Courtesy of Mark Mentone, Felician SID

RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Two Felician College alumni, and former members of the men's cross-country team, completed the New York City Marathon on Nov. 1.

Mike Burghoffer '08 and Jonathan Castro '08 each broke three hours for the day, and each placed among the top 1,000 finishers in a race that attracted more than 44,000 male entrants from all over the world.

Burghoffer, a native of Hamburg, finished 859^th overall in 2:58:30. He was the No. 46 finisher among New Jersey residents. He qualified for the NYC Marathon by turning in a 1:21:59 in the New York Road Runners Half Marathon Grand Prix in April. Burghoffer was a three-time all-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference cross-country runner at Felician.

Castro ran NYC in 2:55:38, placing 644^th overall and 35^th among New Jersey residents. A Toms River native, he qualified with a sixth place finish at the Asbury Park Half Marathon, which he completed in an hour and 22 minutes. Castro, along with Burghoffer, was a part of four CACC team championships while a Golden Falcon.

Both Burghoffer and Castro plan to participate in the Boston Marathon in April 2010.