On a warm but rainy New Year’s Day 2022, 318 runners gathered at the municipal building in Hillsborough to take part in a tradition that has been happening for 22 years: the Hillsborough Resolution Run 5K.
Constantin Schreiber, of Brooklyn, New York, won the 5K in a time of 17:49.
Second and third place male finishers included Greg Leddy of Bridgewater in a time of 18:15, and Sean Scarpa of Skillman in a time of 18:16.
The top finisher in the women’s race was Erika Meling of South Bound Brook who finished in a time of 18:47, breaking a female course record of 18:52 that had stood since 2007.
Karen Dos Santos of Belvidere finished second in a time of 18:52 and Meghan Bruce of Princeton rounded out the top 3 women in a time of 20:00.
All finisher results can be found at https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/36773/
The race was the inspiration of runner and tri-athlete Gary Verhoorn who wanted to host event that drew together all segments of the community and would offer residents the opportunity to kick off their New Year with a focus on fitness.
He chose Hillsborough High School’s Project Graduation as the beneficiary of the race and a partnership was built that has helped sustain both events for over two decades.
Resolution Run is supported by a number of local sponsors, the premiere sponsor being Hillsborough Massage Therapy.
“Here at HMT LLC, we always promote good health through massage and movement and we are committed to helping our clients balance their health and wellness goals,” co-owner Kathy Letterman said. “We also strive to give back to our community whenever possible. Over a decade ago, when Resolution Run needed a new sponsor, we agreed that this would be a wonderful way to support our community while honoring Gary Verhoorn for the business and race he started.”
Other local sponsors included: Schilke Construction, Van Cleef Engineering Associates, LLC, Diane Schilke-RE/MAX, Nielsen Financial Group, John & Dottie Cassimatis, StrengthCondition.com, and CCST Builders.
The race raised $9,500 for Hillsborough’s Class of 2022’s Project Graduation Night. This popular local effort is part of a nationally recognized program whose goal is to provide a drug and alcohol-free celebration of life while giving graduates a positive sendoff. Project Graduation hosts a completely inclusive, no-fee event for the senior class on the night of commencement where the new graduates can spend the night with classmates and friends, celebrating safely.
Other beneficiaries include Rock Steady Boxing and the Hillsborough food bank. Rock Steady is a unique fitness program organized in Hillsborough by Barbara Kelly, focused on improving symptoms and quality of life in people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. This organization is near to the heart of Verhoorn as its benefits have been crucial to his well-being as he himself lives with Parkinson’s.
“Our goal is to fund educational programs and support a scholarship program for those in our community who may not be able to participate as a result of limited funds,” Verhoorn said.
Over $2,000 was donated to Rock Steady Boxing.
Lastly, as part of the event’s annual commitment to replenish the Hillsborough Food Bank after the holiday season, over $1,000 was donated by race participants, along with a shopping cart full of dry goods, many cases of bottled water, and dozens of bagels and bananas.
This year, the race offered both an in-person and virtual option. Race Director Courtney Newman, who has been hosting Resolution Run, said, “We were thrilled at the turnout despite the damp weather, and cannot thank our racers and our volunteers enough for making this day happen. It’s very gratifying to be part of someone’s fitness journey and to provide a fun, friendly event that brings so many people together in such a positive way and for some very meaningful and worthy causes.”
She went on to mention that this year with the virtual option the race welcomed racers from as far away as Florida and California.
Ninety-two medals were awarded by gender, age group and finish placement.
The youngest runners this year were 5 and the oldest 92.
For more information about Resolution Run or to donate, visit www.resolutionrun.org.
For more information about Rock Steady Boxing or to donate, visit www.facebook.com/RockSteadyBoxingHillsborough.
For more information about Hillsborough’s Project Graduation or to volunteer or donate, visit hhsprojectgraduation.org.
- This information was provided by Karen Briegs, chair of Resolution Run, Inc. on Feb. 7.