VERIZON WIRELESS CORPORATE CLASSIC WILL CAP AT 4,000 RUNNERS Runners who wait until the last minute to enter races may find themselves shut out of the Verizon Wireless Corporate Classic this Thursday, July 17th. The 5K that takes place in Morristown every July on a Thursday evening registered 3,600 runners in 2007, and the entries were close to that this past Thursday. At that rate the race could be closed out well before race day if registrations have reached capacity at 4,000 runners. The Verizon Wireless race is an interesting mix of corporate teams, and families with baby strollers and joggers, which will start safely in the back of the field of runners. Corporate teams are men and women, with no coed teams. Only three runners are needed to complete a team, but an unlimited number of runners can register for the teams. In 2007 128 men and 128 women’s teams were registered with 99 men’s teams finishing with three or more runners, and 78 women’s teams doing so. |
Stryker Orthopaedics won the men’s division in 2007 and their women’s team placed third women’s team. Verizon Wireless women took first and their men’s team placed third in their division. In between the two talented corporations was Day Pitney on the women’s side and Foster Wheeler on the men’s.
Unlike its predecessor that required all runners to be with a corporate team, the race will accept individual entries. Runners times will be recorded and posted on the race website, but only the top three men and women overall and the top men and women teams will win awards. The emphasis is on participation and camaraderie.
Participants are encouraged to bring old, unused wireless phones to donate to the Verizon Wireless HopeLine phone collection drive. Through the program the company recycles and donates phones and service to domestic violence victims. This ties in well with the recipient of the funds raised from the race, the Jersey Battered Women’s Service.
Due to the cap on entries, runners who have not yet registered should do so by Monday. That is when the online registration will close. All company teams must be registered by Monday, but individual paper entries will be accepted in person at the Morristown Running Company store at 31 South Street, on Tuesday and Wednesday, and that is only if the race has not yet reached capacity.
On Thursday, if the race has not reached the cap, entries will be accepted at the race site at Headquarters Plaza from noon until 6:00 p.m. Smart runners will make sure they are registered before going to Morristown on Thursday. For more information and to register go to verizonwirelessclassic.com.
KELLER WINS THE DOUGH AT LAWYERS FOR KIDS
Charlie Keller, 72, of Rockaway placed second in his age group on Thursday night at the Lawyers for Kids 5K, but he came up the biggest winner when his name was drawn for the cash prize. Keller and 138 runners were in the pool for the drawing by having finished the 5,000 Strides race in May.
Keller won five hundred dollars, Sherri Kim of Livingston won $200.00 and Nuno Brito of Kenilworth won $100.00.
Actual overall winners were Rich Burke of Morristown who finished in 16:31, and Heather Gardiner of Franklin Lakes who won the women’s side in 19:00.
MORRIS COUNTY STRIDERS SERIES THIS TUESDAY
The second race of the Morris County Striders summer series is this Tuesday, July 15th, at Johanson Field in Boonton Township.
Diana D’Achille, 15, of Denville started the series by breaking the women’s course record at the first race on July 1st, when she won the women’s division in 19:48, taking the record away from Jenn Ennis of Succasunna who had set the record of 20:14 in 2005.
D’Achille wasn’t the only record setter. Stephen Lewandowski, 14, of Denville set a course record in his age division of 18:32, wiping out Walter Wygera’s time of 18:54 in the 13 to 14 division.
Originally published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey on Sunday July 13, 2008
Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2008
