the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Upper Saddle River NJ , The Upper Saddle River 5K Run, a charity event which attracts over 2,000 participants, is celebrating 20 years replete with new challenges, prizes and a beautiful commemorative 1/4 zip long sleeved shirt.
Among the highlights:
20th Anniversary Double Decade Award: The first male and female across the finish line who breaks the all-time course records, 15:02 in 2014 and 16:50 in 2011 respectively, wins bragging rights and an awesome prize.
More Age Divisions: To support and reward the participation of young people, age divisions are: 10-and-under, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18, 19-24, 25-29.
USATF Certified: The Run is an official Grand Prix 500 point event certified by USA Track & Field NJ for individuals who are competitive runners. The USR 5K Run is the largest race held in Bergen County on Thanksgiving Day.
Food Collection: Two USR Girl Scouts will collect non-perishable food items for an organization called Center for Hope and Safety. The table will be set up on Wednesday Night packet pick-up and Thanksgiving morning.
“This year’s run is dedicated to the generous sponsors who have supported our run, as well as the thousands of runners and walkers of all ages, who come out year after year, regardless of the weather, to participate, cheer on friends and family and start Thanksgiving with exercise and fun,” said Marshall Grupp, USR Race Organizer. “We look forward to carrying on this tradition for the next two decades and beyond.”
The run begins at 9:00 AM at Cavallini Middle School on 392 West Saddle River Road. Pre-registration at https://usr5k.org/ is encouraged in order to guarantee the special zip up shirt. Packet pick up can be done in person from 5:00pm-8:00pm, Wednesday November 21st at Cavallini. As a safety precaution, no bags will be allowed in the gym on race day.
The race is organized by the Upper Saddle River Recreation Commission through the generosity of the families and businesses listed on our Sponsors Page. This year’s race will follow the format of our previous races and feature individual and family team competition.
The fee is $30 and $35 on race day. Groups that register 50 or more runners, will receive a $5 discount per runner. All donations should be made payable to Borough of USR and mailed to Upper Saddle River 5k Run, PO Box 569, Saddle River, NJ 07458. For questions and to make corporate or individual donations, please contact Barry Ervin at barryervin@optonline.net or Marshall Grupp at mgrupp@soundlounge.com.
Proceeds from the event benefit the local community, including D.A.R.E., Ambulance Corps and Fire Department, USR Education Foundation, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America, Shelter Our Sisters, Jeremy’s Heroes, the Rose Foundation of Haiti, and the “Extra Mile” Scholarship Fund. Total donations have exceeded $250,000.
