VERIZON WIRELESS ALWAYS EXCITING

Written by Madeline Bost

Originally Published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey
On Sunday, July 22, 2012

Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2012 

There is always an energy, always excitement at the Verizon Wireless Corporate Classic 5K that takes place in Morristown each July.  This past Thursday was no exception.  The plaza at Headquarters Plaza was full of milling crowds of runners, easily identified by their company clothing.  Verizon Wireless always has the largest team and they turned the plaza a brilliant red in their classy racing shirts.

While many of the participants in the field of close to four thousand might have wanted to run a competitive race, many were there to be a part of the huge event and part of the excitement.  It’s hard to get a good start with a field like that.  Even using only your chip time it will be slower than usual.  If you are not on the front line you will likely be dodging people while being bumped by others faster than you.

If you can hit five or five-thirty minute miles you are on the front line and on Thursday there were a dozen or so who could do that.  From the gun Tyler Gibbons of Basking Ridge immediately went to the front.  Chris Johnson of Berkeley Heights and Jonathan Squeri became a dogged duo following in Gibbons wake.

Running seemingly alone Gibbons passed the one mile clock in around five minutes.  Up and down with turns at every block at the far end of the course he held the lead, going through the second mile only a bit slower.  Then the insurmountable lead narrowed and then it was gone.

“Once I got past the two miles, I started feeling my legs a little bit,” said Gibbons.

As he slowed, Johnson pounced, taking over the lead in that crucial third mile, just as he had planned as he waited to go into another gear.

“That was my plan all along, to let him go out,” said Johnson.

Johnson said he had hoped that no one would go out hard, so that he could steal an easy win.  Gibbons made him work for it.  It got them both fast times; Johnson finished in 15:55 and Gibbons crossed the finish mat in 16:05.  Jonathan Squeri of Princeton finished third in 16:11 and said later that he knew he would have a race on his hands.

“Just looking at these guys I know they are great runners,” said Squeri.  “I’ve run against Chris before and I heard that Tyler is good, going to Columbia next year.  So these guys are the real deal.  I was just enjoying myself.  Putting myself behind them and seeing what happens.”

The first woman, Rachael Sorna of Hopewell Junction NY, had no such race.  Surrounded only by men, she finished in 17:59, sixteenth overall.

“I was hoping one [another woman] would come up on me and run with me but I didn’t see anybody, said Sorna.”

There was plenty of competition behind her.  Ten seconds separated the next three at the finish, and there was a lot of action heading there.

In the last mile, Lyndsay McMeen, whose hometown is not listed, was running in second place.  Kavitha Manley of Piscataway was trying to run her down and did so.  She moved into second place.  Then just before the line Manley was caught by Mollie Pozolo of Michigan, presently living in Hohokus.  Pozolo finished in 19:33, Manley in 19:36 and McMeen in 19:43.

“I knew I wasn’t going to catch her [Sorna], but I was just happy to catch second and third place,” said Pozolo.

For Manley the whole night was a heady experience, her first time to race at the Verizon Wireless 5K.

“I never thought I would be part of something huge like this,” she said, summing up what many felt.  “It’s a little intimidating I think, but it was good.   A lot of energy.”

VERIZON WIRELESS CORPORATE CLASSIC 5K HAS CLOSED

Written by Madeline Bost

Originally Published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey
On Sunday, July 15 2012

Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2012 

All you procrastinators out there, I have bad news for you.  The Verizon Wireless Corporate Classic 5K in Morristown this Thursday has closed registration.  This is the first year that the race has reached its cap so early.

“Last year we shut it down about 40 minutes before the scheduled end of registration on race night,” said race director Dan Brannen of Morris Township.

“We had people waiting in line and they were disappointed,” said Brannen.

So this is probably a good thing that the runners know well ahead of race day that there will be no race night entries accepted.  Last year 3,726 runners and walkers officially finished the race, almost exactly five hundred more than in 2010. 

The 3.1 mile race has taken place in Morristown since 2006 when it replaced the three and a half mile Corporate Challenge.  The course is downright challenging and running a little shorter met no resistance from the runners.

This year there is a minor change to the course that most people will not notice.  The start will be further north on Speedwell, away from the plaza, and the finish will also be a small distance away from the previous finish line.

