Marathon Details - Suffolk County Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > NY > Heckscher State Park > Suffolk County Marathon

Catholic Health Suffolk County Marathon & Half Marathon, 10K, 5K

Heckscher State Park, NY USA

October 20, 2024

http://www.discoverlongisland.com/events/sporting-events/signature-sporting-events/2023-suffolk-county-marathon

More Info:	News
Results:	2023 \| 2022 \| 2021 \| 2019 \| 2018 \| 2017 \| 2016 \| 2015 Top 3 Finishers by Year

Contact

Name:	Linda
Address:	GLIRC 101 Dupont Street, #24 Plainview, NY 11803
Phone Number:	516-349-7646
Email:



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Reviews

Course 3.7

Organization 3.8

Spectators 3.6

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Number of comments: 12 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

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M. K. from New York (10/25/2021) "New Course, New Organization" (about: 2021) 50+ previous marathons \| 4-5 Suffolk County Marathons COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 Ran the 2021 edition of the Suffolk County Marathon and was a bit disappointed - Having run version of this race in 2015,2016 & 2018. In 2021 the race administrator changed from GLIRC to Race Awesome - this precipitated a few changes to the race Pre-Race: Runners had to park their vehicles at a local mall and bused to the start area and bused back from the finish line area to the mall. The parking was extremely well organized and ran like clockwork - staff were out early and excellent. The short bus ride was comforting (masks were necessary). Start area was in the Babylon LIRR station. Runners could wait inside to stay warm. Plenty of port-o-johns, Mass start after the wheelchairs runners started Course: While the course changed multiple times to the logistics of the Suffolk County area. In 2021 the lure was to run the bridges across the Great South Bay. The beginning 4 miles were run through the town of Babylon with nice crowd support after that the runners head to the bridge. Every bridge must go up then down. It is about a 1 mile uphill followed by the downhill. There are some great views of the Bay with passing boats. Luckily it was a perfect weather day (50 - 60 Degrees F) with clear blue skies. Windy days will create problems. There is also no shade on the bridge. After exiting the bridge there is about an 11-mile trek (out and back) on the Bicycle path Greenway. The greenway is flat but next to an open roadway and no shade with some nice views of the Bay. From there, mile 21 heads back up the Bridge and down toward the finish line. While the lure of running the Bridges was a great catch it did not live up to the hype. Basically, the runners are on a closed highway with no shade then to a bicycle path greenway also next to an open roadway with no shade. It is probably difficult to find a course in Suffolk County that will appease the runners and the community and showcase the area. I believe the old course was nicer to run on. As for the water stations - stations were about 2 miles apart but were lacking necessary items for marathoners. Water was provided but Gatorade (or any similar product) a necessity for running over 10 miles were few and far between, Soda (Coke- Cola) was provides instead, Runners Gels were not provided though a station at mile 15 had bananas. Plenty of medical personnel along the course if needed. The volunteers and staff did a fantastic job. Post-Race Festival: The food provide to runners after the race was typical for a local race but not up to par for marathoners - Bagels with PB&J or Nutella, Apples, tiny oranges, bananas and cut watermelon. There was also a cup of Chicken broth which warmed me up. There was plenty of message table for finishers (I did not partake for safety reason) The festival had a nice rock band to listen to and relax. The booths were mostly vendors hawking their new products and other food vendors. Runners Swag: Typical runners short sleeve shirt that lacked any real design or flair. Finishers beach towel (nice idea since the race was by the shore) & small school bag. Now the medal was disappointing. In this race in 2018 the finishers medal was big - probably the largest finishers medal I ever received for a race (I have run 50 marathons, so I have a comparison), there was also a combo medal in 2018 for running both the Long Island marathon and the Suffolk Marathon that was a beautiful medal of Long Island (due to the pandemic I assume it was not done this year). This year the medal was small and underwhelming. The medal had a design of the NYC skyline (twin towers) with no mention on the medal as a marathon. Thought it should have the bridges on the medal, similar to the logo on the website since this was the main lure to run this race and highlight Suffolk County. The ribbon mentioned all the races (5k, 10k, Half and Full) - it would be sad if all the races got the same medal. I have received nicer medals from 5k races in Long Island. Overall: While running a marathon in the current condition is difficult it seems corners were cut. I would give this race a 2 out of 5.
