Four races will comprise first Brunswick Cup

BY JENNIFER AMATO
Staff Writer

Let the county be your treadmill.The Brunswick Cup, a series of four 5K races, will celebrate its first year with runs scheduled in North, South, East and New Brunswick through October.

Bob Tona, a resident of South Brunswick, began a race in his hometown last year because of the lack of Central Jersey running opportunities. He admired the Meridian Cup at the Jersey Shore and the Jimmy D Memorial run in New Brunswick and thought the Brunswick area needed a community-building event.

"I figured if I put together four races in the Brunswicks, I could create some excitement in this area," he said.

"We just wanted to bring something to Central Jersey and get people to look forward to competing," East Brunswick race director Cathy Glamkowski said.

The idea behind the races is to exercise, see the neighborhoods and participate in a community-wide event. Walkers and joggers of all ages and skill levels are welcomed, in addition to competitive racers.

"People hear 'race' and they get nervous because they think, 'I'm not that fast,' " Tona said. "A race is just a run, just to get out there."

"We're lucky that all of the races are 5K, or 3.1 miles, because for people who've never run before, it is an easy distance for them to choose," Glamkowski said. "Because each of us are runners ourselves, we know what runners like and don't like so we try to make it as comfortable as possible for them."

Each race also tries to raise funds to support specific causes, but the main purpose is to have people come out and form bonds while exercising and improving their health. In addition to the race, there are children-friendly races and activities, food, prizes and giveaways.

"I think what all of us are stressing is that we want families and people out there running. Making money is secondary. ... We are trying to make this a township event for families and not just for runners," Tona said.

"There's not an unhappy person unless someone gets hurt, and that doesn't happen often," Tona said.

On May 29, the series begins with the 27th annual North Brunswick Memorial Day 5K honoring all veterans of war.

"We had always kept it as a hometown Memorial Day race but now to be involved with all of the Brunswicks, it's very exciting," said Lou Ann Benson, the North Brunswick race director and township's director of the Department of Parks, Recreation & Community Services. "I think it's an important event because anyone can do it. ... It is fun in joining the communities together."

Residents are asked to bring a donation of canned goods to the race in an effort to support the township's Food Bank.

"The purpose of our event is to bring attention to our community, that we have a Food Bank and that we need to help the residents of our community," Benson said. "The community has to look globally and be responsible and help in any way we can."

On the day of the event, a television, mountain bike, DVD player and stereo will be raffled off.

"It's just a big community day," Benson said.

The next race is the Jimmy D Memorial on Sept. 3 to honor fallen firefighter James D'heron.

Erin Varga decided last year to hold the race in honor of her father, a deputy fire chief who died in a house fire on Sept. 3, 2004, in New Brunswick.

"When he died, I thought, what better way to support what he started. ... Let me do a 5K and see if we can pull this off," she said.

Greatly surpassing her intended goal of $2,000, the 600 racers contributed a total of $10,000 for a burn center in Connecticut.

The race also holds special significance because of its route: runners start at Memorial Stadium on Joyce Kilmer Avenue, near where Varga and her family used to live, goes past the street where her mother still resides, turns around at the fire department headquarters and then finishes at the stadium.

"It really turned into a nice day," the emotional Varga said. "I figured, let's take this weekend so we know it's on the anniversary, have a great time and try to raise money."

The third race is the 29th annual John Ragone 5K in East Brunswick on Oct. 22, honoring the founder and coach of the town's track team organization. The money raised benefits Camp Daisy, a local charity for disabled children and young adults that teaches education through recreation and the arts.

The highlight is that participants get to run through areas other than the familiar area of Route 18, and instead view the parks and farmland East Brunswick has to offer.

"It gives people a little flavor of the area they may not know from driving through town," Glamkowski.

The series completes on Oct. 29 with the second annual Run with the Vikings 5K at the South Brunswick High School, in which Tona donates any funds to the school's student athletic programs.

"I think everyone just needs to get out there and exercise, from the youngest to mid-life," he said.

Each course is certified by the U.S.A. Track and Field Association and counts point-wise towards the overall USATF championship series. For the Brunswick Cup, trophies will be awarded to the top three male and female open winners as well as the top three in the master category, which is based on the lowest cumulative times of three out of four races. In addition, each runner who completes at least three races will receive a commemorative coffee mug with the logos of each race and runners of all four races will receive a special gift.

Anyone looking to participate, volunteer or sponsor a race, or the entire Brunswick Cup, can contact Tona at (732) 940-3111 or ggcfsafe@comcast.net.

Also, visit each town's Web site at www.northbrunswickonline.com, www.jimmyd5k.com, www.ebrr.org or www.rwtv5k.com. Application fees range from $15 to $20.

"I think this cup will be nice because people will start to see familiar faces ... and get the surrounding communities to increase camaraderie," Glamkowski said.