ROSE CITY RUNNERS GO BACK 29 YEARS When Barbara Rushman of Florham Park was invited to speak with a group of runners back in 1979 about how to form a running club, she had no intention of joining the new club. She was busy with the club she had founded in 1977 at the Exxon company where she worked. But by the end of the evening Rushman found herself signing up. She is now the only founder who is still an active member of the Rose City Runners. Rushman is officially the membership chair, but she is also the club's webmaster [www.rosecityrunners.com] and maintains its mailing list. Most communication is now done through email, which is also Rushman's responsibility. The exact number of members is not known as more than one member may live at one of the 110 addresses on file, but Rushman estimates they number between 150 and 160. A good many of those members meet each Saturday morning at the Duck Pond off Kitchell Road in Loantaka Park for the long-standing group run. |
"We get a lot of people at our Saturday morning runs," said Rushman. "If we get under thirty it's a small turnout."
It was the group runs that brought club president Tom Gallagher of Madison into the club but it took a bit of cajoling to bring him in.
"I would always see them running and they would say "join" and I'd say, I don't want to get up that early," said Gallagher. "I'd kind of get there when they were finishing up."
"My excuse always was that I was a solo runner," he said. "You hear it so often, 'they're all real fast, they're all big marathoners.'"
Since then Gallagher has become a veteran club recruiter who points out the benefits of belonging to the club.
"I find the camaraderie of the club is just fantastic," he said. "The idea that you can go to the Duck Pond anytime on a Saturday [9:00 a.m. in winter, 8:30 a.m. during Daylight Savings time] and you will always have somebody to run with. Whether it's ten below zero or one hundred and ten, you're always going to be able to hook up with somebody to run."
"If you want to find somebody to run with, or enjoy the company of other runners who understand what running is all about, the club is great," said Gallagher. "There are a heck of a lot of serious runners in Rose City but nobody in Rose City looks down on anybody. They welcome all levels of runners. There is no intimidation factor."
"With some clubs you could have some people who just want to run and race and not socialize," he said. "We do the Jingle Bell Run. You have a bunch of crazy adults running around with reindeer bells on through the streets of town. You look like a bunch of idiots but it's fun."
"If you are going to be doing marathon training, it's great to be able to go out and train with people," said Gallagher. "Or even when we do different events, like River to Sea [the relay race across the state] the Jersey Shore relay, the Midland Run, when we had the Midland Run. Just the camaraderie and the ability to associate with people who are running and living a healthy life style is great."
That camaraderie extends to more than just running. Rose City has a reputation as a party club, or as Amazing Feet club members taunt, they are the Rose City Picnickers.
It only brings a hearty chuckle from Gallagher. "We're just people with an eating disorder who like to run."
In addition to the post run tailgate picnic every Saturday, the club has an annual New Year's Eve party followed by a New Year's Day run and party. Then there is the St. Patrick's Day party, a summer Pool Party, the Giralda Farms post race party, and ending the year with a Jingle Bell party. In addition are the Glug Runs in Jockey Hollow and hiking trips. Some activities are not even related to running, like the opera outings to New York City and two recent trips to Switzerland.
Some things will be changing for the Rose City club thanks to Mark Washburne of Mendham. For the first time in Rose City history the club will be a member of USATF-NJ and will compete in its long distance running program.
"We've gotten the reputation as being just a social club," said Washburne. "Amazing Feet call us the Rose City Picnickers, but we have some serious runners who love to do races. I think it is time."
Washburne has gotten commitments from over fifty people who say they will run in USATF championship races. The club will have enough runners to field teams in all age divisions. Because it is the first year for the club, Washburne does not have any preconceived notions about how the teams will do.
"We are more going into it to give an opportunity to our runners to race and have some fun together," he said. "I don't think we are going to dethrone Raritan Valley or the Morris County Striders."
Ironically, although the club is joining USATF for the first time this year, the clubs premier race, the Giralda Farms 10K has been in the USATF grand prix for a few years. In 2006 it was the Masters Championship and will be again in 2008. Held the Sunday after the New York City marathon it features a noon start and a 5K along with the 10K.
Once the race is over and the site is tidied, club members will gather together for their post race party. Just the thing for a club that loves to run and yes, loves to have fun.
Originally published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey on Sunday, February 10, 2008
Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2008
