Memorial Day – Monday – May 25th, 2015
Veterans Memorial Field
Ridgewood, NJ
Come Run With Us
The premier road race in northern New Jersey. One of the longest running races in the tri-state area. There is something for everyone: 10K, 5K, Road Mile, Fun Run – the must-run event for all!
THE 2015 RACE REGISTRATION IS OPEN
Please join us on Memorial Day in 2015 we hope to make the race better than ever. It will be our 40th running!
Register now by mail in form or online at Race Forum.
Online registration closes on THRUSDAY!
“All ages, all abilities, all welcome!”
The Fred d’Elia Memorial Day Ridgewood Run is a family-focused day of events that provide a fun environment in a festive open-park atmosphere. Seven distinct events provide the center of activity. They start at 8:15 AM and continue until after the conclusion of the Fun Run at noon. The road races are run through the tree-lined streets of the Village of Ridgewood NJ. Ridgewood is located in Bergen County bordering Rockland, Westchester, and New York counties.
Video produced and provided by mybergen.com. Copyright © 2011.
“All ages, all abilities, all welcome!”
History of the Fred d’Elia Ridgewood Run
The Fred d’Elia Ridgewood Run was created by Manfred (Fred) d’Elia and his wife, world-class runner Toshiko d’Elia, in 1976. Tired of driving his wife into Manhattan for competition with the New York Road Runners, Fred decided to create his own race to attract serious runners to their hometown. The inaugural Ridgewood Run took off with runners sporting hand-made bib numbers with Fred acting as race director, course certifier and timer. “With no money to put on a race, we all had our tasks,” recalls Toshiko d’Elia. “I hand-delivered all the race applications around town to save on stamps and our daughter Erica, was handed a black dri-marker to make race numbers.”
Since its inception, this homespun race which is always held on Memorial Day has grown to 3,500 nation-wide participants who compete for prize money in the 10K, 5K, masters mile, and elite mile events. There is also a Fun Run/Health Walk for children and walkers. The Henry H. Kessler Foundation Wheelchair 10K was introduced in 2001 with an outstanding field of 23 athletes and in 2002, 40 athletes attended, including world record holder in the 10K, Krige Schabort from South Africa, who set a new course record of 19:56 in 2006.
The evolution from hand-made bib numbers includes time clocks at every mile, ChampionChip scoring and online registration. Despite these state-of-the art devices, the event remains runner-friendly. It is truly a community-driven event. The North Jersey Masters Track and Field Club, started by the d’Elias’ in 1976, are the organizers of the race.
Park Ave BMW of Maywood has been the major sponsor since 1996. The Ridgewood YMCA is the perfect sponsor for the Fun Run/Health Walk, and the Valley Hospital is the proud sponsor of the Elite and Masters Mile races. All sponsors have a very strong commitment to the community.
Proceeds of the Ridgewood Run provide donations to support local charities and organizations. Main beneficiaries in past races were the Special Olympics New Jersey, the Ridgewood YMCA, the Kessler Foundation, the Village of Ridgewood Parks and Recreation, Social Service Association, College Club. Assistance is also give to other local charitable organizations and scholarship recipients.
The close proximity to New York City gives families from the NY Metropolitan area a chance to celebrate the holiday by spending a fun-filled weekend that concludes with a day of healthy exercise. At the Ridgewood Run, one spouse might run the 10K, the other the 5K, and then accompany the children in the Fun Run.
The Ridgewood Run has established itself as the must-run road race in the NY-NJ-Connecticut area on Memorial Day. The North Jersey Masters (NJM), the premier running club in Northern NJ, has been the organizer of the race since it’s inception in 1976. In those years NJM has built a reputation for hospitality and the ability to put on a quality day for all participants (see Race History).
Race Amenities in 2015 are:
commemorative made in the USA high-tech performance T-shirt – a real keeper!
a Flat & Fast USATF certified course;
B-tag Timing;
Mile Clocks
Water Stops
a Family Team competition in the 5K;
Photography by Sports Memories.
Awards and Prizes are plentiful: 1) Prize money to the top three finishers in the 1-Mile races, top 3 finishers in the 5K and 10K. 2) New Balance Gift Certificates and trophies to the top three finishers in each five-year age-group bracket. 3) Finisher’s Medal to all registered finishers of the Ridgewood YMCA Fun Run/Health Walk, 10 years and younger.
Mark your calendar to celebrate Memorial Day 2015 at the
Fred d’Elia Ridgewood Run!
Monday, May 25, 2015.