By The TimesLedger
Kevin Krause of Shoreham, N.Y., expects to make his debut in the sixth annual Eamonn Coghlan 5K Classic, to be held this Saturday, Aug, 25 at Belmont Park Race Track. The gun goes off at 5 p.m.
This 3.1-mile road race stays within Belmont Park and is part of the seventh annual three-day New York Irish Festival.
Krause, a former standout high school runner at Longwood and college athlete at William & Mary, along with last year’s winner, Paul Mwangi, of Ossining, N.Y., 1998 winner Trevor Murray, of Far Rockaway, and 1997 winner Alem Kahsay, of Manhattan, are expected to be the class of the 2,000 entrants.
Registration for the race closes at 4:45 p.m. the day of the race, which is conducted in cooperation with the New York Racing Association and the College Point Road Runners Track Club and timed by Start To Finish Corp.
Krause prefers competing on the road rather than competing on the track.
“Track is boring where on the roads there are different scenery and turns,” he said. “I have a great time in these road races and I like the camaraderie among the runners.”
Krause is coming off a victory in the 3.5-mile Corporate Challenge at Jones Beach, where he took the lead after the two-mile mark and won by three seconds.
The 30-year-old Krause, who has been running since the age of 12 said that his best time for a 5K road race is 14:55. A long-distance runner in high school and college, Krause almost out everything together in the late 1990s when he ran a 2:28 for 40th place overall at the Boston Marathon.
He expects to have some competition from the other top runners in the field of the Coghlan 5K and is hoping to take home the $250 winner’s prize.
Mwangi, 34, a member of the Westchester Puma Track Club, is coming off a 23:55 for first place in the 5-mile Club Championships in Central Park Mwangi, who led the Westchester Track Club to the team title, captured the Coghlan 5K in 14:27.
Coming into the Club Championships, conducted by the New York Road Runners Club, Mwangi wanted to break the 24-minute mark.
“My strategy is to stay in front and run fast,” he said about the upcoming race. “I’m putting in about 40 to 50 miles a week and compete every weekend.”
His teammate, Kahsay, is coming off a 27:13 clocking for 65th place in the Club Championship.
“I’m not is great shape,” said the 28-year-old Kahsay, who is gearing up for the New York City Marathon. “I train about 75 miles a week.
For further information or applications for the race call 762-1519, (212) 685-4649 or (212) 686-1210.
