Community Corner

Flyer Alumni Make Showing at Fourth Annual Katie's Run

Chaminade alum Ryan McDermott finishes first overall for second straight year.

The connections between Michael McBride and Chaminade High School in Mineola run deep, the New Hyde Park father sending his sons to the all-male Catholic school, but also in the annual race held in the memory of his daughter, Katie.

Sunday afternoon it was once again Ryan McDermott, a 2007 Flyer graduate from West Hempstead, who finished first overall in the charity 5K, who although he did not get a chance to meet the girl for which the race was named, had been good friends with her father through a mutual friend, Patrick Hoey, a 2001 graduate from Garden City and a current teacher at the school.

About 15 former Flyers were present in the 2013 race, down from 2012 when there were a little more than 20 competing. McDermott could be found in a circle near the finish line along with his brother Kevin, the Preis brothers Mike, Tom and Greg as well as his cousin Brian Hayes, who is also a Chaminade running coach. A special runner’s scoring category is also included in the race for Chaminade, with this year’s trophy going to Eric Haslbauer – who had several family members participating in the walk/run – with a time of 18:19 and who’s father Joe accepted the award on his behalf.

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McDermott did not know Katie but said “I wish I did because all I’ve heard is just great things.” The race is named in honor of Katie McBride, who passed away at the age of 11 from Burkitt’s Lymphoma which turned to leukemia.

“I wanted to race, I wanted to just be there for them and to support them,” McDermott said of his decision to enter the race two years ago. “Good friends with the family and just out here to support them and this is a great day to support Katie’s Run and remember her.”

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With an official time of 17:24, McDermott was a little off his pace of 16:12 in the 2012 race, but said “it was a little hot today, was trying to conserve a little.”

There were over 700 racers in Sunday’s event for both the 5K and 2-mile walk/run, and by far the largest crowd McDermott said he has seen yet for the event “especially with the great weather, everybody comes out, everybody wants to be here; it’s a great community event for New Hyde Park.”

Wearing the familiar red and gold pattern jersey Sunday from the Ocean Sound relay team – also comprised of Chaminade graduates – McDermott also ran track at Duke and was trying to compete in the trials for the London Olympics until a stress fracture in his foot put an end to his professional running career.

“Now I’m just a weekend warrior; another four years is too long to keep training like that,” he said when asked if there was any hope for the tryouts for the Rio games in 2016. McDermott is also the defending champion for the Garden City Turkey Trot for the past five years in a row. He still lives in West Hempstead and works in advertising for CBS Sports.

“It’s really nice just to be here for him and his family,” said Hayes, who is friends with Katie’s brothers and was sporting the 2012 Ocean Sound relay jersey, an uncharacteristically black and gold color scheme. “The race itself is nice and then the barbecue, everything that Mike does he just does an awesome job, he’s such a generous guy and it’s really nice just to help him out and his family and it’s just a nice way to start off the day and then head to the beach for the rest of the day.”

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