More than 2,800 runners registered and 2,354 of them finished the Belmar Five Johnny Cobb Memorial Run on Saturday.
Kenyan Abraham Ngetich crossed the finish line in 24:15.6, just under 2 seconds ahead of Genna Tufu, of Ethiopia, in the men’s race. In the women’s division, Buzunesh Deba, also an Ethiopian, came in first with a time of 27:36.9 to edge Noel Brock, 30, of Toms River, who finished in 27:40.2.
Deba ended Brock’s quest to win the Jersey Shore Golden Grand Prix. Previously Brock had won both the Spring Lake Five and the George Sheehan Classic. The Asbury Park 5K on Aug. 9 and the Pier Village 5K set for Labor Day are the fourth and fifth races in the grand prix series.
On the men’s side, Holmdel’s Craig Segal was also looking to win the third leg of the Grand Prix after also winning at Spring Lake and in the Sheehan. Segal, 24, finished 17th with a time 26:02.3.
Matthew Forys, 22, of Howell and his brother, Craig, finished ninth and 13th, respectively. Other local runners who did well include Ty Jensen, of Marlboro, who was 20th; Luciano Deoliveira, of Long Branch, was 27th; Mike Dodowd, of Colts Neck, finished 47th; and Jeff Propert, of Wall, was 50th.
Race Director Phil Hinck said he was unsure if any Ethiopian and Kenyan runners would come to Belmar after they did not participate in the Sheehan Classic on June 14.
“They told me that they were on their way to the Sheehan and their van broke down,” Hinck said. “They made it this time.”
Hinck noted that 3,200 people participated in the weekend’s events in Belmar, which included a series of kids races on Friday night and a fitness walk. Another 300 people were on hand as race volunteers.
The race is presented by the Goodwill Hose Fire Company, which uses proceeds to defray its operating costs as one of the three fire companies in Belmar. Hinck said the totals are not yet in, but the race raised $15,000 for the fire company a year ago.
While the Belmar Five attracts some top runners, most of the participants come from Monmouth, Middlesex, Ocean, Mercer and other nearby counties.
“It’s really the local people who make the race a success,” Hinck said. “Each year we grow by a couple of hundred, and we’re looking to do that again in 2009.”
In the meantime, Hinck is gearing up for the Asbury Park 5K and Pier Village 5K. Proceeds from those events will benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Monmouth County and Long Branch Volunteer Fire Department, respectively.