MASTERS WOMAN IS FIRST OVERALL AT 5K CHAMPIONSHIP

Written by Madeline Bost

Originally Published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey
On Sunday, September 9, 2012

Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2012

The JimmyD 5K in New Brunswick last Sunday was the USATF New Jersey masters women’s championship and it showed. Even in a big race like the Jimmie D with 747 finishers the first men and women to cross the finish line are usually younger runners. Not so on Sunday when Catherine Smith of Wayne finished first woman in 18:55.

Smith has been a top woman for several years in New Jersey and now that she has aged into the masters ranks she is sure to get more notice. Until 2011 Smith had run unattached but now is the top female for the Fleet Feet Essex club and she delivered the club a win in the W40 division.

The Garmin running team, new this year, placed second in that division with Susan Bessin of Madison bringing that team in with her time of 20:38.

Fifty-seven year old Nora Cary of Morristown led the Do Run Runners team in for third. She finished in 21:00, the fourth fastest women over forty. The Do Run runners placed third also in the W50 division. The Rose City running club placed fourth in the W50, with Dede Paul of Madison whose time was 22:51 first woman on her team. The Morris County Striders were fifth.

The Striders hit pay dirt in the more senior divisions. They placed second in the W60 division but first in the W70, and in the W80 division.

The Striders now have three women over 80 who love to run and love to race. Diane Stone of Bernardsville finished in 47:03 while Melva Murray of Bedminster finished in 49:42. Patricia Tummey of Randolph who at 83 has been waiting for her teammates to age up to her age group finished in 56:19.

Of course the men raced at JimmyD also and Anthony Harris of North Brunswick won the race in 15:47. There were plenty of young men racing, but amongst the top ten was 49 year old Mark Zamek of Macungie PA. His time of 16:51 put him at the top of the list in age grading at 86.81%. The first local man was Gary Rosenberg of Morristown who finished in 17:30. Rosenberg was the second masters man to finish.