y. h. from new york (10/29/2019) "fairly good course, well organized for its size" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Suffolk County Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 Course: not too difficult, accumulative gain of 600 feet, mostly due to bridges. Small section along highway but mostly local. Registration: very easy online registration packet pickup: I chose VIP package to pick up gear on race day close to starting point; very easy Organization: starting point plenty of toilets, enough room for warmup, no congestion for line-up before start though all FM, HM, and 10k together; course fairly well marked; water stations ample and volunteers great. Spectators: not many, mainly due to bad weather of 2019 (rain and wind) Swag: nice long-sleeve shirt, medal unique (marking 75th anniversary of D-day this year) Overall well organized race for its size.
A. H. from Long Island, New York (10/31/2017) "Save Your Money" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Suffolk County Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 There are many choices for Fall Marathons in the northeast, save your money if you are thinking about the Suffolk Marathon. You can surely do better. Where to begin? Calling the packet pick-up an 'expo' is an exaggeration to say the least. A couple of vendors selling over priced clearance items is hardly worth the effort. Communication from the race organizers was also lacking. With a major weather event coming in this year, it was a challenge to get any info at all about possible cancellation or rescheduling. The course is unremarkable. With all of the beautiful locations on the east end of Long Island, running down a highway seems a poor choice. Overall... an underwhelming experience.
M. B. from Long Island, NY (10/30/2017) "Great day in the rain!" (about: 2017) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Suffolk County Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The organizers deserve an award! It was pouring yesterday start to finish and I was a little nervous going in, but the organizers got it all done perfectly. I ran the half-marathon 2 years ago and was super-impressed to see how far they have come. I picked up my number about 20 minutes before the race started (they offer race day pickup for a few extra bucks). Water/Gatorade stations were all fully stocked throughout the race, and medical tents were there if you needed them. Police were friendly at all of the intersections and there was a volunteer there to tell us where to turn whenever needed. Crowd was thin (again, it was POURING), but those that came out were loud and supportive. The organizers put everyone's name on their bib so it was nice to hear complete strangers calling out my name and cheering me on! While there were many more runners for the half, I was still able to grab a bagel and a banana when I was finished. The course is mostly flat, goes through some nice towns and residential areas and briefly goes through a few nice wooded areas. Thank you Suffolk Marathon for a great race!
M. K. from NYC (11/1/2016) "2016 Suffolk County Marathon" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Suffolk County Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This race seems to have regressed from its initial offering in 2015. Which is unfortunate as it is run by one of the best running organization in the New York area. GLIRC (Greater Long Island Running Club) always offers great races in the long island area. One thing that is out of control of the race directors is the weather. Unfortunately this race seems to have no luck in that department. In 2015 the race was held in September on an unusually hot and very humid day. This year the race was moved to late October and it was an unusually summer day on Oct 30. The planned after race heat wraps had to be replaced with wet towels to all finishers. As for the other components of this race. Pre-Race: The packet pickup was at the YMCA in Patchogue adjacent to the start line, though small it served its purpose. Prerace parking was quite easy about 1 mile from the start. The busing to the festival area was quick and frequent. There is about a 10 minute walk form the drop-off to the start area. Try to get to the parking by 6:30 AM. The pricing is very affordable compared to other marathons, I was able to sign up one week before the race. The start was not congested even with the Half Marathoners starting at the same time and the 5k a few minutes after. There are many port-o-potties and plenty of room to warmup and stretch. Course: The course changed from 2015. In 2015 the start was in Heckscher State Park and traveled east. In 2016 we started in the village of Patchogue and went west. Crowd support in Patchogue was fantastic, along the other areas of the course it was sporadic. The course had very small inclines and no major hills. It is always great to hear the announcer Terry call out your name as you cross the finish line. There was a portion of the race in an arbortorium that had scarecrow dressed as a famous actor that was funny. Post-Race: This is where I felt the regression from 2015 was mainly. Due to the Half and the 5k race finishing earlier there was no food left for the slower marathoners (4:30 +) (I was actually 10 minutes faster that 2015) I only found some water, sodas, and donuts. There should really be a separate area for the marathon finishers. In 2015 there was plentiful refreshments (apples, bananas, bagels, etc.) The post-race festival in the town of Patchogue was great. There I was able to purchase some food. It helps to always carry some cash and ID when you race. The free beer at the Tap Room was deserving. One pleasant surprise was running with a Suffolk County Politician. It was the first time I ever saw a politician run a marathon. Swag: Nice red Long Sleeved Runners Shirt. The medal had a nice lighthouse motif but it did not differentiate between the Full, Half or 5k. Overall: This race has the potential to be much better due to the race organizers. I had expected growth form 2015 but did not see it. The date was maybe a little too close to NYC (1 week before), maybe move to mid-October. Not sure why the course was changed but rumors (not sure if true) were some towns in the area did not want it. Long Island has 2 other marathons. The Long Island in May and the Hamptons in September. Maybe try to coordinate all 3 races together in a Triple Crown series if you space them out. I hope this race will return in 2017 as I enjoyed it.
