By lirunning.com - One of the things that people love about Long Island is the great beaches here. Both State Park beaches have long roadways running the length of the parks. With ample grass shoulders, they provide safe places to run for moderately long distances. The negatives are the wind which you generally get in only one direction throughout the run and, in the summer, the heat which can be intense due to the lack of any shade. A typical run at both beaches is from one parking lot to another and back. Although these are out and back runs, the switch to the other side of the divided roadway on the return trip does give a tiny bit of variation. At the very least, you have the wind at your back in one direction and in your face in the other. In the off season, these runs can be very pleasant respites from the crowded surburban life. You will be amazed at the number of birds nesting along the roadway. Be careful however not to get too close to the nests. Of course, you can also run along the beaches in both places. However, in the summer, this would be a little nerve racking since you will be stopping or bumping into people every few feet. The Robert Moses State Park roadway runs about 3 miles, so a round trip gives you a fairly honest 6 mile run. If you want to add on extra miles, you can continue onto the dirt and sand road at the east end which eventually reaches Fire Island after about 2 miles. The big treat in this part of the run is that you get to see the lighthouse up close. Do not bother to actually go into Fire Island - the streets are too narrow for an enjoyable run.

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