Teen Dominates Long Beach Biathlon; 94-Year-Old Places 61st

LONG BEACH, NY — Brian Veit might not be old enough to vote, but that didn't stop the 16-year-old from dominating the adult division of the annual Long Beach Biathlon over the weekend. The event, in its 40th year, was held on National Boulevard.

Veit, of Port Jefferson, won the event by completing the three-mile beach run and 300-yard ocean swim in 22 minutes and 39 seconds. That's 14.4 seconds faster than second-place finisher, Kelly Coyle, a Long Beach native.

Veit's victory was all the more impressive, as 16 was the minimum age to compete in the adult section of the event. There was also a young teens division for youths ages 13 to 15, and a kids division for children ages 7 to 12. Those races took place on smaller scales Sunday morning before the adult event.

Of the 88 participants who completed the adult race, 26 were Long Beach residents. Nicole Freeman, 30, of Brooklyn, was the first woman to cross the finish line, and Larry Reiter, at 94 years old, finished in 61st place.