Completed by (Core Athlete) : John Troha
START POINT: Sunken Meadow State Park
END POINT: Heckscher State Park
Mode of Travel ( Ex: Run, Swim, Bike, Paddle, Hike) : Run
Distance: 31.91 Miles
Date of Completion: 10/30/2026
Levels of Support: Solo, Unsupported
Completed by: John Troha
Trip Report: On 10/30/26 around 8:45 AM, I set out from the trailhead at Sunken Meadow State Park and headed south on the Long Island Greenbelt Trail. This trail crosses the entire island from the Long Island Sound to the Great South Bay, primarily through state park trails, preserves and local parks. It's really a LI trail running gem. I've run the full trail once before, and many more times in various sections.
The terrain is hillier on the North Shore, with most of the vert. coming in the first 10 or so miles. The changing leaves are on full display this time of year, so it was pretty picturesque most of the way, especially through the bluff trails in Sunken Meadow. Some of the downhill sections were a little sketchy with the roots, rocks and ruts being covered up by the leaves that have already fallen, but overall not too bad and I managed to stay upright the whole time.
Going unsupported on a warmer day means more weight in water and fuel, so the pack was a little heavier than I would have liked. I ended up carrying about 3L of water/electrolyte mix in total, plus some snacks + the rest of my kit.
With the weather being pretty much perfect, I wanted to try to push myself a bit and set a PR for the full trail. I set out at a faster pace than I normally would, but felt good pretty much all the way through. I ended up finishing the trail in a total time of 5:09:49 - shaving about 40 mins off my previous time, and setting a new 50K & Marathon PR. Overall, I'm really happy with the run, and it was a perfect day out on the trail - If you haven't done this one, definitely put it on the list!
