2004 Westfield Downtown Review

On the final Wednesday in July the weather gods smiled on Westfield making for a happy group of race volunteers and runners at the third annual Westfield Downtown 5K and Pizza Extravaganza. With over 1300 registered runners, 1291 who finished, the race showed an impressive 20% increase over last year.

Most relieved was Sherry Cronin, Executive Director of the Downtown Westfield Corporation(DWC), who was extremely concerned at some ominous looking storm clouds that appeared at 5:30 pm, 90 minutes before race time. “I just hope it holds off until the race is over ,” she had said, “But I’m not sure.”

Just 24 hours earlier a torrential rainstorm had flooded much of the downtown area and Cronin and her staff prepared for the worst with extra tents and early transporting of race bags. Also The Sweet Sounds Downtown Jazz Festival, which is held every Tuesday
night in July and August was to be rescheduled for Wednesday, but due to the 80% chance of rain on Wednesday, Cronin made the decision at noon to cancel the four bands, which were scheduled.
“We would have had both events take place at the same time--a
challenge but nonetheless manageable ,” added Cronin.

The Tuesday storms had nearly flooded the DWC basement where the race bags had been packed.

“We were very concerned after the tremendous amount of rain we had on
Tuesday resulting in some flooding, particularly down Elm Street near
our office. Fortunately, we remained dry and the weather held out on Wednesday for the event.,” said Cronin.

According to Cronin, 423 runners post registered adding 30% from pre-registration..” We were very pleased that so many people were able to join us. Unfortunately we ran out of runner’s bags as a result, but we had enough t-shirts and other goodies
at the event including live entertainment.

Although they are from Franklin Lakes in Bergen County, the men’s and women’s winners, Gene and Amanda Mitchell had a Westfield connection. They are owners of The Running Company, which opened its seventh store in Westfield the day of the 2003
race. Gene Mitchell had been second the last two years but this time outran the defending champion Anthony De Benedictis of Roselle Park in a course record 14:50.

“Anthony’s a lot younger than me and a lot faster ,” said the 36-year-old Mitchell of the 26-year-old De Benedictis. “It’s always an accomplishment to beat him, “ added Mitchell a former Big East 300 meter steeplechase champion while at Villanova.

Amanda Mitchell also smashed the course record of Julie Culley with a time of 17:21, which far outdistanced runner-up Megan Phillips of Brielle.

For the second straight year, Westfield High School teacher Chris Tafelski was first township finisher just edging out fast improving Westfield sophomore Jeff Perrella 16:15 to 16:18. Morristown track coach Paul Buccino was the third Westfield resident followed by Rick Pingitore, the first Westfield master in 16:55.

Chris’s younger sister Claire made it a clean sweep for the Tafelski family by running 20:26 to outpace Westfield High School runners Dorothy Chore, Annie Onishi and Meg Driscoll. Kim Selert (22:20) was the first Westfield master.

But the real story of the race was the staggering numbers of food consumed. The Westfield Jaycees distributed 420 pizzas and over1,300 cookies.

“The business community was extremely supportive, not only in providing
goodies for the runners bags, but also in welcoming 1,400 runners and
the thousands of spectators to downtown. The race was a tremendous success. The race organizer, On Your Mark Productions, and all of the volunteers did a great job to create a
seamless event ,” said Cronin.

Third Decade

    My third decade of running has unfortunately commenced the way the second ended-with another racing performance that has me wondering if I’ll ever be able to run a race with any type of vigor again.Three decades is not as long as it first sounds-it’s only twenty years not thirty  (there is no zero decade). There are probably runners who have experienced more diversity in races in five years or less than I have but that is because I tend to repeatedly revisit races I’ve enjoyed  rather than seeking new worlds to conquer. I also prefer races that aren’t too faraway.
     The exception is the longer races which tend to be down the shore or in Philadelphia but for short ones of five miles or less I am fortunate to live in an area where there are many good local ones.An example of my race choosing philosophy is the race mentioned above-the Firecracker Four Mile in Cranford which I  competed in for the eighteenth time in the past twenty years. I like everything about the race except the heat. My time of 31:08, while actually a two minute improvement over a year ago and close to my goal time of under 31 was a time that probably would have made me consider quitting racing had it happened in my first or early in my second decade. But I have noticed something I seem to have in common with so many runners that I competed against in the 80’s-they have slowed down too.
    Still the fire remains in me to get back to where I think I should be. It used to be that your time was pretty much your secret but not anymore. The internet broadcasts your time all over the world so even that runner who movedaway ten years ago can look at race results and wonder how Dave Lazarus got so slow.
       The irony is that my times are not too different from where they were at this time in 1984 when I started running as a way to lose weight for softball. My good fortune to live a half mile from a track enabled me to do endless timetrials that summer where I quickly saw my two mile times got from the 15’s to the 14’s to the 13’s and when I roped a friend in to join me, they dropped through to the low 12’s. By then I had added three milers and then four miles and we entered our first race together, the Nutley five mile which we found inan ad in the Newark Star Ledger sports section.

