Published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris
County, New Jersey
On Sunday, September 7, 2014
DRAM A AT THE JIMMY D 5K
Stephen Mennitt of Edison won the Jimmy D 5K this past
Sunday in New Brunswick with a comfortable margin of thirty-one seconds. That margin forestalled any possible complaints
that Mennitt did not run the exact course.
The race finishes on the track at Memorial Stadium off Joyce Kilmer Avenue.
Spectators saw the lead motorcycle cut into the sport
complex at the first available gate and Mennitt followed it. He then ran to the track and completed three
quarters of the oval to the finish. His time
was 16:06 and it can be argued that rather than cutting the course he actually
ran longer than any others.
The correct course continued up Joyce Kilmer to the second
gate where the runners entered the complex and ran about one third of the
oval. Mike Soroko of Kinnelon was in
second place and he also turned into the wrong gate. Rather than let him go, spectators
called out to him and he dashed back out to Joyce Kilmer. By that time Michael Daigeaun of Philadelphia
who was running in third had reached the first gate, but Daigeaun eased off his
drive, allowing Soroko to resume his place.
I have seen this kind of good sportsmanship happen in other races where
the trailing runner does not take advantage of a mistake by the runner in
front. Soroko finished in second in
16:37 with Daigeaun third in 16:42.
While the race was a masters women’s championship there was other
drama up front as well. Mark Zamek who won
the Midland Run 15K in the early 90’s and who is now 51 years old finished in
fourth place in 16:57 for an 87.71 % PLP.
The women’s winner of the race was the “new kid on the block”
Roberta Groner, 36, who recently moved to Randolph from outside the state. She finished in 17th place in
18:22.
Misa Tamura of Ridgewood, now 48 years old finished second
woman overall in 19:24. Mary Christian,
51, of Flanders was fourth masters woman in 20:33 and Nora Cary, 59, of
Morristown was eighth masters woman in 21:11 and tops in Age Grading at 89.03%.
The Shore Athletic Club women’s 40 team handed the Morristown
based Garmin runners their first defeat this year with the North Jersey Masters
bumping them out of second as well, thanks to Tamura’s outstanding performance. Cary brought her Do Run Runners W50 team into
victory in that division.
CROSS COUNTRY NEXT SUNDAY
Next Sunday the teams from all divisions will be at Deer
Path Park in Hunterdon County for the 5 kilometer cross country
championship. Cross country racing is
where racing began but many present day runners started out on the roads and
are reluctant to go onto dirt and grass.
In my opinion the Deer Path Park course is the best cross country course
that I have ever run. It has hills but
nothing as brutal as can be found at Holmdel Park with its infamous Bowl. The course is mowed grass with no rocks or
roots to trip even the clumsiest runner.
Look for the Garden State Track Club to be out in force
racing in the open men and women divisions.
Favorites in the M40 and W40 will be the Garmin team although the Shore
Athletic Club proved last Sunday that they have the women who can match the
Garmin women. Men 50 is up for grabs
with the Clifton Road Runners, Do Run Runners, Shore AC and the North Jersey
Masters all contenders.
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A calendar of USATF sanctioned events can be found at www.usatfnj.org or at www.raceforum.com for running and tri and
biathlon events.
Contact Madeline Bost at madelinebost@verizon.net.
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