The Peter D. Sanger Memorial
Sea Stretcher Marathon
Sunday, May 25, 2025
Runners, walkers, strollers, spectators, dogs, and Fishers Island’s 1st responders began arriving at the Firehouse just after 8 AM to register, get their numbers, and hand in their sponsor sheets. By 9:15 everyone was in their starting position and the marathon was on!
For the first time, in the history of the Peter Sanger Sea Stretcher race* which started in the mid-1970s, a group of FIFD firefighters decided to walk in their full gear with air packs.
L-R Lucas Costa, Ace Ahrens, Matt Edwards, Joe Brock, Courtney Allan, Chief Chris Aiello, and Janio Spinola
Photo Credit to Ruthie duPont
These first responders did it for fun, they did it as a personal challenge, and they did it for the Sea Stretcher. Ace Ahrens, Chris Aiello, Courtney Allan, Joe Brock, Lucas Costa, Matt Edwards, and Janio Spinola walked 1.2 miles from the Gate House to the Finish line. Donning their ‘turn-out’ gear, they each wore an extra 44lb Air Pack for a total of 70lbs of gear. In the few weeks leading up to Memorial Weekend, they approached potential sponsors of their walk and collectively raised over $20,000 for the Sea Stretcher’s fund. Total funds raised from the walkers, runners, and firefighters is being tallied. Total pledged as of June 3, 2025, is $33,920 and is subject to updates.
Everyone was a winner, not only the participants, and the ones that came in first in their class (listed below), but the Sea Stretcher was shown a lot of love!
Gratitude goes to the many marathon participants, the Sanger family, all the FIFD members who help with the race, and especially to Dave Denison (who started running this event in 1978) with Mary Pankiewicz who annually spearhead this important fundraiser.
This annual marathon raises much-needed and appreciated funds to support the FI Fire Department’s M/V Sea Stretcher. This boat, fitted out as a seagoing ambulance, is a critically important lifeline for the Fishers Island community to the medical resources available at L&M Hospital and others on the mainland. It is operated by FIFD volunteer captains and navigators along with the EMTs.
The walkers and runners self-selected the Class they wished to enter. The winners are:
| Number of Participants | Class | Winner |
| Class 1A total 22 | 1A Girl | Reese Finessey |
| 1A Boy | Luca Pagnini | |
| Class 1B total 29 | 1B Girl | Molly McNamara |
| 1B Boy | Avery Scoville | |
| Class 3 total 43 | 3 Mile Girl | Nancy Jones |
| 3 Mile Boy | Jack Tierney | |
| Class 5 total 11 | 5 Mile Girl | Ellory Goss Gruner |
| 5 Mile Boy | Nate Chaves | |
| Class 8 total 29 | 8 Mile Girl | Erin Hobb |
| 8 Mile Boy | John Bailey | |
| 2025 Total 134 | (2024 Total was 159) |
1A: 1 mile for runners aged 12 or younger (starts at the Library)
1B: 1 mile for runners over age 12 (starts at the Library)
3: 3 miles (all ages) (starts near “Four Corners”)
5: 5 miles (all ages) (starts on Main Road @ Top of the World Road)
8: 8 miles (starts at the “Castle” gate)
Click any image to see a larger version and scroll through the galleries.
Photos by Jane T. Ahrens unless otherwise noted.
*When this race was started Peter Sanger was still alive. It was just a road race and the runners had to collect the money from their pledges. Sometime over the years that proved to be tough to sustain so the FI department went to the current billing method (collecting the pledge list from the participants and sending ‘reminders’ to the donors). Mary and Dave did the billing using the old Apple II, still in the basement of the fire department.
Donations to the Sea Stretcher may be made out to the
Fishers Island Fire Department with Sea Stretcher
noted in the check Memo and mailed to
FIFD, PO Box 123, Fishers Island, NY 06390.
Dave Denison
Sea Stretcher Marathon Committee
Fishers Island, NY 06390
hayharbr@yahoo.com
