Bellmore Striders Hold Annual Fourth of July Race

More than 700 runners braved humid conditions Thursday morning for the annual Bellmore Striders 4-mile Independence Day Run.

Javiar Barajas, 26, of Brooklyn was first to cross the finish line on Grand Avenue with a time of 20:29. Joanna Johnson of California was the top female finisher with a time of 23:37.

The annual Fourth of July race, which began in 1983, honors the memory of Matthew Warkala, a former member of the Bellmore Striders and a Mepham High School graduate who died of brain cancer.