LONG BRANCH, NJ - Hosted by the Jersey Shore Running Club (JSRC), over 600 dedicated racers competed/participated in the annual Sgt. Pat's 5K in Long Branch on a cool, but not snowy (as the forecast had indicated) Easter Saturday morning of March 22.

Maggie Freeman, Englishtown, a sergeant in the Manalapan police force was the first finisher of many patrolwomen at a racing time of 20:14 (20 minutes and 14 seconds). The other four dedicated patrolwomen who all received special awards were Jeanne Rabii 23:57, Somerset; Jennifer Jukas 24:52, Toms River;  Maria Franceschini 28:25, Sea Girt and Eileen Allen 29:09, Freehold.

Start of Sgt. Pat's 5K Photos: Bob Both, www.jsrc.org

"I think it's a great race for a great cause - I think it's a wonderful thing to have a race in his honor," said Freeman, who also serves as vice-president of the Freehold Area Racing Club, when asked her thoughts on the purpose of the Sgt. Pat's 5K. The event honors the Long Branch police officer Sergeant Patrick King and according to Footnotes, the JSRC newsletter: "On November 20, 1997, Sgt. Patrick King was killed while on duty in a town that he had lived in most of his life. Sgt. King was on his dinner break at the Ming Ying restaurant in the West End section of Long Branch. While waiting at the counter after ordering his dinner, a lone gunman walked into the restaurant and fired two bullets into the back of Sgt. King's head.  Sgt. King never had a chance to use the knowledge and expertise that he had learned in all his years of training to protect the public. The race is done in his memory."

John Leibfried  of Lake Como was the first patrolman to finish the out and back 3.1 mile course that began at the Promenade at 11 a.m. on the historic Long Branch oceanfront and proceeded south on Ocean Avenue through the Pier Village section, that has a popular restaurant whose staff has printed on their T-shirts: "Sometimes Being Fresh is Good." The course continued to Cottage Place to Ocean Boulevard and back to Ocean Avenue and then to the finish line on Seaview Avenue adjacent to Seven Presidents Park where Liebfried earned a highly impressive racing time of 17:44.  Rounding out the top five patrolmen were Michael Monahan 19:40, Long Branch; Mark Catalano 21:24, Jackson;  Sean Foye 21:52, Roselle Park and Timothy Mullin 21:55, Jackson. 

Pedro Espinosa

Today's overall champion of the total  655 racers was Pedro Espinosa, 24, of Freehold at 16:09 and finishing second and third were Maximilian Sparshatt, 16, of Rumson at 16:30 and Luciano DeOliveira, 29, Long Branch at 16:39.

Stephanie Zottoli

Stephanie Zottoli, 23, at 19:13 (21^st overall), from Old Bridge was the women's champion and she was followed by Kathlane Pavlick, 40, at 20:00 (34^th overall) of Monmouth Beach and Belmar's Amber Hart, 29, at 20:02 (35^th overall).

Nancy Thorne of Long Branch was satisfied with her 27:28 racing time because as she indicated she wanted to participate in this memorial race but didn't feel up to competing so she enjoyed the camaraderie of her many racing friends and the good exercise.  Her dad, Al Thorne, former police chief of West Long Branch, also participated in the 2-mile walk which, along with the Kids' Races, is part of this event (he had already done his regular 4-mile walk on the boardwalk). Nancy will again direct the annual Michael Thorne 4-Mile Scholarship Run, that will be staged at Franklin Lake in West Long Branch on May 18, to honor her fireman brother who died while being on duty.

Tim McLoone, emcee, assisted by Penny Hinck and Scott Beaver presented awards of sweatshirts, coffee mugs and tote bags to the aforementioned winners and age-group and special-category leaders on the grounds of Strollo Lighthouse on Seaview Avenue. Raffle prizes were offered due to the generosity of the local business community. This event benefits Holiday Express, PBA Local 10, HABcore Inc. & the Mental Health Association of Monmouth County.

"I want to thank the race committee members: Maureen King, Tim McLoone, Pat Joyce, Scott Beaver, Guy Beaver, Jack Carroll, Amy Robinson, Bob Ferguson Art Wisliceny, and Eddie Kirschenbaum. I want to recognize the race-day volunteers who contributed their time and effort to making the race successful, especially my wife Penny who really does all the work on raceday. Fred and Anna Torres of www.eliteracingsystems.com did the computerized results. The Windmill (north) restaurant parking lot on Ocean Avenue, served as the registration area.The event has been growing every year due to the help of our sponsors and we hope to continue doing it for such great causes," said director Phil Hinck in an E-mail message.

