RACES NEAR AND FAR NEXT WEEKENDRunners can go near and far in search of a race the last weekend in September, but one that is very near is a little 5K at Loantaka Park in Morris Township. If you are looking for fierce competition go elsewhere, but if you like a small race with a nice cause then go to the Fighting Children's Cancer Foundation 5K on Saturday. The organization gives financial relief to the families of children with cancer and their focus is really about raising the money. The course is on the bike paths in the park and with only 57 finishers in 2006 there was plenty of room for the field. Interestingly, the course is certified. The race starts at 10:00 a.m. with registration beginning at 9:00 a.m. |
If you were one of the runners who headed to Branch Brook Park last April and went home empty handed, so to speak, you have another chance at the Cherry Blossom 10K. The spring race was cancelled due to concerns about safety after a major storm swept through the area. Runners were promised that it would be rescheduled in the fall and now it's here. It is Sunday, September 30th at 10:00 a.m. Same race but don't look for the cherry blossoms.
Runners who seek out half marathons and don't mind running back-to-back after today's Liberty Half Marathon can go 'down the shore for the 35th running of the Jersey Shore Half Marathon taking place at Gateway National Recreation Area, better known as Sandy Hook. In recent years the race has taken place entirely on the hook instead of being a point-to-point race from Sandy Hook to points south.
The half marathon will start at 9:00 a.m. with a 5K starting five minutes later.
Just up the road in Jefferson is the Jefferson Township 5K starting at the township's high school on Weldon Road in Oak Ridge. The race has been around for a long time and is mostly well supported by the local runners. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. with the race going off at 9:00 a.m.
GRAND PRIX MOVEMENT
For many years the grand prix series eliminated non USATF-NJ members when calculating the points earned in races. This lead to a great disparity from one race to another. Now the scoring is done by assigning points to all the finishers in a race, with only the USATF-NJ members being actually put into the scoring.
This change was expected to tighten the competition between participating runners. How close this has made the chase is being played out most graphically by three Morris County men in the M50 division. As of the latest posting, Charlie Slaughter of Parsippany is leading his division as well as sitting in second place overall with 5,089 points. Will DeRoberts of Boonton is next in the M50 with 4,722 points and Bill Trengove of Wharton is third with 4,715 - a gap of only seven points. At first glance it looks like quite a gap between DeRoberts and Slaughter until one sees that Slaughter has nine races on his card while DeRoberts and Trengove are missing one.
They are missing a Category three race and that race is being run this morning in Jersey City. The Liberty Half Marathon awards 800 points for the top placer and that higher value carries throughout the results. This means that DeRoberts and Trengove are going to close the gap on Slaughter and probably move ahead of him.
Slaughter will have his lowest score of 436 dropped from his Category Three tally and he will add his Liberty score. If we assume a point value of 730 for all three men at the half marathon for statistical calculation, then DeRoberts will go ahead of Slaughter by 69 points. Of course scratching out possibilities on paper is just for fun. That's why we run the races. But it does illustrate how close the competition can get.
By the way, Morris area women are still holding their own on the women's side. Diane Ross of Flanders is in first place overall, Pam Fales of Boonton is second, with Jane Parks of Morristown in fourth. Lorraine McPhillips of Basking Ridge is in sixth. After today's race there will be a complete shuffle of places when the half marathon points are added in.
Originally published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey on Sunday, September 23, 2007
Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2007
