The 40th edition of the Spring Lake 5-Mile Run will kick off the 2016 Jersey Shore Golden Grand Prix Races May 28.
The four-race series, sponsored by McLoone’s, offers prize money to the leading runners.
Since 1977, the Spring Lake 5 has been a staple of Jersey Shore road racing, ushering in the Memorial Day weekend and the start of summer. The first race attracted a field of 500 runners. The popularity of the race has grown to the point that this year, the race is limited to 12,500 participants.
The event actually begins May 27 with the Kids Races at 6 p.m. The Spring Lake 5 starts at 8:30 a.m. at Ocean and Sussex avenue the next day.
The Spring Lake 5 has been dominated recently by former Brick Memorial High School and Duke University star Andrew Brodeur, who has won the last three races. That matches the three straight victories by ex-Holmdel High School star Craig Segal, who was the Spring Lake winner from 2008-10.
Sarah Cummings has won the last two women’s races.
The record for consecutive wins is held by Noel Brock Whitall, who was victorious five straight years from 2007-11.
The course records are 23:16 for the men, which was set in 1984 by Gene Stacha, while the women’s record is 26:57, which was was set by Alicia Kelly in 1995.
The other races in the 2016 Golden Grand Prix are the Belmar 5-Mile Run July 9, Asbury Park Sheehan Classic 5K Aug. 13 and the Pier House 5K in Long Branch on Labor Day (Sept. 5).
This year, the Sheehan and Asbury Park race committees decided to merge the Red Bank Sheehan Classic with the Asbury Park 5K. The Sheehan had run for 22 years in Red Bank. However, the roots of the Sheehan Classic are in Asbury Park, where in 1981, the first Asbury Park 10K Classic was held and was won by legendary marathoner Bill Rodgers.
The race moved to Red Bank in 1994 and was renamed to honor the memory of Dr. George Sheehan, the noted physician and running philosopher.
Twelve years ago, road racing returned to Asbury Park with a 5K race. The race has experienced constant growth over the years.
The participants in the Golden Grad Prix earn points based on their finishes at the four races and at the end of the series, the male and female athletes with the most points win the overall championship. Prize money is also awarded to the top three in age groups from 35 to 80 and older.
Last year, Brick’s Brian Quilty was the men’s winner and former Monmouth University star Jennifer Nelson was the women’s overall champion.
Ocean Township’s Andrew Dombrowiecki, Tinton Falls’ Kyle Clonan, New York City’s Pat Caterline and Ocean’s Greg Lowing completed the men’s top five.
Behind Nelson for the women were Lake Como’s Beth Marzigliano, Little Silver’s Dawn Wilcox, Hoboken’s Jennifer Nolan and Asbury Park’s Amber Hart.
For more information on the Spring Lake race or the Grand Prix series, go to jsgrandprix.com.
