Army, Marine Veteran to Join Bellone in Marathon

Army and Marine veteran Billy Richards will be competing in the Suffolk County Marathon and Half Marathon to Support Our Veterans on September 13, running with Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and thousands of other participants.

The race will raise funds to support veterans services in Suffolk County. North Shore-LIJ Health System is the presenting sponsor for the race.

“I am a veteran, serving 4 years active with the Marines and 3 years active with the Army. While in the army, I got into road racing and then afterwards obstacle racing, completing 9 marathons, 3 ultra-marathons, winning the 2014 Team Death Race [and becoming a] two- time World’s Toughest Mudder competitor,” said Richards, who started working out at 13 years old and is now a personal trainer. “Since July 4 of last year, I have been running all races wearing a ruck sack that ranges between 40 and 65 pounds, depending on what I have packed for the race.”

The Suffolk County Marathon, which will go through the scenic downtowns of Sayville, Islip, Bayport and Patchogue along the Great South Bay, will be Richards’ 10th full marathon. The marathon will start and end in Heckscher State Park, which Richards is looking forward to.

“The Suffolk County Marathon and Half Marathon to Support Our Veterans is a chance to display our beautiful downtowns of Suffolk while raising money for an incredibly important cause,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone.

Richards, an Islip veteran, is also participating in the 2015 Suffolk County Veterans Running Series to train for the marathon. The series is being held to display the commitment that participants and volunteers have to improving veterans services in Suffolk County. Those who partake in all six races will receive a special, commemorative challenge coin, while those who partake in a majority of the races will receive a commemorative medal.

Over Fourth of July weekend, Richards ran in remembrance of those who have served their country. “This weekend I completed 2 races to train for the Suffolk Marathon, to celebrate Independence Day, and to honor and show support for our armed forces. I ran the Firecracker 5k in Holbrook which is part of the Suffolk County Veterans Running Series, finishing with a time of 28:12, and the Firecracker 8k in Southampton, finishing with a time of 45:35 and completing both races holding an American Flag, and wearing a 45 pound ruck sack, Semper Fi,” said Richards, who will be competing in two races the day before the marathon, including the Cow Harbor Warriors 4 miler and the NJ Spartan Super.

Richards’ drive and constant goal setting is what keeps him going, no matter the circumstance or setback. He started creating motivational exercise videos in 2007 and accidentally ruptured his left tricep tendon in January which lead to surgery and halted his running for several weeks. Eventually, he got back to training and managed to run the Paumanok Trail 70k while still wearing a brace.

“Creating videos gives me a way to share my passion for fitness, I also share videos from time to time of my clients training, to share their progress, and to inspire others,” said Richards, who shares his motivational videos on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.

Following the marathon, there will be the Taste of Long Island Festival in Heckscher State Park which will highlight local wine, food and brews.

Catholic Health Services is nearly 100 medical professionals to provide care to marathon participants.

For more information on the Suffolk Marathon and a list of the Veterans Running Series races, visit http://suffolkmarathon.com