GLIRC Aspire 10K

Overview
The Aspire 10K is one of the more established spring races on Long Island, organized by the Greater Long Island Running Club and benefiting the Sunrise Association, a nonprofit that runs free summer camps for children with cancer and their siblings. That’s the kind of cause that makes a race worth showing up for even on a rough training week.

The course is USATF certified and winds through the suburban streets and rolling roads around Plainview. It’s a genuine 10K with some character to it, not a flat park loop. There’s a recorded 5K split mid-course, Nassau County Police traffic control, and a full set of age group awards. The race has real history too. The male course record dates to 1988 and there’s a $500 cash bonus available for anyone who breaks either record, which tells you this is a race that competitive runners take seriously.

If you’re looking for a well-run spring 10K with a legitimate course and a good cause behind it, this one is worth your time. It draws a competitive field but it’s welcoming to everyone.

What to Know
* USATF certified 10K on suburban roads with rolling terrain. Not flat, not brutal.
* $500 cash prize if either course record falls: male record 30:27 (Pat Petersen, 1988), female record 33:39 (Leonora Petrina, 2014).
* Recorded 5K split so you get a mid-race checkpoint.
* Nassau County Police provide traffic control throughout.
* No dogs allowed at this event.