Joe Huber from NJ (11/1/2016) "could be a 5 star race with a few improvements" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Suffolk County Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 I have run over 100 marathons and I like the smaller ones as much as the big ones. 2016 was my first Suffolk County marathon and it has the potential to be a 5 star marathon. But I have to give it 3 stars based on 2 problem areas. The course is 95% beautiful (except for a small stretch parallel to a highway). There is virtually no crowd support but that's ok, one doesn't expect any in these type of tiny marathons. The marathon was lacking in organization and I take away 2 stars for that. First, between mile 16 and 17 a number of runners, including myself, went off the route because there was no volunteer nor arrows on the path to direct us. Therefore we ran an extra 3/4 mile and lost valuable time and energy. This is inexcusable! The other star taken off is for the shuttle bus at the end of the race back to the Verizon lot. Not ONE volunteer I asked could tell me where to pick up the bus! Even the police gave me conflicting directions. I finally found a runner who was walking there and followed him. Then we had to wait a good half hour for the shuttle bus to arrive. This could be a 5 star race if the organizers tighten up the logistics and provide more race support on the course. I hope they do, as it can be a top small marathon venue with a great cause.
F. P. from NEW YORK (5/3/2016) "Great to Run close to home and For Veterans" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Suffolk County Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 A Hotter and more Humid Day than expected made it for a very hard Marathon, but Great Satisfaction to Support and Thanks to Veterans and their Families for sacrificing for Our Liberties
D. B. from Baldwin, LI, NY (12/27/2015) "Awesome Inaugural Race Honoring Veterans" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Suffolk County Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 It was an easy out and back course with terrific spectator support. Great party atmosphere in the park at the end. This a part of series of races on LI to benefit and honor Veterans.
M. K. from Queens (9/21/2015) "Well Run first Time Marathon" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Suffolk County Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The inaugural Suffolk Marathon by GLIRC (Greater Long Island Running Club) was an extremely pleasant, thoroughly enjoyable race, well organized race. Staging Area: Heckscher State Park easy to get to take the Southern State Parkway eastbound to the end. Parking is easy but get there at least 1 hour before the start as parking lots are about 20 minute walk to the start. Exiting after the race took quite some time as the roads are down to 2 lanes with many exiting at the same time. Stay awhile and enjoy the after party to avoid traffic. Course: Flat with a few rolling hills The start is separate from the Half Marathoners but quickly merge together within the first mile or so. There is no congestion on the course. The first 3 miles and last 3 miles (course is an out and back) are in the park area roads. After the race goes through the main street (route 27A) of many small south shore towns. Beautiful towns with more crowd support that I anticipated. The course is much better that the Long Island Marathon held in May. This year the temperature was in the 70s with very high humidity made it a very difficult race but there was plenty of water and PowerAde on the course and wet towels when you finished. The time of the year can have difficult weather. Great job of announcing as usual as they call out your name when finishing. Swag: Nice short sleeve running shirt (red in color) and basic finishers Medal. The medal could use a bit more charm to distinguish the area. Maybe a beach scene or something to reflect Suffolk County. The post-race food was abundant (bagels, pretzels, PowerAde, water, bananas, and apples). There is a post-race festival with stage area and band. Free beer was provided in this area, but there was also many vendors selling products which can get confusing for some runners, as most runners want things for free. Overall great local marathon and great organization GLIRC always does a fantastic job with races on Long Island. Hopefully this race can maybe be moved later in the month or in October when the temperature will be cooler.
w. p. from boston, ma (9/15/2015) "transportation is the only problem" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Suffolk County Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 A new marathon will always have problems. This new marathon had a lot of good features; support, easy course, and enthusiastic support. There needs to be more shuttle buses ( from Patchogue??) and the runners crossing the road into the park was horrible. Only transportation is a problem, everything else was good.

