By Carly Cannavina
Morristown High School was well represented at Thursday’s Verizon Corporate Classic 5K.
Some 4,500 runners participated in Morristown, yet only one finished ahead of alumnus Ben Edwards and rising senior Pat Mullen.
The pair crossed the finish line almost simultaneously, earning second and third place, respectively, with times of 16:49.4 and 16:49.9.
Only Liam Bayla-Patt ran faster, with a top time of 16:46.
Top female finishers were Ashley Higginson of Riker Danzig Scherer, Diana D’achille of Verizon, and Katherine Edwards of Nokia. They posted times of 17:51.4, 19:51.6, and 20:01.8, respectively.
Slideshow photos by Alexandra Fisher:
In all, 115 companies fielded race teams. Verizon, Stryker, Crum and Forster, and L’oreal had the largest contingents.
Just one of those companies is from Morristown, noted Robert Barwick, the race’s lead organizer.
“This speaks to the massive draw of the event,” which has become much more than a local competition during its 14-year history, Barwick said.
The Verizon Corporate Classic has been Morris County’s largest 5K for the past three years. This week’s event helped raise $10,000 for the Jersey Battered Women’s Service.
Edwards was encouraged to enter the race by his summer employer, the Association for Corporate Growth. He jumped at the chance to run alongside Mullen when he saw his former high school teammate.
For the coming academic year, Edwards will continue running cross country and track at Bentley College, while Mullen will contend for school and state records at MHS.
Like Mullen, Corporate Classic winner Bayla-Patt competed without a corporate connection.
Among finishers, the most common complaint was the course’s hilliness; the most common praise was for the mild weather.
Surprisingly, one emergency medical technician said dehydration is a bigger concern “in 70-degree weather than 100-degree weather, because people do not realize how much they’re sweating and neglect to consciously replace their fluids.”
Fortunately, no emergencies were reported at this 5K. Morristown- and Morris Township EMTs were on standby, just in case.
Adonis Valdez Melendez of Weichert Realtors in Morris Plains called the event exhausting but exhilarating. The most difficult part? A hill about halfway through the course. Melendez said he ascended it by watching a woman push a baby stroller and run at about the same pace as him.
“She was so inspiring,” Melendez said.
Another mother crossing the finish line was one Dee Richmond. Her daughter Summer snapped photos as her mother came across.
Richmond voiced enthusiasm for the course–even its hills–and was proud to shave two minutes from her last 5K time. She also was eager to grab a courtesy banana and water bottle on her way back to the parking lot.
Barwick thanked all the organizations involved, including Morristown police, firefighters and EMTs.
“The success of this event is a huge community effort,” he said.
