The sun shined down on Bay Ridge on Sunday for the 35th Annual P.O. Christopher Hoban ’80 Memorial Run, honoring the service, sacrifice, and life of Police Officer Christopher Hoban, who was shot and killed in the line of duty on October 18, 1988 at the age of 26.

 

Hundreds gathered in front of Xaverian – Hoban’s alma mater – as the event’s master of ceremonies, Robert Oliva ’00, reminded the audience of Hoban’s sacrifice and thanked all the runners and supporters.

 

“We have been blessed with great weather, the incredible support of the community, and a team of dedicated and loyal volunteers. There’s no doubt that Chris is shining down on us,” Oliva said. 

 

Local leaders and politicians, including Andrew Gounardes, Nicole Malliotakis, and Justin Brannan also joined the opening ceremonies before the event’s committee honored Mr. Michael Wilson ’77, Assistant Principal, with the Police Officer Christopher Hoban ‘80 Service to New York Award! The award recognizes him for his involvement in the run since its inception.

Wilson expressed his surprise at the award, stating, “You do things because it’s the right thing to do, not because you want to be recognized.” While Wilson did not know Chris personally, he was connected to him through Xaverian and the NYPD.

 

The runners, many of whom were Xaverian students, were cheered on by onlookers and Xaverian’s own cheerleaders, who drummed up support with their pom poms and cheers.  

 

At 10:30, the horn sounded, and runners took off on their three-mile and five-mile runs, running past the front of the school and along the Shore Road Promenade. Only 17 minutes and 58 seconds after the start did the first runner, junior Phil Hamdan, return.

 

Humbly, Hamdan commented, “Events like the Hoban Run can serve as an inspiration for people to train hard for something and raise awareness for a good cause.”

 

And at 22 minutes and 15 seconds, the first female, junior Grace Lanier, came charging through the finish line.

“Winning was a great experience, but being able to honor someone I find heroic was even more special,” Lanier stated.

Over 900 runners followed Hamdan and Lanier, finishing the race and the day with a bar-b-que in the school parking lot.

The Hoban Run is enthusiastically supported by the Xaverian Police Alumni, the NYPD, and the entire community.  The run not only keeps alive the memory of Chris' personal sacrifice, but it also serves as the primary funding of the Hoban Scholarship, which provides tuition assistance to sons and daughters of New York City Police Officers attending Xaverian.

To view photos from the day, click here.