Justin Scheid and Cathy Grote took top honors in the men’s and women’s divisions of the fifth annual Verizon Wireless Classic in Morristown tonight, besting a field of more than 4,000 runners in the 5K race.
“It didn’t feel as hot as last year,” said Justin, a 24-year-old accountant from Sparta who outdueled Adam Ambrus of Morristown to win with an unofficial time of 15:33.
The temperature was in the 80s, with some welcome cloud cover.
Justin, who works for PricewaterhouseCoopers, logs about 60 miles a week and is training for his first New York Marathon this fall.
Cathy Grote, 35, prefers longer distances. She posted an unofficial time of 19:12.
“It was hot and hilly,” said the Mendham resident, who works for the Running Company and the Somerset Hills YMCA. “I can run long distances, but shorter is hard.”
The evening’s other big winner was the Jersey Battered Women’s Service Inc., which received a $10,000 donation from Verizon Wireless.
“We’re very, very grateful,” said Patty Sly, executive director of the Morris County organization.
Patty said that the recession has placed increasing demands on her agency, now providing help to 60 women and children.
“Alternative housing is more difficult to find, and economic stresses exacerbate abuse,” she said. It costs about $50 a night to house each person in a JBWS shelter, she said.
Race spokesman Robert Barwick said the event drew more than 4,000 runners, close to the record.
Official race results are here.
Great job… THX!!!
Healthyfully coach Mark