Kenyans dominate Sheehan Classic once again
Rain, humidity can’t dampen spirits at state’s top road race
After raining off and on throughout Friday night and into early Saturday morning, the weather cooperated long enough to ensure that everything went relatively smoothly at the George Sheehan Classic five-miler on Saturday, which started and ended on Broad Street in Red Bank.
Despite an overcast sky, business was brisk at the registration tent prior to the race. In all, more than 3,300 people registered to run (a whopping 20 percent of that total signed up on Saturday morning) and about 2,300 of them finished, said Race Director Bob Rosa.
"Historically, about 17 percent of the field signs up at post-registration," Rosa said. "I don’t have the final figures yet, but I believe we had much more than that this year."
The race director noted that there were more spectators along the course, particularly in the residential sections of Fair Haven and Little Silver, where many residents thoughtfully brought hoses to the curb to cool runners on what was a rather humid morning.
"I was very pleased to see more families watching the race and just being out and about," Rosa said. "I think we’re building more visibility for the race each year, and this is a good trend. We realize it’s an inconvenience for some residents. But there are two ways they can look at it. It’s either a pain for them or something they can embrace and enjoy. More and more people seem to be enjoying the race."
Probably none more so than men’s winner Gabriel Muchiri, who finished second a year ago. The Kenyan, who now resides in West Chester, Pa., went out front early on and stayed there, finishing in 23:30, including a blistering 4:31 in mile three. Muchiri’s countryman, Shadrack Kosgei, made a late charge down Broad Street to the finish line to finish second in 23:32.
The next six finishers were also Kenyans. Twins Robert (25:25) and Weldon (25:26) Johnson of Washington, D.C., were the first Americans to cross the line, taking ninth and tenth place, respectively.
Former Red Bank Regional and current University of Virginia star Walton Kingsbery (26:11) and former Christian Brothers Academy runner Geoff Fahey (26:18), both of Shrewsbury, finished thirteenth and fourteenth, while Holmdel High School’s Craig Segal (26:55) was 17th, making him the first high schooler across the line.
Grace Njoki, also of Kenya, won the women’s race in 28:25, easily outdistancing Alice Muriithi who crossed the finish line more than a minute later in 29:28.
Laurie Parton of Newton, a former Rumson resident, was third with a time of 29:55. Lindsey Gallo of Howell finished fifth with a time of 31:57. Gallo, now a sophomore at the University of Michigan, started a run of four straight area finishers, which included Tinton Falls’ Christy DeFilippis (32:24) and Shrewsbury’s Catherine Lynch (33:20).
As for the rest of us, we all had our moments. I was not totally pleased with my own performance; I did have Muchiri in my sights for a while, and at one point I was close enough to almost touch the champ. Of course, I was at the 2.25-mile mark on a portion of Harding Road and Muchiri was approaching the 4-mile mark (going the other way) on the return trip on Harding and heading toward the finish.
Although it reminds runners like me just how slow/tired/old (feel free to pick your adjective) we are, this "out-and-back" portion of the race allows many participants to glimpse the leaders at work as they head toward the dreaded Tower Hill and on to the finish line.
Meanwhile, the heavy rain dropped temperatures to the low 80s at race time, but humid conditions nevertheless made the run more of a challenge. The sticky weather resulted in 20 runners being treated for a variety of ailments, primarily dehydration, Rosa said. One runner was transported to Riverview Medical Center, Red Bank, and was released later in the day.
The race director noted that despite some minor confusion, the use of computer chips to record times was a success. Rosa said it’s too early to tell if organizers will use the chips again next year.
"All in all things went well, and hopefully all of the runners had a great time," Rosa said. "I have to thank the many, many volunteers and the towns [Red Bank, Little Silver and Fair Haven] for their support. They make this race what it is."