|
(Continued from previous page)
The race grew explosively during this six-year period. What had been a fairly large event of fifteen hundred runners grew into a huge event attracting almost 4,500 participants by 1986. The reasons for this growth were varied. During these years many new developments were added to the race. Some of these, such as the insistence in a high quality T-shirt without advertising or the positioning of water stops at each mile seemed minor. Others, like giving a medal to each finisher or accurately recording the finishing times and places of every runner in a race of this size were ground breaking. When these technical advances were coupled with the beauty of the race course and the friendly attitude of the town's volunteers, the result was a hugely popular event. This era also saw some of the fastest runners in the region compete at Spring Lake. Olympic athletes from Poland, Somalia and Ireland all found their way to the shore for Memorial Day. Poland's Gene Stacha's time of 23:16 from 1983 remains the course record today.
In 1986 Haulenbeek stepped down as director. He was replaced by a group of area runners organized as the Miles Ahead Athletic Club. This group, under direction of Karen Berger Haulenbeek and with the cooperation of the Recreation Committee continued the traditions and growth of the race. Under their guidance, the event has grown to over 7,000 participants. More importantly, the race has become a major benefactor of the town's recreation program, schools and volunteer organizations. Last year the race raised over $25,000 for these organizations.
In 1993 a new event was added to the race. On Friday evening of Memorial Day weekend, the first Spring Lake Five Children's Race was held. This event consists of a series of noncompetitive races for children from four to fourteen years old. The event, benefiting the Spring Lake's Drug and Alcohol Alliance program, was an instant success and now draws over twelve hundred participants.
This year the race will celebrate its 24th running. More importantly, it will continue to welcome runners and walkers of all ability levels and treat each of them all like champions. This concept of welcoming every participant, whether a five or fifteen minute per mile runner is an integral part of the race's mission. This low-key accessibility is at the foundation of the race's success and has caught the eye of the national running media. The race has been recognized by Runner's World Magazine as one of the top 100 races in America. The reasons behind two decades of success are varied, but one is preeminent: this is an event that enjoys the support of a wide segment of Spring Lake. From the hundreds of residents who run or who volunteer, to the support the race receives from the governing body and the personnel of the police, fire, first aid and borough maintenance departments, this is a town project. These people come together and provide thousands of runners with a friendly and well-managed event.
Back to History
|
|
