What do bananas, a taco, zombies, a jelly fish and superheroes have in common?
They were among 150 or so contestants in the first annual “Trick or Trot” today in Riverhead, a 5K race to benefit the Riverhead Running Club.
The club was founded two years ago to support Riverhead High School’s running programs and nurture an interest in running among Riverhead youth, said its vice president, Justin Cobis, a Riverhead High School teacher and track coach.
Proceeds of the Halloween 5K will benefit a new track and field program for kids ages 8-12 initiated by the club this summer, club secretary Jill Tapper said. It has 40 to 50 kids participating, she said.
The youngsters got things going with a pre-race, half-mile “kid run.” Quaisyn Coward, age 13, of Coram was first across the finish line. A young football player at Selden Middle School, Quaisyn said he’d never run in a footrace before and enjoyed it.
“Trick or Trot” top finishers were:
1st place male – Eric Cunha, 17, Riverhead
1st place female – Briana Taylor, 43, Wasding River
2nd place male- Joe Rizzo, 45, Aquebogue
2nd-place female- Emma Conroy, 13, Calverton
3rd-place male- Gavin Rizzo, 17, Aquebogue
3rd-place female- Erica Murphy, 31, Manorville
The race course took the runners in a loop from Riverhead High School on Harrison Avenue through the streets of Polish Town and back to the high school, where after the race concluded, medals were handed out to top finishers in each age group.
A 50-50 drawing was also held to benefit Juliana Lamberty, a Riverhead High School alumna and former track star and All-American athlete who is stricken with hip dysplasia and needs to have several surgeries to correct the problem.
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