3rd Annual Garden State 10-Miler The ‘Biggest One’

Added by Bill Bowman on April 1, 2019.
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Runners take off in the 5K race March 31 in Colonial Park.

The third annual Garden State 10-Miler races went off with no hitches March 31 in Colonial Park.

The races are sponsored by the Garden State Track Club, the president of which is a township resident, and they are sanctioned by USA Track And Field – New Jersey.

The event, which featured sanctioned 5K and 10-mile races, is a fundraiser for the Nick Magos Cancer Callout, a charity run by members of the Somerset County SWAT team to help families of cancer victims.

Club president Chuck Schneekloth said organizers expected about 1,000 runners from 15 states.

“This will be the biggest one,” he said.

Schneekloth, who is the literacy coach at Franklin Middle School – Hamilton Street campus, said the organization has donated $14,000 to the Cancer Callout over the last two years.

Schneekloth partnered with his cousin, Franklin Township Police Ptl. Bob Brown, to bring the event to the township three years ago. It was Brown who suggested the Cancer Callout be the races’ beneficiary.

“It’s a big thing for us on the SWAT Team and here on the police department,” Brown said. “It’s a good event.”

Schneekloth said the races are used as a tune-up for the spring marathons. Participants received 500 USTAF-NJ points, he said.

As they have in the past, members of the Franklin High School Junior ROTC program helped out with the event, Schneekloth said.

“For this to go off so well each year, we need as many great people to help out, and we’ve been getting that,” he said. “Every year, we put on a good event, we get word of mouth, and people keep coming.”

A number of township residents were among the harriers taking part in the event. Their finishes and times were:

10-Miler

28. Leah Roberts, 1:08:18.08

42. Danielle Shannon, 1:11:25.15

72. Eddie Jimenez, 1:16:25.23

79. Chris Kelly, 1:17:35.78

82. Anthony Bocchine, 1:18:33.36

124. Michael Burke, 1:23:23.01

135. Daniel Rollino, 1:26:00.59

150. Jo Ann Coffee, 1:27:23.22

196. Bill Margle, 1:31:30.50

202. Michael Peterson, 1:32:09.56