“It will give us an additional two hundred feet to play with,” said Brannen.  “It will alleviate some of the crowding that has existed in the start and finish area.”

“It will give us more room to get people off the plaza and out into the street for the start and it will also give us more room for the walk off into the refreshment area after the finish.” 

Brannen explained that the area had become extremely crowded in the last few years as the runners stacked up after finishing.   The refreshment area is being reconfigured as well to make it more open and spread out, eliminating the tunnel effect of previous years.

Shortening the course at the start and finish means there must be a corresponding lengthening and that will be achieved by rerouting just one small section of the course at about the two mile mark.

None of the changes should have an appreciable effect on how fast a runner can complete the challenging course.  For the record, or more precisely, according to my unofficial record keeping, the fastest time on the course was run by Chris Pannone of Lambertville in 2009.  He averaged 4:50 minutes per mile and hit the tape in 15:01.  In that race Justin Scheid of Sparta gave Pannone a good challenge but faded toward the end to finish in 15:29 for the second fastest time on record.  In 2010 Scheid came back and ran a 15:30 to win.

In 2011 Elena Rozhko of Morristown won the women’s race in 17:49 nearly a full minute faster than any other woman has run. 

The irony of those fast times is that the Verizon Wireless Corporate Classic does not emphasis speed.  It is all about inclusion and the encouragement to exercise through running.  After the top three men and women are recognized there are no other individual awards.  Corporate teams do compete and that is to encourage the local companies to support good health in their employees.

Not that the teams aren’t competitive.  One hundred and nine teams competed in the men’s division with host company Verizon Wireless taking first place with the combined first three runners time of 54:41.  Alcatel Lucent was second in 55:05.  Hatch Mott MacDonald squeaked to third in 56:48 with Foster Wheeler just two seconds back in 56:50.

Ninety-six women’s teams finished the race in 2011 with Verizon Wireless again the winner.  Novartis was second and AT&T third.

Times for all of the runners are based on their actual running time from when they first cross the starting line and when they finish.  Doing the timing this way ensures that runners get a more accurate time for their race, although the start for most of the nearly four thousand runners will be so congested at first that even though they have crossed the start line they will still be only walking or jogging.

Packet pick-up on race day will begin at noon at the Headquarters Plaza just off the Green.  The race start is at 7:30 p.m.   

IT’S SUMMERTIME AND THE RUNNING SHOULD BE FUN

Written by Madeline Bost

Originally Published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey
On Sunday, July 1, 2012

Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2012

Now that summer is here, it’s time for some fun.  The Morris County Striders summer series begins on Tuesday night, the eve of Fourth of July.  The course is an almost dead flat cross country run at Johanson Field in Boonton Township.  In 2010 the course was redesigned to an almost perfect double loop.  Ben Vanwyk set the course record in 2010 of 15:43, and Diana D’Achille set the women’s record of 18:53.  Age division best times are recorded so all runners have a chance at setting an age division record.

The club offers scoring in a series that counts the best three races out of four that will be held on alternating Tuesday evenings.   One exception is the last race on August 7th is one week after the July 31st race.

If you’ve been running for a few years you remember when the Firecracker Four Miles in Cranford was the only race on the Fourth of July.  Not so anymore.  Just take a look at the calendar’s that are listed at the bottom of this column for races.  The Firecracker for sure, but also one in Maplewood, and others that are farther away.

Summer time is also when runners get in the water and on their bikes so a lot of triathlons are on the schedule.  One that is right here in Morris County is the Randolph Tri on Sunday, July 8th that takes place from the Randolph Township swimming lake off of Route 10 on the border with Roxbury.  When I checked the website on Friday registrations were still being accepted.  As triathlons go, this one is a sprint featuring a one half mile swim, a bike leg of 16.4 miles, and 5K run.

Another big event in July is the Verizon Wireless Corporate Classic on Thursday the 19th in Morristown.  At one time this event was restricted to only those running for a corporate team, but it has been opened to all runners in the past few years.  It’s a huge draw with plenty of once a year runners.   Last year it drew 3,700 finishers.

