Hoka One One Long Island Mile Moves to Bay Shore High School
Bay Shore, NY: The 4th Annual HOKA HOKA ONE ONE Long Island Mile will have a new venue this Wednesday, September 5th: Bay Shore High School. The move was caused by track facility construction delays at the event’s previous home, St. Anthony’s High School, opening up an opportunity for a new school to play host to some of the world’s best professional and Olympic milers. Stepping into that role is one of Suffolk County’s premier running programs, Bay Shore High School.
Co-meet director and professional miler Kyle Merber admits he was nervous when the delays necessitated a new location, but his fears were quickly put to rest. “One of the first people we called when this issue came up was Coach (Steve) Borbet and he was very willing to lend a hand.” Merber notes that the Armory Hall of Fame coach, for whom the track is named, is enthused about the chance to show off their brand-new facility which features wide turns that make smooth running. Coach Borbet is “excited for the community and school district to host [the race] so their kids can watch pro athletes do something special where they always practice.”
Co-meet director Brendan Barrett of Sayville Running Company is glad that the race will be closer to the store and thinks the change will introduce the event to a new demographic. “We think that those who have seen the event previously will have enjoyed it enough to make the 20-minute drive to the south shore.” Other benefits of the new location include the proximity to the Long Island Railroad train station and downtown Bay Shore.
To add to both the atmosphere and competition, sports nutrition company Xendurance has signed a sponsorship agreement with the race which will provide some free samples for participants and fans, in addition to augmenting the funding for 1309 meter leader bonus. The bonus ensures a fast pace for the elite runners by incentivizing the difficult job of leading the race. Andrew Neugebauer of Xendurance sees the partnership as a natural fit, “Xendurance is an innovative sports nutrition company focused on making science backed performance and recovery supplements.” He hopes their contribution will “grow the event and push the importance of living an active lifestyle.”
As always, RunnerSpace.com will be on hand for race coverage and to LIVE stream the event for those unable to attend. They will be resuming their collaboration with Just-In-Time-Racing, who will be in charge of timing and scoring. Admission is only $5 to spectate, or $20 to race (kids 400m fun run is $10). Tickets, registration, and more information are available at LongIslandMile.com or by calling Sayville Running Company (631-589-5700).
