COLLEGE AVENUE MILES NEXT SUNDAY IN NEW BRUNSWICK

Written by Madeline Bost

Originally Published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey
On Sunday, June 3, 2012
Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2012

The Garden State Track Club if hosting what they expect to be the first of annual College Avenue Mile festival of miles in New Brunswick next Sunday, June 10th.           

Beginning at 10:00 a.m. with the youth divisions going off first, there will be a succession of races.  After the youth will come the elite divisions with high school, open, and masters 40 to 59, and senior masters 60 and over.  Then the fun begins for the other folks who want a taste of competitive mile races that fit with their running pace.  Starting those races will be the division for those who will run a ten minute mile or slower.  Then nine to ten minutes, on down to the last one that is faster than five minutes.

How to determine a winner of a heat if he or she goes under the division time will be tricky but the club has people working on that.  Runners should probably assume they will run their mile a bit faster than they think they can and seed themselves appropriately.

The course will be flat and fast.  It is two 800 meter loops making it a very friendly spectator course that starts and finishes in front of the College Avenue Gym.

Once the runners have finished with their race, they can drift to the Olive Branch Bar and Restaurant that is on the race course to enjoy two dollar beers being served all day.  Not a bad way to watch the races.

Pre-registration is greatly encouraged.  Day-of-race registration must be done at least one hour prior to the selected race.  The schedule and other information can be found on the club website, gardenstatetc.org. 

TRACK MEET TODAY AT MONMOUTH UNIVERSITY  

Track runners are at Monmouth University today for the USATF New Jersey open and masters track and field championship. 

This evening the Pleasant Valley Twilight Challenge 5K will start at 6:00 at Pleasant Valley Park on Valley Road in Basking Ridge.  The course is a combination of roads and dirt surface – part cross country and part roads.

Next Saturday is the Chatham Fishawack Four mile race and a one mile run.  The mile race begins at 9:00 a.m. while the four mile starts at 9:30 a.m.  On the same day in Florham Park is the Jaycees 5K starting at 8:30 a.m.  On Sunday, June 10^th is the Run for Marge 5K in Pequannock.  The Run for Julianna 10K in Denville that has been shown for the 10^th has moved to the fall.

Central Park in Morris Plains will be the site of a 5K Cross Country run at 9:30 a.m. on the 10^th.  It is a new addition to the USATF-NJ cross country grand prix series.

Don’t look for the Roxbury Community Benefit 5K tomorrow.  The race has been moved to the second Monday evening in June, June 11^th.

RIDGEWOOD RUN

The Ridgewood Runs on Monday always draw elite, professional runners from outside the state and that was true this year as well.  First place in the 10K was won in 30:18, followed by a handful of said runners, but Morristown’s Ben Clarke finished sixth in 34:09.  Clarke’s friend from Atlanta Allison Dublinski placed third in 39:27.  Clarke and Dublinski won the Pfizer Run With Pride, respectively on May 23^rd in Madison.

In the 5K, Youssef Rochdi of Morris Plains, who was featured here onMay 6th, finished third in 15:09 while Elena Rozhko of Morristown took second woman in 17:46.  Just as the professional runners are almost guaranteed to show at Ridgewood, so it seems are hot and humid conditions.   That was the case on Monday resulting in disappointing times for the racers.