By Stephen Hart Staten Island Advance
Kerry and Sean Egan, the children of Capt. Martin J. Egan Jr., pose amongst the runners near the start of the race named in honor of their father.
Family, friends and competitive runners gathered on Sunday, June 1, for the eighth annual Capt. Martin J. Egan Jr. 5-K Memorial Run/Walk in Midland Beach. Egan was only 36 when the father of two was killed on September 11, 2001, when he responded to the attack on the World Trade Center, leaving from FDNY headquarters.
Jose Luis Davila, 37, took the top spot among the men with a time of 17 minutes, 57.87 seconds. Terry Ballou placed first in the women’s field, clocking in at 19:25.51. There were 341 finishers in the race, all of whom enjoyed one of the finest post-race spreads on the Staten Island road racing scene.
Awards went to the top three male and female overall finishers; the top three male and females in eight age divisions; the top Fire Department individuals and teams; Clydesdale and Athena weight classes; and for military personnel.
“It makes us happy to see that he is not forgotten,” said his mother, Pat Egan. “We are so grateful to all who come out every year as we celebrate the life of Marty. It is so heartwarming to have others remember him and tell us stories that really make us laugh.
“Marty will always be remembered for his great sense of humor and the fact that he loved to talk,” Mrs. Egan added. “It was such a beautiful day for the race. We lucked out.”
Egan, a graduate of St. Margaret Mary’s grammar school in Midland Beach, went on to attend Monsignor Farrell High School, where he competed on the track team.
As it has every year, proceeds from the event benefited a scholarship in Egan’s name for a student at St. Clare’s grammar school, where his son, Sean, and daughter, Kelly, graduated from.
