Published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New
Jersey
On Sunday, July 15, 2018
IF IT’S JULY, THEN IT MUST BE VERIZON CLASSIC TIME
Is it the biggest race in the state wondered Robert Barwick
when we talked on Friday. Barwick works
with Dan Brannen on the Verizon Corporate Classic 5K and other events in the
state and outside the state as well.
Well, the Spring Lake Five miles must take the prize for the
most participants, but for the northern New Jersey title I have to guess that
the Verizon Corporate Classic 5K must attract the largest fields. It routinely signs up over four thousand
runners, although in 2017 the numbers were down, probably due to a last-minute
course change.
Barwick said that they are expecting close to 5,000 runners
to run an out-and-back loop from Morristown High School next Thursday, July 19th. The final number won’t be known until this
Wednesday when the individual registration closes. On Friday all of the corporate teams had to
be registered which is where the bulk of the field is found.
Barwick praised organizer Dan Brannen for his decision to
allow non-team members to run as individuals.
That is not allowed in most corporate races like the Verizon race.
In 2014 Tradelle Ward, running for Stryker Orthopaedics won
the race in 15:55 and elite steeplechase runner Ashley Higginson, running for
Riker Danzig placed ninth overall in 17:10.
Higginson is becoming a regular now as she won the women’s race in
seventh place overall in 2017 in 17:12.
Kyle Price running unattached won the race in 16:25. Higginson will be back this year and is now
the team captain for Riker Danzig.
The race in 2017 used a totally different course thanks to
construction issues in Morristown that forced the organizers to route the race
down Route 202 and back.
Bad luck with the weather has created problems with the race. As recently as 2013 the race was converted
into a non-competitive run when the temperatures soared to near 100 degrees,
forcing the organizers to shorten the course in the interest of safety for the
runners.
In 2016 the race was cancelled late in the afternoon on race
day when a terrific storm literally blew through the area, downing trees on the
course. A make-up fun run was held a few
weeks later, but not as a race.
That 2016 course, from Morristown High School, would have
been the first time for that location had it not been for the storm. It is now being used for the first time on
Thursday.
All activities will be taking place from the parking lot at
the high school. Runners will recognize many
of the streets being used, although they may be running in a different
direction then on the old course from the Headquarters Plaza on Speedwell
Avenue. A pleasant factor in the change
is the elimination of a hill in the last half mile and an actual downhill to
the finish.
Free parking is still being made available by the
Headquarters Plaza up to a generous 10:30 p.m.
This will allow runners to hit local restaurants after they have
finished their race and not have to worry about parking.
Because of the quarter mile distance from the Headquarters
Plaza and the start at the high school, runners have the option of picking up
their race swag after the race and will not need to return to their cars with
it prior to the start. This has always
been true said Barwick but now this could be more important for late arriving
runners. The race starts at 7:30 p.m.
Due to the size of the field all runners will be timed from
when they cross the start line, using computer technology. Only the top three men and top three women
will have their actual “gun” time recorded.
There are no age division awards but all the runners time and place will
be recorded by the timing company, BESTracingsystems.
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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.
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