon.

I enjoyed running the full marathon and I was able to perform to a personal best of my 4 marathons runs (3:26:45). The weather cooperated and made it a spectacular event and a most enjoyable day.

There are a few items that I would like to mention to (hopefully) help improve future events.

1 - At the start there were some 50 port-a-johns with about 10+ locked with tie wraps. What was that all about? The lines were tremendous and about 1/5 of the bathrooms were not being used.

2 - There was a water stop at about 17.7 miles and the next water stop after that was at about 20.2 miles. That is some 2.5 miles on the 2nd half of the race without water. That point is also a very sunny stretch on the parkway and a distance where runners (me included) desperately need fluids.

3 - There were way too few water stops on the Wantagh Parkway.

4 - At most fluid stations, the personnel working the water stops had the water and PowerAde drinks in no particular order and runners had to ask what they were getting.

5 - Running more on the parkway makes the run boring and doesn't appeal to runners in any way. I have heard numerous people say that they will never run Long Island again due to the 14+ miles run on the boring Wantagh Parkway. The run through Westbury was an enjoyable part of the course and I hope more neighborhoods are added to replace the Wantagh Parkway.

6 - Entering the golf course at Eisenhower, full-marathoners have to dodge and weave between half-marathoners who are walking and blocking the path. I dealt with a few groups of walkers who blocked the whole path and forced runners to run around them. There has to be some way of correcting this small problem.

7 - At the finish area, full-marathoners have to wait behind half marathoners for a massage. I think it would be nice to have two lines for each category. I believe a person who runs 26.2 miles in 3+ hours deserve a little preference to someone who jogs or walks 13.1 miles in the same time.

8 - The food at the finish is mostly a waste. The bagel that we received is absolutely horrible; I would guess that it was not made in NY and probably not made in 2006. The pudding will be very useful to me when I spackle my walls at home.

9 - There should be some PowerAde or Gatorade at the finish for people to replenish vital nutrients. Water just does not cut it by itself.

10 - I get the feeling that this race is designed around the half-marathon (~90% of the entrants run only the half), and the full-marathoners are treated as extras.

Like I stated before, I loved the experience I had and I only list these items above to help make this the best event that it could be.

Thanks again for all your work; it truly is appreciated.

Course was far more enjoyable this year. More "neighborhood" and less industrial. Volunteers were helpful and water/PowerAde was plentiful. Nice shirt for all entrants, and a vest for marathon finishers.

W/ Jose running the Parks Dept., I'm looking forward to '07.

This was a fun race this year.

It was my first time running this half marathon. I had a really good time and as a coach for Team in Training, I felt that I was able to help a lot people cross the finish line. My only complaint is at the very end, the half marathon runners are basically shooed off the path to make way for the full marathoners. While it is very exciting to see these elite athletes speeding past, the majority of the runners are new to the sport of long-distance running. Many have battled weight, sedentary lifestyles, diseases and other personal barriers to get there, and to them a half is a HUGE race. Being pushed to the side diminishes their accomplishment. The course should be split up sooner to give credit to each group more equitably.

If you're looking to do one spring marathon in the NYC vicinity, I would recommend New Jersey over this one. It's a lot more scenic (though I can't vouch for the new double-loop course), provides pacers, and has at least one fully stocked aid station late in the race for those who'd like something a little more substantial than PowerAde (cookies, candy, etc.) to help them through. Also, there's a full buffet at the finish.

One thing that really soured me on the LI Marathon, and the reason I'm only giving the organization 2 stars, is that they force everyone to attend the race expo on either Fri. or Sat. for packet pickup. I guess the logistics of setting up one more tent in Eisenhower Park so that runners could pick up their chips and numbers on the morning of the race was just too daunting? Better that I make the 100-mile round trip an extra time, and waste a Sat. afternoon and $9 in bridge tolls just so that the race expo is well-attended. Some of the vendors at the expo had great deals on gear, though.

You can expect little or no traffic getting to the race, and will have no problem parking in Eisenhower Park, though you may be up to a mile away from the start (you'll probably be near the finish, though). Use one of the many restrooms in the park, since there didn't seem to be a large number of porta-potties around the start line (plenty of wooded areas, though).

I would have preferred separate starting times for the marathon and half-marathon, the way Yonkers does it. The half has a much larger field, so this would at least let the marathon get off to a relatively uncongested start.