Another fun night race is the Downtown Westfield 5K on Wednesday, July 25th.  It draws a huge crowd who come as much for the after race pizza as for the race.  If you go to that one be sure to plan to arrive early in order to find a parking spot.

OK.  Now for the real racing fun;  that’s if you think running over and under hellish obstacles, including fire pits is fun.  The first Warrior Dash 5K is taking place right here in our locale, in Lewis Morris Park on Saturday, July 14.  This is another of the new genre of adventure runs that have become so popular.  Being a spectator might actually be more fun, and less harmful to your body.  Check it out at warriordash.com.


HOT AND HUMID AT THE FITZGERALD’S LAGER RUN ON SUNDAY

The weather gods played a mean trick on the runners this past Sunday.  Both Saturday and Sunday were beautiful, with clear skies and fresh, dry air.  Then along about 5:00 Sunday afternoon, in Glen Ridge, those pesky gods ushered in a very un-nice front of warm sticky humid air.

When the gun went off for the Fitzgerald’s Lager Run 5K at 6:15 p.m., runners were well warmed up and not necessarily from a warm up jog.   Still some of the runners managed to get through the heat and humidity and register a fast time.  Youssef Rochdi of Morris Plains won the race in 15:17, with Morristown’s Ben Clarke second in 15:51.

David Craig of Westfield finished in 16:20 in fourth place overall, the first masters man and the lead runner in the winning M40 team, Fleet Feet Essex.  Elliott Frieder of Montville was fifth and brother Jonathan of Hartsdale, NY finished 10th.

The Sneaker Factory took second in the M40, and the North Jersey Masters were third.  In the M50 division the North Jersey Masters pulled off an upset in beating the Shore AC team.  The Shore team stayed ahead of the third place team,  Fleet Feet Essex by only seven seconds.


The Shore AC took first in the M60 division with the Raritan Valley Road Runners in second.  The Do Run Runners edged out a third by only four seconds over the Clifton Running Club.

Elena Rozhko of Morristown won the women’s side in 17:24.  Over a thousand runners finished the race on the track at Hurrell Field on Bloomfield Avenue.

FITZGERALD’S 1928 LAGER RUN ENDS THE SEASON

Written by Madeline Bost

Originally Published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey
On Sunday, June 24, 2012

Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2012 

The Fitzgerald 1928 Lager 5K this evening in Glen Ridge is the final USATF New Jersey championship of the spring season. This is the second year for the increasingly popular race to host the masters men’s championship. In 2011 it drew 1,130, up by nearly 400 runners the previous year. Statistics can lie, however. In 2010 masters men had competed at Pine Beach that morning in what was then their championship 5K. A few people did drive to Glen Ridge that day, but not many wanted to do double 5K’s on a hot summer Sunday.

The 5K will be the third championship for masters men and it is very early to see a trend, but it is fun to speculate on what the season will be for the teams.

In the M40 division the Sneaker Factory has a two point lead after placing second at the Miles for Music 20K and winning the Clinton Country Run 15K. Raritan Valley won the Miles for Music 20K and placed third in the Clinton Country Run 15K. The possible spoiler team is the Fleet Feet Essex team that took second at the 15K and could easily win tonight if all their top M40 men are running.

The Shore Athletic team has two first place finishes in the M50 division and another will clinch their dominance in that division.

In the M60 division Shore and Raritan Valley are tied with a win and a second apiece. When the team grand prix first began, very few teams competed in the M60 division. Now it is on par with the younger men’s teams. That is actually not surprising, given that the Baby Boomers are now in, or soon to enter that age division.

Registration begins at 4:30 p.m. at Hurrell Field on Bloomfield Avenue with the start at 6:15 p.m. The race course has a net elevation drop with the best downhill in the first mile. The finish is on the track at Hurrell Field. Post race refreshments include Brooklyn Lager Beer from Fitzgerald’s 1928 for adult runners. Water or soda for the underage and pretzels for all runners.

BATTLE OF THE BUSINESS 5K

A night race is closer to home tomorrow night in Florham Park. The Battle of the Business 5K will be staged from the Green in Florham Park with registration opening at 6:00 p.m. with the race start at 7:30 p.m.

Not surprisingly, the race is heavy on corporate categories with men, women, and coed teams in two groups based on size of the company and a non corporate category as well. In addition to individual age division awards, the oldest and youngest runners will be recognized along with the largest corporate team.

