On January 6th, Christopher LaMagna – Executive Chef at Babylon Mercantile – conducted his third annual Montauk to Manhattan: 130 Miles for Mental Health ultrarun fundraiser to bring awareness to mental health and support the lifesaving services of Long Island Crisis Center (LICC). LaMagna started his day at the Montauk Lighthouse at 4:00am, running all day and into the night ending in the Strawberry Fields section of Central Park in Manhattan at 2:19am early Sunday morning. He beat last year’s Montauk to Manhattan time by 10 minutes.
LaMagna began running in 2020 as a means of coping with the COVID pandemic, as well as some of his own personal mental health struggles. He found running to be an effective and cathartic way of getting through a tough time, and ultimately made the decision to start training as an ultrarunner. As a Long Islander himself, he also decided to use his running skills to raise awareness around the importance of mental health and give back to a local organization that provides lifesaving services to the community.
LICC has been in operation as a confidential 24/7 crisis intervention hotline service since 1971. They also provide the 988 Lifeline services for this region since its inception in 2022. Their mission is to provide 24/7, free, high quality, confidential and non-judgmental programs and services to support and empower Long Islanders at critical times in their lives.
LaMagna was honored as LICC’s Person of the Year in 2022 for his outstanding efforts. This year’s fundraiser has brought in over $6,000 to date.
—Submitted by Long Island Crisis Center
Ultrarunner Treks From Montauk To Manhattan For Mental Health
