A LOT CAN HAPPEN IN TWO WEEKS

Written by Madeline Bost

Originally Published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey
On Sunday, May 27, 2012
Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2012

TWO CHAMPIONSHIPS HAVE COME AND GONE

A lot can happen in two weeks, when it is two weeks in prime racing season.  I was called away unexpectedly two weeks ago for a family member’s illness in Washington state, and am now catching up to the news on the racing scene.

The Newport 10,000 in Jersey City has always been an interesting race.  No, not because of the location in the Newport area of the waterfront city, but because of the mixture of local elite runners and elite runners from out of state and out of the country.

The non New Jersey runners are lured in with prize money substantial enough to warrant the drive or the flight from places like Kentucky, Florida, Maine, Minnesota, Maryland, New Mexico, and of course, New York.  First place was taken by Julius Koskei in 29:15 and seven men went under 30 minutes.  Eighth place was taken by New Jersean Jeff Perella of Westfield in 31:15.

The first woman to finish was Loretta Kilmer in 33:53.  Coincidentally the first New Jersey woman to finish also took eighth place.  Elena Rozhko of Morristown would win a 10K ordinarily with a time of 37:03, but when you are up against pro runners, well, you get eighth.

The race, which took place on May 12^th, was host to USATF New Jersey open men and women, so in a sense they were not running against the pros, but against fellow state runners.

The now dominant Garden State Track club took first in the both the men and women’s team championship.  The Sneaker Factory was second men’s team with the Fleet Feet Essex club third.  On the women’s side Raritan Valley’s team was second and the new in 2012 Garmin runners were third. 

On May 20^th, the Run for Rachel in Livingston was the USATF New Jersey 5K open women’s championship.  Rozhko won the race with her time of 17:41, the only local woman to place in the top ten.  The Garden State Track club made it a double header of sorts with another win, Raritan Valley again in second and the Garmin women again in third.

The win by Garden State broke the tie in the open women division of the team grand prix that has now been posted on the USATF NJ website.  In the club grand prix, the Raritan Valley Road Runners have once again jumped to the lead.

In addition to the championship races this month, Morris County saw the SuperHero Half Marathon draw 1,237 official finishers and maybe even set a world record for the most super heroes in costume in one place.  Ryan Grote of Morristown won the race in 1:11:19, well over three minutes ahead of the rest of the field, which certainly makes him a super hero, whether he dressed as one or not.

Masters runner Misa Tamura of Ridgewood was the first woman to finish, but with only a seven second margin over Kristin Miller, 17, of Long Valley.  Their times were 1:27:40 and 1:27:47 respectively.

This past Wednesday in Madison the Pfizer Run For Pride 5K was won by Ben Clarke of Morristown in 16:28.  Visiting from Atlanta, Allison Dublinski finished in 18:26 to win the women’s race.  Threatening skies may have kept some runners away but the rain held off or had moved away for the 525 who finished the race.

Foster Wheeler won the men’s team division, with Novartis second and host Pfizer third.   Novartis women won their division, with Pfizer second and ADP third.  The Coed division was won by the Greystone Park staff team, Prudential Real Estate Investors were second, and the Picatinny Pacers took third.

NATIONAL TRAILS DAY IS SATURDAY

Morris County is blessed with a network of off-road walking, cycling and yes, running trails.  This Saturday is National Trails Day and a newly opened segment of the Patriots Path will have a ribbon cutting ceremony and then a ride, walk, or run that will begin at the Horseshoe Lake complex in Roxbury at 9:00 a.m.  The segment being opened is through the Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority land between Righter Road in Roxbury and Pleasant Hill Road in Ironia.  It reconnects what was once a railroad track that goes through the Black River Wildlife Management area to Pleasant Hill Road in Chester.