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M. K. from New York (10/25/2021) "New Course, New Organization" (about: 2021) 50+ previous marathons \| 4-5 Suffolk County Marathons COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 Ran the 2021 edition of the Suffolk County Marathon and was a bit disappointed - Having run version of this race in 2015,2016 & 2018. In 2021 the race administrator changed from GLIRC to Race Awesome - this precipitated a few changes to the race Pre-Race: Runners had to park their vehicles at a local mall and bused to the start area and bused back from the finish line area to the mall. The parking was extremely well organized and ran like clockwork - staff were out early and excellent. The short bus ride was comforting (masks were necessary). Start area was in the Babylon LIRR station. Runners could wait inside to stay warm. Plenty of port-o-johns, Mass start after the wheelchairs runners started Course: While the course changed multiple times to the logistics of the Suffolk County area. In 2021 the lure was to run the bridges across the Great South Bay. The beginning 4 miles were run through the town of Babylon with nice crowd support after that the runners head to the bridge. Every bridge must go up then down. It is about a 1 mile uphill followed by the downhill. There are some great views of the Bay with passing boats. Luckily it was a perfect weather day (50 - 60 Degrees F) with clear blue skies. Windy days will create problems. There is also no shade on the bridge. After exiting the bridge there is about an 11-mile trek (out and back) on the Bicycle path Greenway. The greenway is flat but next to an open roadway and no shade with some nice views of the Bay. From there, mile 21 heads back up the Bridge and down toward the finish line. While the lure of running the Bridges was a great catch it did not live up to the hype. Basically, the runners are on a closed highway with no shade then to a bicycle path greenway also next to an open roadway with no shade. It is probably difficult to find a course in Suffolk County that will appease the runners and the community and showcase the area. I believe the old course was nicer to run on. As for the water stations - stations were about 2 miles apart but were lacking necessary items for marathoners. Water was provided but Gatorade (or any similar product) a necessity for running over 10 miles were few and far between, Soda (Coke- Cola) was provides instead, Runners Gels were not provided though a station at mile 15 had bananas. Plenty of medical personnel along the course if needed. The volunteers and staff did a fantastic job. Post-Race Festival: The food provide to runners after the race was typical for a local race but not up to par for marathoners - Bagels with PB&J or Nutella, Apples, tiny oranges, bananas and cut watermelon. There was also a cup of Chicken broth which warmed me up. There was plenty of message table for finishers (I did not partake for safety reason) The festival had a nice rock band to listen to and relax. The booths were mostly vendors hawking their new products and other food vendors. Runners Swag: Typical runners short sleeve shirt that lacked any real design or flair. Finishers beach towel (nice idea since the race was by the shore) & small school bag. Now the medal was disappointing. In this race in 2018 the finishers medal was big - probably the largest finishers medal I ever received for a race (I have run 50 marathons, so I have a comparison), there was also a combo medal in 2018 for running both the Long Island marathon and the Suffolk Marathon that was a beautiful medal of Long Island (due to the pandemic I assume it was not done this year). This year the medal was small and underwhelming. The medal had a design of the NYC skyline (twin towers) with no mention on the medal as a marathon. Thought it should have the bridges on the medal, similar to the logo on the website since this was the main lure to run this race and highlight Suffolk County. The ribbon mentioned all the races (5k, 10k, Half and Full) - it would be sad if all the races got the same medal. I have received nicer medals from 5k races in Long Island. Overall: While running a marathon in the current condition is difficult it seems corners were cut. I would give this race a 2 out of 5.
y. h. from new york (10/29/2019) "fairly good course, well organized for its size" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Suffolk County Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 Course: not too difficult, accumulative gain of 600 feet, mostly due to bridges. Small section along highway but mostly local. Registration: very easy online registration packet pickup: I chose VIP package to pick up gear on race day close to starting point; very easy Organization: starting point plenty of toilets, enough room for warmup, no congestion for line-up before start though all FM, HM, and 10k together; course fairly well marked; water stations ample and volunteers great. Spectators: not many, mainly due to bad weather of 2019 (rain and wind) Swag: nice long-sleeve shirt, medal unique (marking 75th anniversary of D-day this year) Overall well organized race for its size.
