Great Cow Harbor 10K
Encyclopedia
The Great Cow Harbor 10-Kilometer Run is a 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) road running
event held annually in the Long Island
village of Northport, New York
, on the third Saturday each September. The race is co-organized by its organizing committee (The Great Cow Harbor 10-Kilometer Run, Inc.), the Northport Running Club, and Northport American Legion Post 694. The present title sponsor is North Fork Bank
. Proceeds from the race benefit the Special Olympics
of Long Island.
The 2001 edition was canceled in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks
; Northport is only 65 km (40.4 mi) east of Ground Zero
.
Three years later, the race was run in a driving downpour, the results of the remnants of Hurricane Ivan
. Over half of the finishers' times weren't recorded due to the timing equipment being waterlogged.
. Just past the halfway point, runners turn right onto Eaton's Neck Road, then right onto Waterside Avenue. The 1.5 mile stretch on Waterside ("The Sleeper Mile"), a slight incline, is where the race is often won or lost. At the five-mile mark, the course turns right onto Main Street, where after one last climb ("Pumpernickel Hill"), runners coast downhill into picturesque downtown Northport. The race finishes just west of School Street, in front of the Northport Hardware Company.
In recent years, a 2K Fun Run/Walk has been instituted, finishing at the intersection of Scudder and Woodbine Avenues.
28 minutes, 22 seconds: Ryan Hall
, 2006
28 minutes, 17 seconds: Mo Trafeh, 2011
citizens.
Road running
Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...
event held annually in the Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
village of Northport, New York
Northport, New York
Northport is a village in Suffolk County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the village population was 7,606. Students attend the Northport-East Northport Union Free School District....
, on the third Saturday each September. The race is co-organized by its organizing committee (The Great Cow Harbor 10-Kilometer Run, Inc.), the Northport Running Club, and Northport American Legion Post 694. The present title sponsor is North Fork Bank
North Fork Bank
North Fork Bank was an American bank from 1950 until 2008 when it became Capital One Bank .In November 2007, it had 365 branches in the New York metropolitan area.-History:...
. Proceeds from the race benefit the Special Olympics
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....
of Long Island.
History
The Great Cow Harbor 10K was created by John Rakucewicz and first run in 1977. 1,002 runners finished the first Cow Harbor 10K. The race steadily grew throughout the 1980s; in 1985, the race instituted a staggered start (named for designer John J. Pitfick), which is still in use. The 1986 race fell victim to its own popularity - it had grown so large that the organizers could no longer handle it. Supporters regrouped and the Great Cow Harbor 10K resumed the next year.The 2001 edition was canceled in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
; Northport is only 65 km (40.4 mi) east of Ground Zero
Ground zero
The term ground zero describes the point on the Earth's surface closest to a detonation...
.
Three years later, the race was run in a driving downpour, the results of the remnants of Hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Ivan was a large, long-lived, Cape Verde-type hurricane that caused widespread damage in the Caribbean and United States. The cyclone was the ninth named storm, the sixth hurricane and the fourth major hurricane of the active 2004 Atlantic hurricane season...
. Over half of the finishers' times weren't recorded due to the timing equipment being waterlogged.
Course layout
The race begins in front of Laurel Avenue School; runners proceed south until making a right turn onto Scudder Avenue. After a short climb, the remainder of the first mile is downhill, leading to a right turn onto Woodbine Avenue. Runners continue onto Bayview Avenue, passing within sight of the finish line, until they turn right onto James Street - and a steep climb, dubbed "Widow Hill" by runners. At the summit of James Street, the course turns right onto Northwest Drive, left onto Lewis Road, then left onto Ocean Avenue, offering runners a spectacular view of Long Island SoundLong Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
. Just past the halfway point, runners turn right onto Eaton's Neck Road, then right onto Waterside Avenue. The 1.5 mile stretch on Waterside ("The Sleeper Mile"), a slight incline, is where the race is often won or lost. At the five-mile mark, the course turns right onto Main Street, where after one last climb ("Pumpernickel Hill"), runners coast downhill into picturesque downtown Northport. The race finishes just west of School Street, in front of the Northport Hardware Company.
In recent years, a 2K Fun Run/Walk has been instituted, finishing at the intersection of Scudder and Woodbine Avenues.
Course records
28 minutes, 44 seconds: Jeff Jacobs, 199128 minutes, 22 seconds: Ryan Hall
Ryan Hall (runner)
Ryan Hall is an American long distance runner. He won the marathon at the 2008 United States Olympic Trials and placed tenth in the Olympic marathon in Beijing. He holds the U.S. record in the half marathon . With his half marathon record time, he became the first U.S...
, 2006
28 minutes, 17 seconds: Mo Trafeh, 2011
Prize money
Cash prizes of $3,000 USD are awarded to the top male and female finisher. Since 1984, a $5,000 bonus has been offered to a winner who sets a course record; this bonus is presently awarded by title sponsor North Fork Bank. The Masters (over 40) men's and women's champions are awarded $500 USD each. All cash awards are presently limited to United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
citizens.