Verizon race has been rescheduled

Published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey

On Sunday, July 24, 2016

VERIZON RACE HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED

The Verizon Corporate Classic has found a new date and a new distance.   It will go off at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 4^th from Atno Avenue next to the Morristown high school, just as had been planned before the race had to be cancelled when a furious storm threw trees and wires on the 5K course.

Those things remain the same, but the distance has been shortened from a 5K, or aka 3.1 miles to a two mile course.  It is also not going to be timed and no awards will be given.  How this will affect the turnout is unknown.

The last time the course was shortened was in 2013 when heat had become a factor.  The decision to shorten the course was made that same day so folks who had planned to run were on their way.  Since the race – well now we must call it an event – was not timed there is also no count of the participants.

With a head’s up that it is not a race and the distance has been chopped there may be people who will not show.  On the other hand there may be plenty of people who welcome a shorter course and don’t care one bit how fast they run. 

And, and it’s a big And, if they want their souvenir T-Shirt and their goody bag, they must show up to claim them.  

TEAM BLOKE 5K FOR CANCER AWARENESS IS COMING SOON

In 2015 I wrote about the Team Bloke 5K and Doug Clark and his upbeat, even inspiring attitude while he battles an aggressive brain tumor.  The race was created to help the Clark’s, who live in Mendham, with non covered medical expenses.

Clark is a national caliber triathlete.  His battle with the cancer began in November of 2014 and although he has been a model patient it has been a rough year.    Prayers as well as a race entry fee or a flat out donation would really help to lift the family’s spirits.  The race is on Saturday August 4^th in Mendham.  

MIDLAND AVE MILE IN MONTCLAIR ON AUGUST 21

Run a mile?   No way!  Well. Way.   Yes of course most readers of this column are LDR folks, as in Long Distance Running.  What’s a mile doing parading as a road race? 

Road miles were at one time quite the thing in long distance racing.  They brought out the track milers and tempted the distance runners.  Road miles have made a small comeback, and New Jersey, being on the cutting edge of the running scene added a road mile two years ago down the shore and last year it was run in New Brunswick – the College Avenue Mile.

That race did not happen this year and now the mile races, both for open athletes and masters athletes is being hosted by the Midland Avenue Mile in Montclair.  The mile is a point to point along Midland Avenue that according to the race website has been newly paved and has zero turns.  You will start at one spot on the avenue and just run until you reach the finish at the other end.  Simple.

Open runners will run in one heat and masters runners will be divided into groups according to their age divisions.  The Men 60+ first, then Women 50+, then Men 50, on down with each race about ten minute increments.   The older women and men will need a little bit longer than ten minutes but it appears that the time schedule is flexible.

The open races will be seeded by time into three heats.  All of this will make for a very fair and fun race.  Clubs may need to exert a little pressure on their members to get full teams and they have an incentive to do so.  It’s that one point for the teams that finish out of the point spread.  All teams earn at least that one point.  The team scoring this year is going to be really interesting and this mile may weed out the - well sorry to have to print this – the chickens.

Be brave dear runners and grab some points for your team. 

TAKING A SUMMER BREAK

I am taking a summer break.  Look for this column again on Sunday, July 21^st. 

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