USATF-NJ 15K NEXT SUNDAY WILL END THE 2007 SERIES When is a ten miler a 15K? OK. It’s a trick question. Back several years ago the New Jersey association of USATF began to host the association’s ten mile championship race. It was always in December and was originally held at Picatinny Arsenal here in Morris County. Picatinny tightened the arsenal security after 9/11 and the race had to move. That move was to South Mountain Reservation and a multiple loop course on the “top” of the mountain. Runners did not particularly like the course and for the volunteers and staff that feeling was much stronger as there is no outside shelter at South Mountain and it can get plenty cold the first part of December. So away we go again. This time to Mercer County Park. It can get cold in Mercer County too, but the Park has buildings and the association was able to use the tennis center for registration and shelter, including indoor plumbing. |
So what does that have to do with 15K? Ah, glad you asked. In 2007 the Freehold Area Running Club hosted the association’s ten mile championship at their St. Paddy’s ten miler in March. In the meantime the perennial 15K championship, the Midland Run had ceased to exist. Voile! With the association needing a 15K championship and no longer needing to host a ten miler, the Long Distance Running committee made an easy switch to the 9.3 mile distance.
The switch was easy but folks are still calling it “the ten miler”. Habits are hard to break after all these years.
A ten mile course can easily be changed to 15K at the Mercer County location just by adjusting the start, finish, or turnaround point. All good so far. Well, not quite so good. It was learned, too late to find another location, that the park was undergoing construction and the race registration had to move to the marina. That is not so bad, but because of the construction the course had to be reconfigured to a five kilometer loop that will be run three times.
Ouch! No one likes to run multiple loops except track racers, but nothing could be done at such a late hour. One plus is that only one water stop will be necessary and fewer course marshals. On the other hand, lap counters will be needed to ensure that slower runners do not mistake their fatigue with completion and head for the finish one lap too soon.
SOME TEAMS DOWN TO THE WIRE IN GRAND PRIX
After the Ashenfelter 8 kilometer road race on Thanksgiving, the Breakneck Track Club from Voorhees has moved ahead of Running Company and Raritan Valley in Open Men. If they race next Sunday at the 15K and run as they have been all season they will come away the on top of that division. If Running Company skips the 15K as they did the Thanksgiving Day race they will be basically handing second place to Raritan Valley.
The team grand prix counts the best seven races out of the eight championships that are contested each season. Looking at the grand prix standings with one race left to be run, the 15K championship, the scores can be deceiving.
For instance in the M40 division, Morristown based Sneaker Factory looks unbeatable with 63 points to Raritan Valley’s 56. But Sneaker Factory will subtract six points after the 15K, and Raritan Valley subtracts four. That narrows the gap to only five points. A win is worth ten points in this division with second worth eight and third six.
Sneaker Factory’s W40 team must run or risk dropping from second place to possibly fourth. That would come about if both the Morris County team and the North Jersey Masters that are tied for third show up with strong teams and place first and second.
The Morris County Striders Open Women are solidly in second place and only four points off first once a race is subtracted from their score.
The Striders M50 team is patting their collective backs at holding onto a nearly unbeatable lead against their traditional rival team Raritan Valley. They can’t rest on their laurels though. They don’t have to beat RVRR but they do have to race them.
The Strider’s M60 team is tied with the North Jersey Masters for third so that is the team they have to beat. First and second are out of reach.
The Strider W60 team is in a surprising lead over the Raritan Valley but they too must run and they must win, not a sure thing when RVRR is at full strength.
The 15K will also solidify the places in the New Balance Grand Prix. On the women’s side Diane Ross of Flanders can’t be touched for Overall Women. Gene Mitchell is also solid to win the Overall men’s title but hiding down in 23rd place is Rich Burke of Morristown who has a Category Three race missing. Burke can’t beat Mitchell but he only needs 678 points at the 15K to go into second place.
Originally published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey on Sunday, December 2, 2007
Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2007
