Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Belmar Chase 2015


  The Belmar Chase 5-K is a relatively new addition to New Jersey's circuit of "major" races, but it's third edition on August 22nd certainly drew a large (over 1,100) and competitive field of runners. The winner, Travis Mahoney of Old Bridge, clocked a phenomenal 14:35, and there were nine runners under 16 minutes on the flat, fast course that started and finished along Belmar's famed oceanfront.
   It's the New Jersey USATF Master's Championship Race also, so there was a large showing from all of the state's top 40-plus runners, competing for the Shore A.C, Garden  State Track Club, Raritan Valley Road Runners, and others. Elliot Frieder of Montville, 44, was the first Master's Finisher in 16:16, good for 14th overall! Oh, and the women's field? How about a winning time of 16:14.4 (12th overall), from 25-year old Ashleigh Higginson from Clinton!  
   "The Chase" has a big-race feel, and the majority of the runners wore a singlet from one club or another. If you've been training pretty consistently through the Spring and Summer and want to shoot for a a good 5-k time, it's the perfect race to do it, because you will be surrounded by runners of equal pace every step through!
   As for my own race, I finished  in 20:52, a 6:44 average and just below my 21 minute "over/under,"
I had in my mind for that day. I competed with the Shore A.C. 50-59 contingent, and was happy to see they won that age-division in the team competition. Further, at 56, my age-graded time was 17:36, which I would have been happy with in my peak running years, decades ago!
   Splits are displayed on large clocks on every mile (I was 6:31 at one and 13:20 at two), and water is available at two spots along the way.  The last 3/4 of a mile is straight down Ocean Avenue, and you can see the large Saucony display at the finish from that far away. I always feel that helps through those painful last yards. My heart rate was 170 at the finish (a shade over my theoretical "max" of 164), so I knew I gave it a decent effort.
    There was a post-race party for the runners at a Mexican restaurant nearby, and I thought the race organization was top-notch. If you haven't run it yet, put the Belmar Chase on your New Jersey racing "to-do" list!

     

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