Hamptons Marathon Runs Through Springs Saturday

The Hamptons Marathon, which has already raised a few hundred thousand dollars for local charities, will once again be held on Saturday.

Race day consists of a full 26.2-mile marathon, a 13.1-mile half-marathon and a 5K (3.1 miles). The marathon has sold out for the last five years, including this year's sixth installment, as has the half-marathon and the 5K this year.

Last year, a Hamptons Marathon, despite some dreary weather. Runner's World named Hamptons Marathon in the Top 10 Races to Run in 2008.

After the 2011 race, the Hamptons Marathon donated $65,000 back to the community, up $60,000 from the year before, according to Amanda Moszkowski, a Bridgehampton summer resident, who along with Diane Weinberger, an East Hampton summer resident, founded the race. They serve as the race directors.

"We always envisioned the race as being something we do for the community," Moszkowski said. "We were lucky to meet Tim Bryden and Project MOST and from the start, they were our primary beneficiary because we felt that they really add so much value to the community through their work with kids after-school."

Moszkowski said she and Weinberger were "latchkey kids" when they were younger. "We knew that what Tim and Project MOST do - enabling kids to stay in school and be safe and fed and get help with homework - is something that we really wanted to support, especially in light of the budget cuts that they've been had to endure."

Southampton Hospital was added as a beneficiary the following year.

They started the 5K as a benefit for the East Hampton Day Care Learning Center three years ago "as part of our effort to expand beyond our two primary beneficiaries and to continue our focus on kids," Moszkowski said.

The charity teams that run in the race, like the American Cancer Society teams, raise about $600,000 from this race alone, she added.

On Saturday, marathon runners start together from the Springs School at 8 a.m. The course goes through Amagansett, Springs and East Hampton (The races diverge at mile 6, but the marathon runners all finish at the same place).

A Boston qualifier, the course is USATF Sanctioned and Certified. Many use it as a training run ahead of the ING-NYC, Marine Corps or Chicago marathons.

The 5K race begins at the Springs School at 8:15 a.m.

Runners can pick-up their packets at the Springs School on Friday from 5 to 9 p.m., and on Saturday from 6 to 7:30 a.m.

There is limited parking near the start line. Runners can be dropped on Springs Fireplace Road near School Street.

To ease parking concerns, a shuttle will be offered from Atlantic Avenue Beach in Amagansett from 5:30 to 7:30 a.m. Reservations are required and can be made through beachshuttle@hamptonsmarathon.com. Return shuttles will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Drivers should note that Old Stone Highway from School Street to the intersection of Neck Path and Accabonac Road, which will be closed from that intersection to Stony Hill. will be closed from 7:15 to 8:30 a.m.

If you want to cheer the runners on — other than from the start and finish lines — organizers suggest doing so from the intersection of Town Lane and Abrahams Path, near the 5-mile point, the intersection of Town Lane, Stony Hill Road and Deep Lane, ear the 6-mile point where the race splits, and the intersection of Old Stone Highway and Neck Path. If you just want to see the marathoners, hang out near Promised Land or the intersection of Cranberry Hole Road and Napeaugue Meadow, where runners will pass three times.

For a post-race celebration, head over to the Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, where the awards ceremony will be held, from 2:30 to 5 p.m. Organizers supply the food, soft drinks and music.