While 49-year-old Gerry O’Hara of East Rockaway proved to be a little too much for his opponents in the Long Beach five-mile road race on the new boardwalk and through the streets of Long Beach, winning the event in 28:15, Hudson Georges finished the course in 33:16.
Georges thus earned himself a 12th place standing in a field of 366 entrants mainly from Long Island. In a 33-minute clocking, he ran at a 6.40 pace and was timed in 20:38 for the 5K course.
Georges runs when he can becauses most of his time is spent coaching track and field and cross-country at Great Neck South High School in Nassau County where he is employed.
Oddly, Georges came to the United States when he was 16 years of age. First, he was a soccer player and attended high school in Haiti, then he went to State University of New York at Old Westbury for his undergraduate degree and obtained his masters degree at City College.
Now, the 36-year-old Georges is focusing on his own road racing and his training on the new boardwalk in Long Beach, where he resides. But his main priority is in putting together a winning high school program in Section Eight of New York State in Long Island.
“The boys are good,” Georges said. “We have a bunch of upcoming future runners, who are the stars of the team. Who are capable of being the stars of the team. Who knows what could happen in the future?”
Heading the team is Alex Cowen who has the ability to qualify for the New York State meet at the end of the season in November. Last year as a junior, he was one of the fastest distance runners on the track and cross country teams.
Georges feels that his teams should be ‘up there’ with the rest of the contending teams in this Conference.
Most of the championship meets are held over a 3.1 mile or 5K course.
Great Neck’s coaches feel that the team is in a rather weak division and could be even better as the season rolls around.
“Our goal (first) is to make the county meet,” Georges added. “The competition is there and the kids are pushing themselves . (Those runners) who are doing their off-season training are a lot stronger than they were last year. I love both the boys and girls teams. They work hard, day in and day out. There’s nothing else I can ask of them. We train the kids and hope for the best.”