Other Atlantic Herald dedicated leaders of the Sgt. Pat's 5K:  Brian Register 17:22, Middletown (age-group award winner, 4 of 655);   Josh Graretbauer 18:31, Highlands (award);   Brian Hill 18:33 (award) and David Zurheide 19:37 (award), Middletown;   Gregory Kaasmann 19:47, Highlands (award);   Tim Walsh 19:53 and Kathlane Pavlick 20:00 (award), Monmouth Beach;   Evan Reed 20:19, Atl. Highlands;   Jennifer Beck 20:29, Red Bank (award);   Kiernan Delaurier 21:17, Atl. Highlands (award);   Brendan Rooney 21:33, Red Bank;   Titus Sparshatt 22:15, Sea Bright;   Kevin Hill 22:33, Rumson;   Joshua Black 23:04, Atl. Highlands;   Lence Dayo 23:07, Red Bank;   Wade Davis 23:15, Fair Haven 23:15;   Bill Burke 23:18, Atl. Highlands;   Chris Fotache 23:21, Mark Conroy 23:41and Martin Dugan 23:48 (award), Middletown;   Kate Walsh 24:02 and Peter Farmer 24:07, Monmouth Beach;   Martha Liposky 24:43 and Paul Dement 24:44, Red Bank;   Matthew O'Neill 24:47, Highlands;   Scott Wheeler 24:51, Rumson;   Tyler Schmelz 24:56, Monmouth Beach;   Daniel Lamorte 25:01, Kevin Barry 25:14 and William Kuzmin 25:29, Atl. Highlands;   Neil Martimre 25:32, Red Bank;   Kathy Porzio 25:35, Middletown;   Brian Gray 26:06, Red Bank;   Douglas Becker 26:12, Monmouth Beach;   Ed Pomphrey 26:20, Rumson;   Sarah Blozen 26:24, Red Bank;   Alexis Pollock 26:40, Atl. Highlands;   Scott Umbs 26:56, Monmouth Beach;   Erin Rigby 26:59, Fair Haven;   Timothy Somers 27:05 and Amanda Chrisholm 27:21, Monmouth Beach ( 299 of 655). 

Other Monmouth County top leaders of the first 50 finishers, all under a 7-minute mile: Kevin Hsu 17:29, Holmdel (5 of 655);   John Liebfried 17:43, Lake Como;   Martin Preuss 17:51, Long Branch;   Jonathan Goldfarb 18:02, Wayside;   Joe Ward 18:10, Asbury Park;   Shany Hart 18:32, Wall;   Evan Ralph 18:33, Colts Neck;   Richard Caponigro 18:38, Neptune City;   Jon Friedel 18:40 and Joe Chen 18:44, Holmdel;   Stephanie Zottoli 19:13, Old Bridge;   James Segal 19:17, Holmdel;   David Matthew 19:36, Tinton Falls;   Michael Monohan 19:39, Long Branch;   Ed Alburtos 19:52, Neptune City;   Tim Walsh 19:53, Monmouth Beach;   Scott Bender 19:53, Holmdel;   Scott Linnell 19:56, Colts Neck;   Jonathan Tsang 20:10, Holmdel;   Dactilia Booth 20:34, Long Branch;   Michael Farrell 20:56, Belmar (47 of 655).  

Road- racing events continue on March 30 with the St. Paddy's 10-Mile Race and the Leprechaun 5K at Tighe Park, Georgia Road, Freehold Township at 10:30 a.m., info call 732-431-2627 or www.farcnj.com.  On April 5 is the annual Manasquan Fools Run at 10 a.m. at Mallard Park, info call 732-223-0705 or www.jerseyrunner.com.  The following day, Sunday, April 6, is the Indian Trails 15K Road Race & 3 Mile Run/Walk at 9 a.m. at Croydon Hall, Leonardville Road, Middletown, info at www.sandyhookers.org/it. It's the annual Pope John 2^nd 5K on Saturday, April 12, at Joe Palaia Park in Ocean Township at 10 a.m. and the following Saturday, April 19 is the annual Jersey Shore Relay from Seaside Heights to Asbury Park with various starting times, the earliest 8 a.m., info at www.jsrc.org.