Pros Embrace Energy, Opportunity On Long Island

By Brian Towey of DyeStat

BAY SHORE, N.Y. -- When Kyle Merber and Brendan Barrett worked together at the Sayville Running Company, 50 miles due east of Manhattan, they had a dream.

Merber was an emerging talent in the middle distances, a budding star for Columbia University.

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At Bay Shore High on Wednesday night, as Barrett held the microphone on a grassy football field, it was abundantly apparent that the dream has become a reality: Long Island has received professional track.

"When I signed with Hoka, the time was right to do it: We were able to bring (professional track) to our hometown," Merber said.

In Bay Shore, a town of 26,000 flanked by Long Island's beaches, Scottish miler Chris O'Hare cradled his young son following a 3:55.53 mile win. In the women's race, Shannon Osika rushed a funnel of young fans on the straightaway for a 4:29.91 win. Runners, including reigning World champion and Olympic steeplechase bronze medalist Emma Coburn, signed sneakers, mugged for selfies with teenagers, and waded through the crowd.

Near the tail end of the summer pro circuit, with the New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile awaiting Sunday, the HOKA ONE ONE Long Island Mile, has become, over just four years, a big race.

"We don't have these kinds of crowds in Canada," said Charles Philibert-Thiboutot, a 2016 Olympian in the 1,500 meters who finished second in 3:56.62. "It's kind of an exchange from the big stadiums in Europe, the Diamond League. ... I appreciate the atmosphere."

The scheduling, with the Fifth Avenue Mile looming on the weekend, helps. But the event has largely sprung from Merber's charisma, professional ties, and a little bit of luck.

"At the pasta dinner (Tuesday), Kyle told the runners, 'Sign autographs, take those selfies, make people feel like they've earned it,'" said Vicki Merber, Kyle's mother. "Kyle and Brendan wanted to bring a meet to the area to break a record. We had 10 runners under four minutes. They've brought it here and it's a big success."

The racing pros roomed with members of the community, college and high school athletes from the surrounding New York City area drew close, and Merber's vision of sport where elites and everyday runners share energy and space has taken off.

"The great thing about these domestic events at the end of the summer is that they connect the sport to the community," said 2017 winner Emily Lipari, a local native of Roslyn. "In September, you don't know how much you have left. It's awesome to come here and see my friends and family."

The race has also served as a showcase for Long Island's robust running community. Last year, coach Tim Dearie and his Anthony's High program, in Huntington, hosted the event. This year, Bay Shore High's Steve Borbet, a 46-year veteran of the college and high school scene, whose Bay Shore girls teams once won three straight national championships in the 4x800-meter relay -- and once held the national record in the DMR with 11:33.42 in 2004 -- lent Merber a hand.

"Long Island is a densely populated place with lots of good runners and good programs," Merber said. "That's why it's great to have it here."

In 2017, undeterred by a downpour, the crowd celebrated the life of two-time winner David Torrence, who died Aug. 28, 2017. Torrence's verve lives on in this race, with the first lane kept vacant and reserved for his memory.

"It was great to run this race in David Torrence's memory," O'Hare said.

When it was over Wednesday night, a handful of the sport's best ambled off into the moonlight at Bay Shore High's suburban campus, with Merber at the helm. Year No. 4 was in the books.

"It's become a tradition for great runners to come and run the mile in New York," Merber said.