A. H. from Long Island, New York (10/31/2017) "Save Your Money" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Suffolk County Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 There are many choices for Fall Marathons in the northeast, save your money if you are thinking about the Suffolk Marathon. You can surely do better. Where to begin? Calling the packet pick-up an 'expo' is an exaggeration to say the least. A couple of vendors selling over priced clearance items is hardly worth the effort. Communication from the race organizers was also lacking. With a major weather event coming in this year, it was a challenge to get any info at all about possible cancellation or rescheduling. The course is unremarkable. With all of the beautiful locations on the east end of Long Island, running down a highway seems a poor choice. Overall... an underwhelming experience.
M. B. from Long Island, NY (10/30/2017) "Great day in the rain!" (about: 2017) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Suffolk County Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The organizers deserve an award! It was pouring yesterday start to finish and I was a little nervous going in, but the organizers got it all done perfectly. I ran the half-marathon 2 years ago and was super-impressed to see how far they have come. I picked up my number about 20 minutes before the race started (they offer race day pickup for a few extra bucks). Water/Gatorade stations were all fully stocked throughout the race, and medical tents were there if you needed them. Police were friendly at all of the intersections and there was a volunteer there to tell us where to turn whenever needed. Crowd was thin (again, it was POURING), but those that came out were loud and supportive. The organizers put everyone's name on their bib so it was nice to hear complete strangers calling out my name and cheering me on! While there were many more runners for the half, I was still able to grab a bagel and a banana when I was finished. The course is mostly flat, goes through some nice towns and residential areas and briefly goes through a few nice wooded areas. Thank you Suffolk Marathon for a great race!
M. K. from NYC (11/1/2016) "2016 Suffolk County Marathon" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Suffolk County Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This race seems to have regressed from its initial offering in 2015. Which is unfortunate as it is run by one of the best running organization in the New York area. GLIRC (Greater Long Island Running Club) always offers great races in the long island area. One thing that is out of control of the race directors is the weather. Unfortunately this race seems to have no luck in that department. In 2015 the race was held in September on an unusually hot and very humid day. This year the race was moved to late October and it was an unusually summer day on Oct 30. The planned after race heat wraps had to be replaced with wet towels to all finishers. As for the other components of this race. Pre-Race: The packet pickup was at the YMCA in Patchogue adjacent to the start line, though small it served its purpose. Prerace parking was quite easy about 1 mile from the start. The busing to the festival area was quick and frequent. There is about a 10 minute walk form the drop-off to the start area. Try to get to the parking by 6:30 AM. The pricing is very affordable compared to other marathons, I was able to sign up one week before the race. The start was not congested even with the Half Marathoners starting at the same time and the 5k a few minutes after. There are many port-o-potties and plenty of room to warmup and stretch. Course: The course changed from 2015. In 2015 the start was in Heckscher State Park and traveled east. In 2016 we started in the village of Patchogue and went west. Crowd support in Patchogue was fantastic, along the other areas of the course it was sporadic. The course had very small inclines and no major hills. It is always great to hear the announcer Terry call out your name as you cross the finish line. There was a portion of the race in an arbortorium that had scarecrow dressed as a famous actor that was funny. Post-Race: This is where I felt the regression from 2015 was mainly. Due to the Half and the 5k race finishing earlier there was no food left for the slower marathoners (4:30 +) (I was actually 10 minutes faster that 2015) I only found some water, sodas, and donuts. There should really be a separate area for the marathon finishers. In 2015 there was plentiful refreshments (apples, bananas, bagels, etc.) The post-race festival in the town of Patchogue was great. There I was able to purchase some food. It helps to always carry some cash and ID when you race. The free beer at the Tap Room was deserving. One pleasant surprise was running with a Suffolk County Politician. It was the first time I ever saw a politician run a marathon. Swag: Nice red Long Sleeved Runners Shirt. The medal had a nice lighthouse motif but it did not differentiate between the Full, Half or 5k. Overall: This race has the potential to be much better due to the race organizers. I had expected growth form 2015 but did not see it. The date was maybe a little too close to NYC (1 week before), maybe move to mid-October. Not sure why the course was changed but rumors (not sure if true) were some towns in the area did not want it. Long Island has 2 other marathons. The Long Island in May and the Hamptons in September. Maybe try to coordinate all 3 races together in a Triple Crown series if you space them out. I hope this race will return in 2017 as I enjoyed it.
