Long Branch Mayor Schneider to Race Rival Shore Leaders, Olympians in Belmar Chase 5K

BELMAR, NJ (July 23, 2012)--Mayor Adam Schneider of Long Branch, Mayor Matthew Doherty of Belmar, and Mayor Jennifer Naughton of Spring Lake, along with Lake Como Councilman Brian Wilton and Sea Girt Councilman Michael Mulroy, have committed to racing for a share of $5000 for their town recreation programs in the “Celebrity Chase” race-within-a-race at the Belmar Chase 5K on July 28, organizers have announced.

Doherty is a former New Jersey high school track standout who went on to compete for Georgetown University, while Schneider, Naughton, Wilton, and Mulroy are all avid recreational runners. They will be chased by Olympians
Carrie Tollefson and Steve Holman. Tollefson competed for Team USA at 1500
meters in the 2004 Olympic Games, while Holman competed at the same distance in1992.

Celebrating the kickoff of the 2012 Olympic Games, the inaugural Belmar Chase 5K on Saturday, July 28, is presented by Circle BMW of Eatontown. BMW is a proud partner of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams. The night before, the Belmar Kids’ Chase, a series of sprint races, will be held on the beach.

For more information or to register for either the Belmar Chase 5K, which will offer $3500 in prize money, or the Belmar Kids’ Chase, visit www.belmarchase.com.

The Celebrity Chase will take off just minutes before the main race, allowing runners heading out the chance to watch the exciting closing stages as the celebrities head back toward the finish line. With the slowest celebrities getting a pre-determined head start, the faster ones will be trying to chase them down. The first runner across the finish line wins $2500 for his or her town recreation programs, with another $2500 split among the remaining towns represented. If Tollefson or Holman, who will start last, chase everyone down, the $5000 will be split equally among the towns represented.

The night before the Belmar Chase, the Belmar Kids Chase will make its debut, with sprint races on the beach for children ages 5 to 14 and a free kids’ dash for children ages 2 to 4. Headlining the action will be the 9- and 10-year-olds: The boys’ and girls’ winner of those sprints will be crowned the “Fastest Kid in Belmar,” in cooperation with the Belmar Recreation Department.

All events will be directed by 2000 U.S. Olympian Rich Kenah, a New Jersey native who with his family has resided in Monmouth County for the past seven years.

The Belmar Chase 5K (3.1 miles) will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Ocean Avenue in front of the Taylor Pavilion, with the men’s and women’s winners each taking home $1000 of the $3500 prize purse. Second place will be worth $500, while third will earn $250. In addition, age-group winners will be awarded $50 gift certificates from Miles Ahead, Runner’s High or the Sneaker Factory, with runners-up winning Adidas performance sunglasses and third-place finishers earning an Adidas reflective cap.

The Belmar Kids Chase on Friday night, featuring age-group races of 30 meters to 150 meters, will begin at 6 p.m. on the beach in Belmar adjacent to the Taylor Pavilion. Everyone participating in the Kids Chase will receive a T-shirt and medal.