JEFFREY PETERSON TRAVELED FROM CALIFORNIA TO RACE HIS OPPOSITION FROM LAST YEAR, AND FOR THE SECOND YEAR IS VICTORIOUS, WINNING IN 25:53. BOB BOTH/JSRC PHOTO

Peterson Betters Cavenaugh
for Second Straight at Rumson

BY JIM ROBBINS

RUMSON, NJ--Over three hundred road racers finished the 16th annual Rumson-Fair Haven Run of five miles on the overcast, non-windy, cool, mid-50s (defying the ominous forecast) morning of May 4, on the 400-meter track in the stadium of the Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFHRHS) located on Ridge Road.
 
Jeffrey Peterson, 24, of Stinson Beach, CA was the first to finish the race from the rectangular course that starts on Ridge Road in front of the school, proceeds west to Fair Haven Road, onto River Road, and returns to the school stadium. As he crossed the finish line the timing clock read 25:53 which means he raced the course in an impressive 25 minutes and 53 seconds. Peterson made the trip from California because of his brother’s birthday but this event also shared in the purpose.

West Long Branch’s Robert Cavanaugh, 30, was the second finisher at 26:04 and since deja vu literally means “already seen” then that’s the situation that Petersen and Cavanaugh created because this is a repeat of them being last year’s winner and runner-up of this event and both beat last year’s time by just a few seconds: Petersen four and Cavanaugh six. In conversation at the finish-line area, both informed that they were together with two other racers until about three miles then it was just the two of them until mile four and “then he (Petersen) put it in the next gear, and I couldn’t go with him,” said Cavanaugh. Both agreed that “it was great running weather” when asked.
 
Rounding out the top three was Tim Morgan, 24, of South Plainfield at 26:10.

Jennifer Martin, 35, of Clifton was the women’s winner at 30:09 (8th place overall) followed by Red Bank’s Catherine Satzke, 38, at 30:30 (9th overall) and third place woman was Jen Huesman, 38, of Fair Haven at 32:21 (17th overall). “I’m satisfied, yes--I won! But I was hoping to get in under 30 minutes,” said Martin when asked if she was satisfied with her performance. “The weather was perfect, the rain held off, it was cool, and there was no wind,” Martin further offered.
 
Navesink’s Harold Nolan, 61, won his age-group trophy at a highly respectable time of 32:01, good for 16th place overall and thought the course was “easy because it turns to the right, right--right again, and back home.” He thought the weather was “perfect--it’s overcast, not hot, and no wind.”
 
Whereas Nolan was first in the sexagenarian age group, Dave Kaplan, 63, of Ocean Grove earned the third place trophy at 38:50. “I try to do a race a week, maybe 35 in a year,” said Kaplan who can be seen at many Shore area races and emphasized that he’ll do just one race a week. “I’ve been racing for 22 years (signing up and racing an organized event, such as this one) and running for 47 years,” he offered and when asked to comment on the difference between the two, he said, “Racing is fun; running is not fun!”
 

JENNIFER MARTIN WINS THE WOMEN’S RACE IN 30:09. THE MAYORS OF RUMSON AND FAIR HAVEN ARE HOLDING THE TAPE AT THE FINISH. BOB BOTH/JSRC PHOTO

If nostalgia is loosely defined as enjoying pleasant memories of the past, Laurie Parton Gordon, now living in Newton, had a good time as she finished her racing time of 34:03 on the high-school track where in 1986 as a senior in RFHRHS she served as captain of the track team. “This is my first race as a forty-year-old and am glad to be doing it back home,” said Gordon and she earned a second place trophy in that age group. Along with this writer, Laurie Gordon is listed on the masthead of the Runners Gazette as a contributing writer. The Runners Gazette, established in 1976, is billed as America’s First Running Newspaper and is centered in Lewisburg, PA.

Five water spots were available for the racers and they were serviced by representatives of Rumson Country Day School, Tranquilty Day Spa, Heritage Realty, Rumson Pharmacy, and Boynton & Boynton Insurance, Bay Agency.
 
Money awards to the aforementioned winners and trophies to age-group leaders were presented by Tim McLoone, emcee and Leslie Curran, race director, on the grounds of the stadium as the physically spent racers were enjoying refreshments.
 
Prior to the 9:30 a.m. start of the race, McLoone reminded all that this event is dedicated to Andrew J. Bruder who died of cancer at age 36. Bruder was a graduate of RFHRHS and the first winner of the Rumson Run that began in 1992. He then introduced RFHRHS junior Alexandria Howley who then gave a super rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner” as the awaiting racers respectfully remained quiet, eyes on the flag atop the flagpole on the front lawn of the school. Both mayors of Rumson and Fair Haven, John E. Ekdahl and Michael Halfacre, respectively, were present acting as official race starters and later holding the finish-line tape.

The event included a 3K Fun Run/Walk and Kids’ Races.
 
Ray Durborow of Best Racing System did the computer results and finish-line activities were organized by Anna Milano of Happy Rock Enterprises of Gladstone. Bananas, bagels, and oranges were available courtesy of Foodtown of Red Bank and Brooklyn Bagels of Rumson along with scrumptious cookies provided by the committee of senior citizens headed by Vivian McCormick. Two musical groups of the high school provided music: Little Friends and Blue Mood. Members of the school’s Key Club assisted at the finish line.
 
"With total participation of the three races nearing a thousand, I'm very pleased with the outcome and want to thank all the volunteers who worked so diligently to make it happen. I want to acknowledge the complete cooperation of the police force and fire department as well as EMS of both towns and appreciate too, the maintenance staff at the high school. I also want to thank the race committee and the many members of the JSRC for their know-how assistance, especially Phil and Penny Hinck. Not to be forgotten are our many sponsors whose generosity is well acknowledged. Thanks, too, for the patience of area motorists who had to be detoured for the safety of our racers,” said Leslie Curran, race director, in a summary statement.