Joe Huber from NJ (11/1/2016) "could be a 5 star race with a few improvements" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Suffolk County Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 I have run over 100 marathons and I like the smaller ones as much as the big ones. 2016 was my first Suffolk County marathon and it has the potential to be a 5 star marathon. But I have to give it 3 stars based on 2 problem areas. The course is 95% beautiful (except for a small stretch parallel to a highway). There is virtually no crowd support but that's ok, one doesn't expect any in these type of tiny marathons. The marathon was lacking in organization and I take away 2 stars for that. First, between mile 16 and 17 a number of runners, including myself, went off the route because there was no volunteer nor arrows on the path to direct us. Therefore we ran an extra 3/4 mile and lost valuable time and energy. This is inexcusable! The other star taken off is for the shuttle bus at the end of the race back to the Verizon lot. Not ONE volunteer I asked could tell me where to pick up the bus! Even the police gave me conflicting directions. I finally found a runner who was walking there and followed him. Then we had to wait a good half hour for the shuttle bus to arrive. This could be a 5 star race if the organizers tighten up the logistics and provide more race support on the course. I hope they do, as it can be a top small marathon venue with a great cause.
F. P. from NEW YORK (5/3/2016) "Great to Run close to home and For Veterans" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Suffolk County Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 A Hotter and more Humid Day than expected made it for a very hard Marathon, but Great Satisfaction to Support and Thanks to Veterans and their Families for sacrificing for Our Liberties
D. B. from Baldwin, LI, NY (12/27/2015) "Awesome Inaugural Race Honoring Veterans" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Suffolk County Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 It was an easy out and back course with terrific spectator support. Great party atmosphere in the park at the end. This a part of series of races on LI to benefit and honor Veterans.
M. K. from Queens (9/21/2015) "Well Run first Time Marathon" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Suffolk County Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The inaugural Suffolk Marathon by GLIRC (Greater Long Island Running Club) was an extremely pleasant, thoroughly enjoyable race, well organized race. Staging Area: Heckscher State Park easy to get to take the Southern State Parkway eastbound to the end. Parking is easy but get there at least 1 hour before the start as parking lots are about 20 minute walk to the start. Exiting after the race took quite some time as the roads are down to 2 lanes with many exiting at the same time. Stay awhile and enjoy the after party to avoid traffic. Course: Flat with a few rolling hills The start is separate from the Half Marathoners but quickly merge together within the first mile or so. There is no congestion on the course. The first 3 miles and last 3 miles (course is an out and back) are in the park area roads. After the race goes through the main street (route 27A) of many small south shore towns. Beautiful towns with more crowd support that I anticipated. The course is much better that the Long Island Marathon held in May. This year the temperature was in the 70s with very high humidity made it a very difficult race but there was plenty of water and PowerAde on the course and wet towels when you finished. The time of the year can have difficult weather. Great job of announcing as usual as they call out your name when finishing. Swag: Nice short sleeve running shirt (red in color) and basic finishers Medal. The medal could use a bit more charm to distinguish the area. Maybe a beach scene or something to reflect Suffolk County. The post-race food was abundant (bagels, pretzels, PowerAde, water, bananas, and apples). There is a post-race festival with stage area and band. Free beer was provided in this area, but there was also many vendors selling products which can get confusing for some runners, as most runners want things for free. Overall great local marathon and great organization GLIRC always does a fantastic job with races on Long Island. Hopefully this race can maybe be moved later in the month or in October when the temperature will be cooler.
w. p. from boston, ma (9/15/2015) "transportation is the only problem" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Suffolk County Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 A new marathon will always have problems. This new marathon had a lot of good features; support, easy course, and enthusiastic support. There needs to be more shuttle buses ( from Patchogue??) and the runners crossing the road into the park was horrible. Only transportation is a problem, everything else was good.

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Marathon Details - Suffolk County Marathon