The first annual Lovenox Five Mile Race for Cardiac Wellness was held in Hicksville's Cantiague Park on Sunday morning, October 31, and the final results looked like a "Who's Who in Long Island Road Running!"

The first runner to cross the finish line was 31-year-old Carlos Castro, Jr. of Levittown, whose time of 26 minutes, 2 seconds placed him 25 seconds in front of 42-year-old runner-up Don Di Donato of Hicksville, the first Masters finisher. For the first three miles of the Race, Castro and Don Di Donato were part of a lead pack that also included ultimate third place finisher John Williams of Freeport and ultimate fourth place finisher Dave Frazer of Bellmore, but Castro gradually pulled away from the pack for the win.

Top female finisher was Regina Ronan of Northport, who hopes to gain a place on the U.S. Olympic Team in the Olympic Marathon Trials this February. Regina finished the five miles in 29:12, comfortably ahead of 48-year-old Kathy Martin, also of Northport, who was the runner-up in 30:07. Hofstra Cross Country Coach Patty Zebersky of Farmingdale was the third female finisher in 31:24.

Top Wheelchair finisher was 15-year-old Jesse Walsh of Huntington in 24:25, who passed runner-up Joseph Mendez of Brentwood (25:06), when Mendez had the bad luck of a flat tire on his chair. Jose Guitterez of Holbrook was the third place Wheelchair finisher.

Special Awards were presented to the top finishers in the medical profession. The first place physician was Dr. Matthew Halsey of Huntington, who was the seventh runner overall across the finish line in 27:37, followed by Dr. Eric Walter of Rockville Centre (30:21) and Dr. Robert Festa of Dix Hills (33:47). Top female physicians were Dr. Marie Roethel of Point Lookout (39:39), Dr. Ada Berkowitz of Jamaica (43:16), and Dr. Nadya Dimitrov of Smithtown, who also was the first Female Masters (over age 40) Racewalker in 51:59.

In the Open Racewalk Division, Gregory Dawson of St. James was a very impressive winner in 39:37, while Loretta Achuellein of Queens Village led the Female Racewalkers in 47:41. Top Male Masters honors among the racewalkers went to Thomas Turner of Ozone Park in 51:17.

There were 369 finishers overall in the Race, and the quality of the field is evident in the fact that 23 of them crossed the finish line in a pace less than six minutes a mile, and 92 of them (more than a quarter of the total!) broke the seven minutes per mile barrier.

The Lovenox Five Mile Race was sponsored by Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the makers of Lovenox (enoxaparin sodium) injection. Lovenox (enoxaparin sodium) has been added as a recommendation in the 1999 update of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association practice guidelines. It is the only low molecular weight heparin to have been proven superior to unfractionated heparin for the prevention of ischemic complications of Unstable Angina and Non-Q-Wave MI. Rhone-Poulenc Rorer is donating the entire net proceeds of the Race to the American Heart Association.

"We are thrilled by the enthusiastic response of the Long Island running community to the Lovenox Five Mile Race for Cardiac Wellness," observed Rhone-Poulenc Rorer spokesperson Christine J. Rice. "Our organization has been a National Sponsor for the American Heart Association, and we are looking to strengthen our commitment to include more emphasis on a community-based level. We are confident that this Race will help us all take strides toward the major goal of cardiac wellness, and we offer our sincere congratulations and thanks to all our running and racewalking friends who were a part of this most important event."

The Lovenox Race was part of the 1999 KeySpan Grand Prix of Long Island Long Distance Running, administered by Long Island Track & Field. In honor of the occasion, KeySpan presented the American Heart Association with a check for $1,000.

The Race was managed by the Greater Long Island Running Club under the direction of Club President Mike Polansky. Technical direction was provided by David Katz of Finish Line Road Race Technicians. Scoring was by the new "ChampionChip System."

Among those distinguished guests who were on hand to present the awards to the runners and walkers were Dr. Stanley Katz, chairman of the Division of Cardiology at North Shore University Hospital, Dr. Andrew E. Sama, Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at North Shore University Hospital, and New York State Assemblyman Mark Herbst. Dr. Katz participated in the Race, finishing the five miles in an excellent time of 43:14. Oyster Bay Town Councilman Leonard B. Symons was also a participant in the Race, crossing the finish line in a creditable 46:42.