River to Sea Relay returns to central New Jersey
92-mile relay race attracts teams from throughout the state
It was a hot, humid Saturday morning last weekend when 53 seven-person teams arrived in Milford to put their endurance to the test in a 92-mile challenge known as the River to Sea Relay (R2C6).
As in previous years, River to Sea passed through five counties (Hunterdon, Mercer, Somerset, Middlesex and Monmouth) before ending at the Atlantic Ocean in Manasquan, with the winning team being the first to reach the sandy shore to the cheers of the waiting crowd.
The handicapped (slowest teams start first) R2C Relay was an extremely competitive event, with five states and 13 N.J. counties represented.
Varied terrain and conditions awaited each of the 53 teams who represented running clubs, schools, major corporations, friends and nonprofit organizations from all over the Northeast. Each team member ran two of 14 unequal legs and provided support and encouragement when not personally braving the elements.
The start time for the slowest teams was 6 a.m. and the fastest left the gate at 10 a.m. Starting times were determined by the teams’ average race times.
Teams from throughout the state and neighboring states came to central New Jersey once again to participate in this charity event, which has been gaining in popularity with each passing race.
The names of teams participating in the River to the Sea Relay reflect attitudes, traditions and some nonsense. Some are tied directly to running clubs or corporations but many are just concocted out of pure fun. There’s "Team Popeye" of Fair Haven which is captained by Chris Andreach, a member of the Impact Unlimited family. The Sneaker-Factory teams of Millburn, who have competed in five previous R2Cs, always come up with winners such as "Dean’s Dream Team," "Miller Time," "Team Guinness" and the "Bettys."
Masochists, who realize how tough River to Sea is, tend to choose names that define the difficulty. The "Pain Birds," "Road Kill" and "Crash & Burn" know the toughness it takes to compete.
One can also ponder the meaning of team names that challenge the imagination like "Cat Jaws," "Rok ’N Rags," "Little Tuxedos" and "D.R.A.M.M." The hopeful teams choose the likes of "Great Expectations" and "Run to Finish." And then there are the whimsical, such as Becton Dickinson’s corporate team "Run to Eat," the Philadelphia team named the "Wissahickson Wanderers," the all-female team "Distance Divas," "Bear Naked" and "Amazing Feet" one of N.J.’s excellent running clubs.
No matter the name, Impact Unlimited River to Sea Relay teams knew they were in for a challenging jaunt through the center of New Jersey. No doubt they needed their team names and spirit to help their efforts as they battled the miles, heat, humidity and competition.
By the way, the "Bass-O-Matics" is a team of Jersey Shore Running Club members captained by attorney Jerry Convery. The term comes from a brand of fishing gear.
It was apparent from the gun on Saturday that team No. 40 (N.J. Meatmasters), captained by two-time Olympic marathon trial qualifier Joe McVeigh, was ready to challenge the eight hours, 17 minutes and 6-seconds record set in 1998 by Miles Ahead. The semi-elite team immediately set a 5.25 miles-per-hour pace and carried it through the halfway point placing it within seconds of the course record at 61 miles.
The record for the earliest finishing time of 6:17:14, set last year by MOXC, a high school cross-country team from Mount Olive, was in jeopardy by team No. 1 MOXC Gold, made up of the same runners returning to defend their title. The check-points at 27 and 62 miles revealed MOXC Gold’s pace slipping behind its year-old record.
The plot thickened when the rain started at the 70-mile marker and MOXC Gold forged ahead with a 12-minute lead over its rivals trailed by No. 44 (MOXC Red, No. 17 (Boundless), No. 40 (N.J. Meatmasters), No. 50 (HOHA) and No. 10 (D.R.A.M.M.) all within 10 minutes of each other.
Pouring rain and thunder could not dampen the spirits at Manasquan beach when No. 4 (Nolan & Hynes), No. 7 (SHSSC), No. 6 (Cat Jaws) and No. 38 (NJ Outlaws) plowed through the field in a dead heat for the final four spots in the Top 10.
Team No. 40 succumbed to the heat and rain and fell off course record pace by 45 seconds within miles of the finish, still showing determination not to give up the fight.
It was no surprise when MOXC Gold appeared through the bolts of lightning to accept their agonizing victory, shattering their own record of last year.
Impact Unlimited was proud to be the sponsor of the most exciting race to date. This year’s event beneficiary was Barrier Breakers, a nonprofit organization founded by prior participants in the event, created to aid special-needs toddlers (birth to 6 years old) in New Jersey.
Full race results and photos are posted on www.vinniesica.com/r2c/raceday.htm.