MK5K SATURDAY IN DENVILLE DREW RUNNERS OUT TO RACE IN THE FOG
Fog and drizzle did not dampen the first annual MK5K in Denville on Saturday morning. Organized by the Morris Knolls Baseball Diamond Club the ball players were evident everywhere and recognized by the their green team jackets.
Rich Luttenberger, who directed the team of volunteers was pleased with turnout of runners and as he jokingly referred to them, the “fifty indentured servants”.
“We had no practice or games today and they’ve really been a big help, especially several of the parents who helped out.”
The 5K is the first race in Denville since the Run for the Roses 10K and the Harvest Festival 5K was dropped a couple of years ago. The numbers indicate that the fans of Denville racing were happy to have a race return and to use the former Harvest Festival course. Just under two hundred runners finished the race.
“We’re very happy. Everyone’s been so cooperative,” said Luttenberger. “The police were wonderful and the town was wonderful. It’s great!”
Registration was at the Denville Community Church where the race started on Diamond Spring Road. The finish was on Pocono Road giving the runners a net elevation drop that makes for a fast course.
Jeanne Pare, 44, of Mendham, who won the women’s race in 18:55 had high praise for the event.
“It’s a fast course with rolling hills and more downhills,” said Pare. “That’s what makes it a great course.”
“I absolutely love these local races. I love the early start,” said Pare of the eight a.m. start.
OUR HOUSE 5 MILE, USATF-NJ MASTERS 5 MILE CHAMPIONSHIP NEXT SUNDAY IN SUMMIT
May will usher in four championship races beginning with the Our House Five Miler in Summit this next Sunday. Each year the race has been selected as the Masters Men and Women’s 5 mile championship and is a solid favorite with the runners.
The course is not fast as there are significant hills but it is interesting and passes through beautiful neighborhoods in Summit.
Prize money is awarded to the top overall winners of the race and there is a generous purse for the top age graded masters runners down to seven places.
A unique feature of the Our House is an age graded purse for the USATF masters teams. The Performance Level Percentage of the top three finishers on each masters team are added together to determine first second and third. This system allows for all of the age division teams to compete against each other.
In 2004 the Running Company’s M40 A team had a combined Performance Level Percentage (PLP) of 246.4, with the Raritan Valley Road Runners taking second with their 242.1 PLP. In 2004 the Running Company was able to field two very strong teams and their M40 B team took third with a 241.9 PLP.
On the women’s side the Raritan Valley W60 team took first with a 217.7 PLP, while the Morristown based Sneaker Factory W40 A team was second with a 208.4 PLP. Raritan Valley’s W40 team took third with a 206.1 PLP.
A lot can have changed in one year. The Running Company has so far not been as dominant as in the previous year. That will leave the men’s teams with a little more incentive to shoot for. On the women’s side, the Sneaker Factory’s W50 team may come on very strong to challenge their W40 teammates.
WOODS AND LAKES RUNS IN MOUNTAIN LAKES NEXT SATURDAY
If you are over age 30 you can enter the Woods and Lakes 10K and 5K taking place at Birchwood Lake in Mountain Lakes this coming Saturday. It is the only age restricted race in the state that I am aware of and was created to give the “older” runners a chance to win a prize.
Both races start at 10:00 a.m. and both are a combination of roads, woods, and a little bit of mud. Runners love it.
Published in the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, NJ on April 24, 2005.
Copyright Madeline Bost 2005