FRANTIC 5K AT FOSTERFIELDS

If you prefer cross country racing, then Tuesday night is your choice. The Frantic Fun Run is put on by the Morris County Parks and although the name implies a fun run, it is actually a competitive race with five year age divisions. It takes place at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm reached on Kahdena Road in Morris Township. Registration begins at 5:00 p.m. with the start is at 7:00 p.m.

PERFECT CONDITIONS FOR THE PRESIDENT’S CUP NIGHT RACE

On a perfect night to run fast, the top of the field didn’t quite have it. That’s according to the man who would know. Jeff Perrella of Westfield, who won the President’s Cup Night Race 5K in Millburn on Monday night, said as much after the race.

Temperatures were cool by June standards, and certainly in comparison to other years, but they just weren’t on, according to Perrella who finished in a less than astounding 15:02. In 2011 Perrella won the race in 14:50. Elena Rozhko of Morristown also won in 2011 and again on Monday night. Her time of 17:23 was only a tick off from 2011, but it was slower by two seconds.

Second place on the men’s side went to Youssef Rochdi of Morris Plains in a disappointing 15:12. Rochdi has a goal of 14:37 for 5K this year. He went out fast, perhaps hoping to meet that goal, but was reeled in by the others after two miles.

The race was not a championship for the first time in several years and that may have accounted for the drop from 1,344 finishers in 2011 to 1,117 this year.

PRESIDENT’S CUP NIGHT RACE WILL BE PACKED

Written by Madeline Bost

Originally Published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey
On Sunday, June 17, 2012

Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2012    

No, it’s not a USATF New Jersey Championship this year.  Not for open men, or open women.  Does that mean the runners won’t come to Millburn tomorrow night?  I wouldn’t bet on it.

Yes, championships do draw runners and some races would be a bit smaller if they weren’t a championship.  But some races can draw a good crowd of runners without the championship affiliation

The President’s Cup Night Race 5K is one of those.  Most years it has been the open men’s championship although occasionally it hosted the open women.  Last year’s race drew a strong field from both camps.  Jeff Perrella of Westfield won the race in 14:50 and the next seven men finished in under 16 minutes.  Eighth and ninth were just a squeak over sixteen.

On the women’s side Elena Rozhko of Morristown won in 17:21, and the next eight women finished in under twenty minutes. 

Bringing all those fast people together makes all those fast people even better.  There is no question that runners do better when there is competition and the President’s Cup almost guarantees fast times. 

However, not all of the runners are looking for fast times.  Some come for the fun night in Charlie Brown’s restaurant parking lot when Samuel Adams parks a beer truck and the amber fluid flows.  All in all there is something for everyone.  Registration begins at 6:30 p.m. in Charlie Brown’s parking lot.

LAGER RUN 5K NEXT SUNDAY EVENING

While the President Cup race is not a championship, there is one more on the spring schedule.  That is the Fitzgerald 1928 Lager Run in Glen Ridge next Sunday evening.  If the name sounds faintly like a beer run, it is.  Hosted by Fitzgerald 1928 it features Brooklyn Brewery Lager. 

Masters men are in the spotlight at this championship.  Age grading picks the top three for prize money and that went to a range of ages in 2011, from Mark Zamek, 48, of Macungie PA who was scored with the fastest age graded time with his 16:23 hitting 88.53% PLP.  Roger Price, 62, of Randolph was a half percentage point behind with his 18:32 scored at 88.05% and Hector Rivera, 40, of Clifton next in age grading with his 15:45, 86.66%.

Team competition within the age divisions draws many clubs.  Eighteen M40 teams were entered with the top spot taken by the Essex Fleet Feet club.  Shore Athletic Club won the M50 division with ten teams entered.  As many teams were entered in the M60 division with Raritan Valley scoring first, and in the M70 division saw the national caliber Clifton Running Club team with an easy win over the Central Jersey Road Runners.  All of those teams and individuals are expected back to defend their titles in the 2012 edition.

