PHOTO: Miller Place Man Trains at Annual Bellmore Independence Day Run

A morning rainfall didn’t deter the Bellmore Striders Running Club from hitting the pavement on Independence Day; after all, what are a few drops of water compared to the special milestone they were celebrating?

The Annual Bellmore Striders Fourth of July Run celebrated its 30^th anniversary this year, having first started in Bellmore way back in 1982, according to race director Alex Cuozzo.

“We wanted to put together a local race to help support the club,” he said. “There used to be an annual race in Wantagh in the 1970s, but they discontinued it. At the time, there was no race on July 4 so we decided to put something together.”

The first year the race took place, the Bellmore Striders had 169 finishers. Growing massively from there, Cuozzo said that this year’s race boasts 433 registered participants, all of whom were out pounding the streets of Bellmore.

Joe Brida of Miller Place made the long trip to Bellmore to assist with his training.

“I’m preparing to run in the USA Track and Field Grand Prix Series and this is excellent training” he said. “And, honestly, I like to run in the rain."