      The next stages of running insanity came quickly. The Central Jersey RoadRunners Fall Classic, run in November back then,  illuminated me to the value of joining a running club and attending a mid winter meeting made me aware that runners don’t stop just because of a little snow. I had tried winter running but detested it because I didn’t wear the right type of clothing. 

     From the meeting I also found a group that ran intervals and by the summer of 1985 had developed into an above average runner.That year was my first Firecracker, coming at the end of an exhausting three days when I  had run the Sneaker Factory summer series four miler on Tuesday and the Sunset five mile on Wednesday. Although my legs were dead , I somehow chugged through to a 26:03 four mile, over five minutes faster than what I did this year. You can’t look the time up anywhere on the internet-you’ll just have to take my word for it. You see it was a long time ago.

2004 Westfield Downtown Pizza Race Preview

In just its third year the Westfield Downtown 5K and Pizza Extravaganza hasbecome an event not to be missed by runners or pizza lovers, which even in thisAtkins diet crazed world are still synonymous. The race, which starts at 7 pmWednesday at the corner of East Broad and Elm Streets, has shown phenomenalgrowth in its first two years, going from 893 runners and 250 pizzas the firstyear to 1205 runners and 375 pizzas last year.

Sherry Cronin, Executive Director of the Downtown Westfield Corporation(DWC)is expecting 1500 runners, who should munch down over 400 pizzas this yearmaking the race one of the top ten running events in New Jersey.

The race was the brainchild of Alan DeRose, an avid runner and Chairman of theDWC.“He wanted to create an event which would showcase the vibrant downtown andbeautiful residential areas,” said Cronin.

The race begins on the corner of Broad and Elm and winds its way throughMindowaskin Park before heading down Tuttle Parkway past Roosevelt School Theraces heads down Edgewood Avenue and the 2 Mile mark is on Effingham Place. Thelast mile is a slightly uphill straightaway down Elm Street. Anthony DeBenedictis (14:58) and Julie Culley (17:49) set the course records last year inwinning their divisions.

But the end of the race only signals the beginning of an entertaining andpallet satisfying evening. There will be a DJ and live music provided by theMichael Craig Band and lots and lots of pizza. It will be a team effort of thedowntown pizzerias and restaurants.“Cosimo's Pizzeria & Restaurant will be supplying 200 pizzas. Ferraro'swill be supplying 120 pizzas, and Gennaro's Pizzeria and Restaurant willbe supplying 50 pizzas, and the remaining to be determined. We expectto need over 400 pizzas at this time.,” said Cronin.

For the third straight year the race production will be handled by MarkZenobia, of On Your Mark Productions,.” He does a terrific job ,” said Croninwho also mentioned the Westfield Jaycees who provides many volunteers fordistributing pizzas. In addition, volunteers from the DWC,WestfieldCorporation, the Westfield Y, and the Girl Scouts also assist. Businesses alsosupport the event by sponsoring the event and providing promotional items forthe runner’s bags.

Among the participants will be Mayor George McDermott.“Mayor McDermott and his family love this event. They have run in theevent in the past.,” said Cronin. McDermott, his wife Andrea, and son, Bryan is all registered this year. The first 600 registered runners will receive embroidered caps and the first1500 get T-shirts. The pre-registration fee is $20 and is $25 the day of therace. And everybody will have plenty of pizza to eat-no matter how long therace takes them.