Registration and packet pickup begins at 4:30 p.m. at Hurrell Field on Sunday afternoon.  All that can be done the night before at Fitzgerald’s 1928 at 13 Herman Street between 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

NEW COURSE RECORDS SET AT ROXBURY

All the age division winners at the Roxbury Community Benefit 5K run on Monday, June 11^th set records on the new course.  The race was won by James Lothian of Morristown in 17:21 and by Dianna D’Achille of Denville on the women’s side in 18:46. 

While talking about course records, did you catch the error in last week’s column?  Anthony LaMastro of Flanders set the course record on the old Roxbury course in 2011.  His time was 15:33, not 16:08 as was printed.  I do regret the error.

ROXBURY COMMUNITY BENEFIT 5K MAKES CHANGES

Written by Madeline Bost

Originally Published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey
On Sunday, June 10, 2012
Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2012

Most runners have a preference for the way a race course is laid out. A pure out and back course gives you a runners-side view of the race. You see the field as it comes back on the other side of the road. A lollipop course is part out and back and part loop. A pure loop course begins and ends at the same place but arrives at that spot by circling the area.

While runners have preferences, there is another group that has preferences that have nothing to do with running. Those people are the police officers who must control and often stop traffic while the race is going on.

In the case of the Roxbury Community Benefit 5K that will take place tomorrow night in Succasunna, Roxbury Township, the police have made their preference known. The popular out-and-back, with a lollipop, had to go.

With the growth in population over the years since the races’ inception, the traffic that had to be held up while the runners used Eyland Avenue, could not be managed. The road was being used for just too much time with no place to stall the drivers trying to use it. A new course had to be designed.

Enter Jim Schulz who lives in the area of the race and who is the director of the race with assistance from the Morris County Striders who took over the race from the Merry Heart Health Care Center.

Schulz found that if the runners start on Eyland, in front of the Eisenhower Middle School where all race activities takes place, he could route a loop through the neighborhoods and up to Hillside and then back to the middle school via the roadway to the adjacent high school.

But then things get tricky. Roxbury High School needed to be free of any evening activities, with no vehicles blocking the racers. That meant that the race would need to move to the second Monday in June, not the first. At one time every Monday night in June sported a 5K race, but the race that normally used the second Monday has folded. Smart race organizers never want to schedule the same day as another established race. With the other race gone, the calendar was clear for the Roxbury race. It takes the second Monday, the President’s Cup Night Race in Millburn has the third and the Battle of the Business 5K in Florham Park has the fourth.

Any time you change a course significantly you open the race up to the setting of course records.

Anthony LaMastro of Flanders set the course record of 15:33 in 2011. Ali Caruana of Succasunna has the women’s course record of 17:15 that she set in 2006. Some of the age division records are not shabby either. Doug Smith of Succasunna had the record for one year with his 16:08 that he set in 2010. It stands for the 15 to 16 year old division. Smith also has the 13/14 division record of 17:17. On the girls side of the ledger, Roxbury High School standouts have them all sewed up, with Jenn Ennis holding the 12 and under record of 19:29, Ashley Cromartie has the 13/14 record with 18:52 and Mary Migton the 15/16 of 18:54.

Some of the masters age division records are held by runners who no longer race, but some still active runners include Jeanne Pare of Mendham who claims 18:07 and 19:12 for the W40 and W45 records. Triathlete Linda Mirabella of Rockaway has the W50 and W55 records of 21:44 and 21:58 respectively. Cande Olsen of Chatham has the W60 record of 24:00.

The runner with the most course records is Bill Hagman of Morris Plains, who has the M55, M60 and M65, of 19:06, 18:22 and 21:32 respectively. All the records will be retired and fresh names and times will be recorded on Monday night.

Not just the course and the date have changed. This year the post race refreshments will be pizzas donated by several local pizzerias; Papa John’s on Route 10 West in Succasunna, Domino’s on Route 46 west in Ledgewood, Joe's Pizzeria on Route 46 East in Kenvil and Luigi's Pizza on Route 10 East in Succasunna.

Pizza will be washed down by a brand new sports hydration beverage, Powercoco that is made from coconut water. Of course the big draw for the runners is the post pizza treat from Cliff’s Ice Cream.

Details about the race can be found at morriscountystriders.com. For more information contact Jim Schulz at 973-219-4494 or rcb5k@optonline.net

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.