Click HERE for map. Every where you walk there is buzz about this summer’s upcoming relay race. “Are you running? Volunteering? Sponsoring?” is the talk of the town. It’s all about the JRunners 200K Relay Race which will be going from Brooklyn all the way to the Catskill Mountains! The race is the first of its kind, and will be 24 hours of non stop fun and entertainment culminating in a big finish line event with a BQQ and concert! Sounds like fun? It will be a blast! And there are many more cool nuances – like the fact that teams will be provided with RV vehicles, and runners will have access to world class coaching and training! Did I mention that the race goes non stop through the night? Well…you guessed it- it does! The race starts July 28^th at 9:00 PM in Brooklyn’s famed Prospect Park, and runs non stop till the finish line at Sullivan County Community College in Loch Sheldrake NY.  

Are your feet starting to hurt by the thought of running 125 miles (let alone through the night!)? Don’t worry; this is a relay race, so no runner will have to do the course by themselves. Each team will have 10 runners, and they will run specific legs of the course, handing off their wristband each time to the next runner that will continue the teams running. The course will be split into 30 legs, with runners each completing 3 legs and running a total of 12.5 miles. All teams start at the exact same time, with all of them being in close proximity at all times, and will make for some exciting competition! And get this- every single runner on the team will run the final stretch of the race together as a team to the finish line…through the tape…and into the cheering crowd of thousands! And there will be thousands of people at the finish line enjoying the concert, BBQ, and entertainment. There will be a full day Carnival at the finish line prior to the Concert and awards ceremony; Inflatable rides, circus jugglers, and more! And as the sun starts to go down the concert and awards ceremony will kick into high gear with runners coming through the finish line, and the evening’s excitement just beginning! 

So why are you sitting there? Get off the couch and sign up to run! If you cant run, then sign up to volunteer, or sponsor a runner! Go to www.jrunners.org for all the details and to join the adventure! 

Once you have had time to digest all the detailed information, you will probably be wondering where this (amazingly cool) idea came from to run a race like this?! The race was created by JRunners, the first-ever Jewish runners club, which was recently founded in Brooklyn by several runners that wanted to run for a higher purpose and help people in our community at the same time. So when a friend (and a father of five) was diagnosed with ALS, it was a no brainier that we they were going to run for him. There are no words to express how the race (even so far) has helped the spirits of this young 39 year old, and his family. The race is helping them in many ways that are far greater than even the financial side alone. However the financial side is very important and we urge everyone to get involved in some capacity. To run, Volunteer, or Sponsor. The running of the race is for men only, though women are invited and encouraged to volunteer and sponsor (all volunteers can have their own fundraising page on the jrunners.org website to raise money for the cause as well).

There will be food and live music at the various major exchange points along the route (5 of them!). The first major exchange in New Jersey will feature food and live music and festivities will get started at around 10:00pm on the night of July 28^th. Breakfast and Shachris will be taking place at the Wesley Kosher shopping strip in Wesley Hills, NY, the following morning on the 29^th. Lunch and Mincha will be taking place at the major exchange in Pine Island NY, and will also feature live music and entertainment. At the finish line, runners and volunteers will be greeted with a full BBQ (Glatt Kosher of course) and a concert. The winning team will receive trophies and a VIP night out in New York City, including dinner at Solo, and a Yankees game. Special awards will also recognize the top three fund raisers, and every runner who makes it to the finish line will receive a finisher’s medal.

The race director is Steve Holmbraker; a well known USATF certified race planner. The race coach is Jerry Macari, a 2:24 marathoner, and New York Road Runners 2000 Master Runner of the year. Says coach Macari “there is plenty of time to for runners to make some very significant improvements in fitness and I am excited and honored to be part of such a great project”. Register to run now on the site and get a free JRunners Technical T-Shirt and other perks. The handbook and other information is all waiting for you at www.jrunners.org

Still wondering what those RV’s are all about? The RV vehicles will transport the team members between the various exchange points and will be equipped with restrooms, beds, and showers. Teams will also use the RV to relax and rest up for their upcoming running. The RV’s will also transport runners and volunteers back home following the Awards ceremony at the finish line event. This is the first relay race taking place midweek, the first to provide teams with RV’s and the first to have all teams starting at the exact same time.

And lets discuss the course for a minute- a masterfully designed route that will take runners through some of the most scenic (and Jewish) areas of the United States and take approximately 22 hours to complete.. The course starts at a 151 foot elevation and ends at a plus 1545 foot elevation. The course, 125 miles long, goes from Brooklyn to the Catskill mountains, via the Brooklyn Bridge, across Manhattan (passing the Tweed Courthouse and City Hall), down to the West Side and up river. Runners will trace the mighty Hudson to the George Washington Bridge, and cross into Bergen County, NJ, while getting an eyeful of those majestic cliffs, the Palisades. They will clip along Route 9W North through the Tenafly Nature Reserve, Closter, Alpine and then back into New York State at the exclusive tiny town of Palisades. The race continues west along Route 59 through Spring Valley, Monsey, Wesley Hills and into Harriman State Park. The park, the second largest in the State, “has miles of streams and scenic roads, scores of wildlife species, vistas and vantage points covering Rockland and Orange Counties.” 

Passing Lake Welch, the runners will cross over Route 17, headed for Tuxedo and Warwick, two picturesque towns with deep colonial roots. From there the course winds along Route 1 to Pine Island and up the Pine Island Turnpike to Route 209 and Cold Spring Road, which will bring the runners to Monticello, up Liberty Road and finally, to the finish line event at Sullivan County Community College in Loch Sheldrake.

ABOUT ALS:

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” is a progressive degenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord, and eventually leads to death. People with ALS have a loss of muscle strength and coordination and makes one unable to do routine tasks such as going up steps, getting out of a chair, or swallowing. It causes muscle weakening, twitching, and an inability to move the arms, legs, and body. The condition slowly gets worse. When the muscles in the chest area stop working, it becomes hard or impossible to breathe on one’s own. However, ALS does not affect the senses (sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch), bladder or bowel function, or a person’s ability to think or reason. So they are physically trapped and unable to help themselves with their most simple needs, and yet are fully aware of their condition and predicament. There is no known cure for ALS. In addition, there is no Jewish organization for helping victims of ALS, and no support infrastructure for the families that are grappling with this disease. 

(YWN Desk – NYC)