Runner is on a 120-mile mission

By lunchtime yesterday, Alicja Barahona had nearly run a full marathon. And she was just getting started.

The 57-year-old long-distance runner from White Plains embarked at 8 a.m. on a two-day, 120-mile trek from North Woodmere Park near Kennedy Airport to Montauk Point.

At 12:30 p.m., Barahona stopped for a lunch of chicken soup at Bozena Restaurant in Lindenhurst.

She said she felt fine physically, but Barahona, who is running to raise money to fight breast cancer, was facing an unexpected challenge: inattentive drivers.

"I have to watch for cars leaving parking garages," she said. "I was almost hit today, so I really have to pay attention."

Conditions on the sidewalks of Suffolk County hardly resemble Barahona's most recent run -- a 230-mile jaunt through Canada's Mackenzie River in minus-50-degree temperatures three weeks ago.

Now the warmer temperatures of Long Island have other benefits. A handful of spectators came out Saturday to offer their support.

"You need a friend and these are very enthusiastic people," said Barahona, a pharmaceutical company chemist. "I am happy they recognize me, because we are making immediate bonds together."

Barahona will take short breaks every five miles for a snack and some water, and to meet with her team, which travels ahead of her in a car.

Frank Pellegrino, 56, joined Barahona near Sayville. The friends planned to run through the night and into the morning for the final 60-plus miles.

Pellegrino, a retired air traffic controller, is running to honor a friend battling breast cancer.