By The TimesLedger
John McManus of Sunnyside is expected to do well in his age division at the sixth annual Eamonn Coghlan 5K road race on Aug. 25 at Belmont Park Race Track in Elmont.
McManus finished first, second or third in his 70 and over age bracket in past efforts, but in this race, run in conjunction with the College Point Road Runners Track Club and the New York Racing Association, there is only a 60 and over bracket.
The 77-year-old McManus recently placed second in his 70 and over bracket in the Bellmore Striders sponsored race in Long Island when he felt strong and covered the four-miler in 33:29.
Chris Graff, who spent his college days on the track team of St. John’s University, won the race in 19:15.6 in a field of close to 500 entries.
McManus’ best time for the Eamonn Coghlan 3.1 race is 22:58, coming in 1996, his first year in the sixth annual race. He has run in every race since its inception.
“It’s a great race,” he said “Coghlan, himself, was an unbelievable runner.”
McManus certainly loves the sport of running. He ran track and cross county while at Bayside High School, laid off for a while and started to come back trail in this sport in 1983.
Presently there are about 50 entries in the race, ranging from 13 years of age to 77. Race director Steve Duggan expects over $2,000 entries and many first-class athletes. He expects a quality field.
The race is one of the highlights of the seventh annual three-day New York Irish Festival
For further information on the race and/or applications call (212) 685-4649 or (212) 686-1210.
