I spent a great deal of time deciding which race to run and even though I chose the Morris race, the fact that the Kinnelon race was at noon meant that I could attend both. I even entertained the idea of running both, but quickly thought the better of it. Instead, I would be a good old fashioned spectator at the later race.
It was a great decision because I got to watch an excellent, photo-worthy start on the Kinnelon High School track. See the guy in the American flag shorts?
That is Michael Soroko, a Kinnelon High grad, and he pulled away early on and relentlessly pushed his way into an enormous lead as the course snaked around behind the school. I watched as he ran past the first mile mark as he returned on the road in front of the school and had to wait more than a full minute for the second place runner. It was amazing to see this guy go, disappearing beyond the school again.
When he came back around into the school parking lot for the home-stretch lap on the track, the clock had not even hit 16:00 yet. He finished with an astounding 16:33. Absolutely amazing.
It took more than two minutes for the next finisher to hit the line at 18:52.
Sometimes, the excitement of running a race and the small glory of winning an age group prize makes us forget that there is just as much fun to be had as a spectator. You can not run every race, so you may as well watch and cheer at some of them. Now is the perfect time since there are multiple races all over New Jersey, every single weekend.
Happy spectating!
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