The worst I can say about the course is that it's a little dull. Much of it is run on a parkway, through wooded areas that are pleasant enough but not especially scenic or interesting. The roads are all very smooth, runnable surfaces, and there are not too many sharp turns. The course is also remarkably flat, the occasional gently arching highway overpass being just about the only "hills" that I recall. Of slight annoyance for anyone who likes to run the tangents are the "official" vehicles, which come slowly rumbling down the right lane of the parkway now and then.

Water and PowerAde are available near every mile marker, and there are plenty of volunteers to hand it out. That's all you're getting, though, so if you want gels or anything else, you'd better carry it along. The overall fan support is not enormous, but there are some very enthusiastic groups of people cheering in certain spots. Chip splits are taken at very sensible locations - 10K, half-marathon, and 20 miles - unlike Mystic, which recorded just one split last year, at a completely arbitrary distance.

For post-race refreshments, you're handed a bottle of water and a bag containing a plain bagel, a cup of yogurt, and an apple. Very paltry by marathon standards, but then again the entry fee is pretty low, and you get a surprising amount of schwag to take home for that: all entrants get a really nice short-sleeved wicking shirt and an LI Marathon cap, and all finishers are given a running vest in addition to the obligatory finisher's medal. There are plenty of places to eat once you leave the park, and I didn't see much reason to hang around past the awards ceremony (I finished in 3:37, the winners were awarded about 25 minutes later) anyway.

Bottom line, LI is not what I'd call a top-notch marathon experience, but notwithstanding the packet-pickup annoyance, it's a decent low-hassle local race, and a good value for the money. It's also a good choice if you're looking to PR (which I did), or qualify for Boston (still inching toward that goal!).

This is my hometown marathon, so I risk injury running this one week after NJ. Still in one piece & glad to see the improvement.

The course is better than last year (without passing the buses & industrial area).

Long Island went back to the "tradition" of giving a nice jacket, in addition to the nice Dri-Fit T-shirt. The medal was a good heavy one.

Food provided after the race was better than before & water stations seemed more frequent. But I could't find water at the start.

Wantagh Parkway is still the challenge because all you can get was water & sports drink.

If fruit & cookies can be provided around mile 20, it will be much better.

I've been running Long Island Marathon the last 5 years & started NJ last year. Both courses are flat.

Now try to qualify for Boston; I probably have no choice to scrach off Long Island because 1) there is no finisher's certificate or posting on Marathon Guide and 2) the 2006 races will be one week apart.

It's a tough decision because of all the 6 marathons that I ran in 2005, Long Island is the closest to home & I don't want to hurt it.

If you live here, it's pretty good. The half marathon is better than the full. After you turn off for the full there aren't too many other runners or fans, especially on the parkway. The stations are good, everyone and plentiful. The biggest complaints are that they start packing everything up a little early and they don't have many places for fans to watch the second half of the full marathon, when you can use the fans the most. The best part is that everyone that runs this marathon and the fans are great.

I paid the same entry fee as everyone else. I finished within the timeframe, was really hurting and was told by the massage ladies that I was too late. The refreshments were all packed up; however, a nice gentleman found me some bagels. Those that finish near the end are entitled to the same services as the elite runners!

I have been doing the Long Island Half Marathon since 1987. Yes, I was 15 years-old and did the old course from East Meadow to Jones Beach, and the buses took us back. In many years of running the LI Marathon, the courses have only changed in the last 2 years, and then been better. I get excited every year before the race and on that starting line the power that the people give is exciting. I am glad that the running community has kept this race alive so I can run many more Long Island Marathons in the future.

9/11/01 forever!

This was the 3rd time that I have run this race and it was my 64th marathon overall (plus 24 ultras).

I enjoyed this race once again, and the positive reviews that I posted here on 05/05/2003 and 05/06/2002 still apply.

My comments for 2005 are as follows:

1. The course is relatively flat and much of it is run on a six-lane highway that has been closed to traffic. The scenery is pleasant, but not that memorable.

2. Since this is actually a small marathon, with only 391 finishers in 2005, I was able to run down the center of the Eisenhower Parkway with no one else in sight.

3. There are very few spectators, but they were all very supportive.

4. The aid stations had plenty of water and sports drinks (but nothing else) and were staffed by well-prepared, helpful and enthusiastic volunteers.

5. The six-hour cut-off is strictly enforced.

6. I had a minor problem with my packet pick-up, and getting my race T-shirt and other materials. The race director, however, personally made sure that everything was straightened out. Thanks Ted!

In summary, I had an enjoyable day; I would recommend this race to others and I look forward to running the Long Island Marathon again in 2006.