N.J. races drawing larger numbers despite higher fees, down economy

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N.J. races drawing larger numbers despite higher fees, down economy
by Philip Read/The Star-Ledger
Monday June 22, 2009, 6:41 PM

The packs of runners hitting New Jersey's competitive race circuit is up, the penny-pinching economy be damned.

This spring, the Newport 10,000-meter race in Jersey City drew 10 percent more runners than last year. The Ridgewood 10K pulled in 21 percent more. And the popular President's Cup 5K in Millburn just tallied 24 percent more.


Aristide Economopoulos/The Star-Ledger
A composite of runners at the finish-line at the President's Cup 5K. Race holders are saying the number of entries for races are up this year despite higher entry fees and a down economy.
Ed Kelly, a member of the Essex Running Club, has witnessed the packed starting lines, crammed with runners thirsty for a "PR," or personal record, or just a recreational diversion before the post-race party.

"I think basically people are staying close to home. I don't think they're opting for the big-ticket vacations," said Kelly, who lives in Cedar Grove. "This is their getaway."

Dean Shonts, the long-time director of the President's Cup 5K, has also noticed the surge, something he has seen with each economic downturn since opening the Sneaker Factory in Millburn in 1978.

"People need the stress release," he said.

Put another way, it's about having control over your life in uncertain times, said Charles Maher, a sport psychologist and professor who heads up Rutgers University's Sport Psychology Institute.

"It may, for some people, be the only thing in life that they can count on," he said of running 5K and 10K races with a start and a finish and like-minded people. "It's an opportunity to get out of all the negativity that exists, whether in the office or on television."

Not that runners aren't price conscious. Kelly pays entry fees for about 50 races a year, each running up to $30 apiece, and just paid $180 to sign up for the New York Marathon.

"They are getting pretty steep," he said of the fees.

John Guth, 34, a member of the Morris County Striders running club, stopped at a table covered with race brochures ahead of President's Cup 5K on June 15 and blurted out a proclamation to those gathered around.

"It's cheap too, only $18," he said of the fee for those who registered in advance for the upcoming 5K Battle of the Business in Florham Park.

For some, juggling a race entry fee is no different than juggling the bills.

"You cut back on other things ... eating out, going out," said David Allara, 23, of South Plainfield, a member of the Raritan Valley Roadrunners.

Those who pre-registered for the President's Cup paid $22 or $25, depending on how early they signed up, or $30 on race day - about $5 more than two years ago.

But as the 8 p.m. start time approached, lines of runners ran 16 deep to register - many clutching a $20 note and a $10 note.

In all, 1,340 runners crossed the finish line.

The surge in runners during a deep depression has been a topic of conversation lately for David Siconolfi, whose CompuScore of New Providence provides professional race timing and results for scores of New Jersey races.

"It's kind of opposite of what you'd expect," he said. "Maybe more people have free time. Maybe they're unemployed. I'm not sure what the answer is, but we've definitely seen the trend."

So too has Mark Zenobia, who as the president of On Your Mark Productions is a familiar sight at New Jersey races and the man who entices crowds to loudly applaud award winners by shouting "Give it up!"

"My numbers are up 15 to 20 percent across the board," he said of participation. "We've only had one race with negative numbers."

One of his theories: a benign winter. "They train earlier and they race more often. Once they race earlier, they want to race more," he said.

But he has another observation. Cost-conscious people might be putting off a long weekend trip and taking in a race instead. The now standard $25 fee for a 5K race, which is 3.1 miles long, borders on the extreme, he said, but he has gotten no complaints.

The recession could be a factor, though, he said. "People would rather run than scream."

Even as entry fees inch upward, the old standby "goodie bag," with nutrition bars, lip balm, water bottles, refrigerator magnets and discounts at running shops, appears to be on the wane, in part because of the economy, observers said.

"It's harder to get the things to put in them. The banks are not having as many giveaways," said Shonts, the President's Cup director. "It's also time-consuming to bag bags. It can take seven or eight hours. Then, you have to store them someplace."

The more expensive tech T-shirt are also being supplanted by the cheaper, once dominant cotton ones.

There are other enticements to race. For one, financially stressed runners say they can take solace in the knowledge their entry fees often go to charity, such as for melanoma research or for young people facing learning challenges at The Children's Institute in Verona.

Then there's the deejay, whose loud speakers at the President's Cup blared Barry Manilow singing "Copacabana," and a Sam Adams truck dispersing beer -- gratis -- to a handful of runners pre-race, awaiting the post-race crowd.

"The beer helps," the Raritan club's Allara said of the amenity. "It pretty much flows til 10 o'clock."

With 19 minutes to go before the 8 p.m. race start, the lines at the $30 entry fee table shortened. Around the corner, another line formed.

Some 89 runners made a jagged line reaching a block long, all for a chance at one of eight portable toilets.