MARATHON WEEKEND FEATURES MORE THAN ONE MARATHON
Marathon weekend usually refers to all of the activity surrounding a single marathon but here in New Jersey, next weekend is either the Boston Marathon or the New Jersey Marathon. For the first time in the history of the New Jersey race their event is taking place on the same weekend as the more famous race in Boston.
Colliding with Boston was not done deliberately but was dictated by circumstance. Normally the New Jersey Marathon has been on the last Sunday in April but this year the race was moved in deference to Passover.
The New Jersey Road Runners Club is the official organizer of the marathon and all of the ancillary events, which are numerous. It is a huge undertaking to put on a race of 26 miles, but in addition the club runs a ten mile race.
The races start at Gateway National Recreation Area, or as we know it, Sandy Hook and both finish in Long Branch. In between the ten milers follow some of the same course as the marathon but obviously 16 miles are cut off. The start this year for the ten mile is at 7:30 a.m. with the marathon going off at 8:30 a.m.
Marathoners must maintain a 15 minute per mile pace, or better, or they will miss the time cut off and will not be able to finish the race. Runners, and race walkers who do not reach mile 17 by 12:45 will be directed to leave the course.
Pacing has a negative connotation when applied to elite runners who receive assistance while racing, but in marathons, pacing is not only endorsed it is facilitated.
Pacers, who are willing to run somewhat slower than their normal pace and who are experienced at the marathon distance are identified by a special bib, with the expected finishing time emblazoned on it. Runners who want to finish in a target time just need to locate their pace group prior to the start and stay with it throughout the race.
While the Boston Marathon will have some of the world’s elite competing for the enticing purse money, down at the Jersey shore there is no such incentive, which makes the New Jersey Marathon a true people’s race. In 2004 the race was won by a New Yorker in 2:33:55, nearly 30 minutes off what the elites will do in Boston. In third place was Steve Semple of Convent Station in 2:46:19. The first female finishers was Rumson masters ace, Dorian Meyers in 2:51:43. In all close to 1,500 finished the race.
Registration can still be done either on-line at www.njmarathon.org or at the marathon expo on Friday or Saturday at the Ocean Place Resort & Spa in Long Branch. There is no registration on race day.
BOSTON ATTRACTS THE SPEED
Speaking of Boston Prize money. Did you know that first place will win the fastest man and fastest woman $100,000.00? Even 15 th place has a purse of $1,500.00. That is why the elite of the world converge on Boston on Patriot’s Day. But Boston is also for the more mortal running elite. Those who run at Boston had to earn their berth there by running a qualifying time at another marathon.
While the standards have been set a little lower recently, they still require that a runner put in the work and do the time. Men 18 to 34 have to have run 3:10 or better and women in that division must have run 3:40.
Masters men in the 40 to 44 need to have a 3:20 and women in that division 4:00. the scale stays the same throughout the age divisions with women given 30 more minutes on the men’s qualifying times for the same age division. At age 60 a man needs to have a 4:00 qualifying time and a woman a 4:30.
Elite women, including masters elite will have a 29 minute early start. Women who think they can run with the fast bunch and who also hope to win prize money, and when it goes down to 15 th place, that is a lure, must run in the early start to be eligible. Masters prize money starts at $10,000.00 and goes five places deep to $1,000.00. That has to be a tough decision to make for the women who are teetering on the edge of being capable of running with the elites. If they have a good day and don’t run with the “big” girls they forfeit their chance for prize money, and if they go for it, and have a bad day, they will be running alone and lonely for much of the race.
Of course that is not a concern for most of the runners, but there is still an added excitement for those who have declared on a team. Last year the Running Company, which has a store in Morristown, placed 16 th in the Open Men’s team division. Placing 13 th in the Masters Women division was the Sneaker Factory team that trains out of Morristown. Those teams and more, including the Morris County Striders with two teams will be going for glory in this year’s race.
First published in the DAILY RECORD on Sunday, April 10, 2005
Copyright Madeline Bost, 2005