Midland run

Story I heard is that the Far Hills borough council no longer thought the multi-hour closure of Route 202, as well as the other roads, was worth it, so the town did not issue a permit.

Hope they find it within themselves to issue a large check to the Midland School to make up for not issuing the permit and depriving the school of its key fundraiser.

If you feel moptivated to ask them to do so, you can find the right person to call by following this link and clicking through to the "Far Hills" PDF.

http://www.co.somerset.nj.us/towndir.htm

The Bernardsville News 12/29/2005

Ineffective as a fund-raiser, Midland Run is discontinued

By SANDY STUART Staff Writer

FAR HILLS – After 28 years as a premiere road race, the Midland Run has run its course.

Officials from the Midland School in North Branch, a facility for developmentally disabled children that benefited from the race, have decided to discontinue it because of dwindling profits.

“It was successful as a race but not as a fund-raiser,” explained Phil Gartlan, executive director of the school.

“We feel bad about this because it’s like losing a friend,” he added. “There was always a lot of excitement surrounding it.”

The event, which featured 15-kilometer and 5-kilometer races, boasted a scenic road course through Far Hills and Peapack-Gladstone that began and ended at Moorland Farms off Route 202 in Far Hills.

At its height of popularity, the run attracted about 5,000 participants, including many of the tri-state area’s elite runners.

But the Midland Run was more than just a competitive running event. Thousands of spectators, including children, jammed Moorland Farms to enjoy a day of music, food and outdoor fun.

“It was kind of an annual rite of spring,” said Gartlan. “It was a family-friendly event.”

Families living along the race route, especially Peapack Road, Main Street and Willow Avenue, would hand cups of water to the runners and sprinkle them with water from hoses if the weather was hot.

The Midland Run got its biggest publicity boost in 1980, the year the United States boycotted the Olympics in Moscow because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

The 15K race attracted a field of world-class runners that Sports Illustrated called “the most impressive field of runners ever assembled for a road race.”

Because many top runners were flown into New Jersey at the Midland School’s expense, the run made no money that year. But the 1980 race established the Midland Run’s reputation as a can’t-miss event for serious 15K runners.

“It used to be that nobody else even scheduled a race on the same day as the Midland Run, because it was THE race,” noted Gartlan.

Over the years, however, the Midland Run slowly lost its luster. Competing races popped up, siphoning off would-be participants.

By this past spring, the race drew only about 1,250 competitors for the 15K race and 700 for the 5K event.

Gartlan said that while the race “was still held in high esteem by the running community,” it didn’t raise enough money for the school to justify the time, money and volunteer effort that went into organizing it.

Marathon Hopes

In the hope of salvaging the race, Gartlan and race director Mark Zamek went before the Far Hills Borough Council in June to broach plans for expanding the run to include a marathon.

Zamek said marathons are growing in popularity, attracting more first-time participants than any other type of running event. “There are a large number of people who are looking for a challenge,” he said.

“The home run for the Midland School would be if we got 25,000 people,” Zamek proclaimed.

The council, however, didn’t see it that way. After hearing residents along the 15K route complain that they weren’t notified in advance of road closings, council members said they wouldn’t welcome the disruption that would be created by having lengthier road closings for a marathon race.

Rebuffed by Far Hills, Midland School officials remapped the marathon to use scenic roads in Bedminster, Tewksbury, Bridge water and Branchburg, starting and finishing at North Branch Park.

Instead of branding the marathon with the Midland name, organizers called it the Car-A-Mile Marathon. The name referred to the race’s proposed gimmick of giving 26 cars away by random drawing to race participants, a system that would provide an equal shot at prizes to novice marathoners.

Although Midland officials set up a website with on-line registration for the new marathon, the response was not what they had hoped.

In early December, Gartlan said, race organizers compared registration numbers for the Car-A-Mile marathon with six-months-prior registration figures for established marathons.

Based on those numbers, he said, Midland officials reached the conclusion that the proposed marathon would not be feasible as a fund-raiser.

The Car-A-Mile web page still exists, but instead of containing registration forms it lists an announcement of the Midland Run’s demise.

“After 28 great years, the Midland Run as well as plans for a new marathon are coming to an end,” it said.

“It is with sadness and regret that we say good-bye to the run,” it continued. “It is time for Midland to move on to more viable forms of fundraising, but we will miss the annual Midland Run and the many people who supported it over the last three decades.”

Gartlan said he doesn’t believe the Far Hills council’s unwillingness to allow a marathon to start and finish at Moorland Farms played a major role in failure of the event.

With the Midland Run now a page in local sports history, Gartlan said the Midland School has not planned a substitute fund-raising event.

“We’re taking more of a direct approach with fundraising,” he said, explaining that the school is trying to get grants from foundations and donations from local corporations.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15837213&BRD=1918&PAG=461&dept_id=506414&rfi=6

http://www.caramilemarathon.com/

“It was successful as a race but not as a fund-raiser,” explained Phil Gartlan, executive director of the school.

Unless they have lost numerous major sponsors over the last several years, I find this hard to believe. Me thinks there is more to the story...

does anyone else think they tried to market this new Car a Mile marathon, spent tens or hundreds of thousand advertising it, and couldn't pay the bills so they just filed for bankruptcy?

Is this a possibility. I assume the charity race could have different assets than the school.

This was my first big road race as a 16yr old from bear country in New Jersey. As a youngster it was hard to find a road race to change up the monotony of my training for track. The event was more then running, my folks enjoyed the events, my little nieces and nephews got into running because of this event and are now starting their middle school running careers. The event gave people outside of big running areas a chance ot see what a big race is like because of the ease of access and plentiful parking. I remember the numerous sponosors and chance to meet elite atheletes like Todd Williams and getting his autograph and a chance to speak with him after his race. Also it allowed the participation of the midland school kids giving them a chance to compete with everyone else, and I recall how happy they and their loved ones were. I feel this is truly a sad day and event in road racing and all of sport. Midland brought together a large variety of people that was unique and never duplicated. I know races like falmouth, boiler maker, and even any NYRR's race have more participants but this brought people outside of the running community in making a whole new group of fans of the sport. The race was both a fundraiser and a powerful tool to teach people the joy of running. I hope they try to bring back the 5k and 15k two very accessible distances for people.

I haven't run this race in five years. Was looking forward to doing it this year. Don't know why the race was dropped,

But couldn't the USATF pick it up and make it a no frills race. No shirts no bags, bring your own food. Just medals and some prize money. Just like the usatf Xcountry nationals? I'm getting the impression that this was an all or nothing deal and they couldn't do it all so we got nothing.

I remember the first Midland. It was a half marathon I think. The race was crazy and a bunch of the runners went off course. The course itself was beautiful.

Used to be in the know wrote:

“It was successful as a race but not as a fund-raiser,” explained Phil Gartlan, executive director of the school.

Unless they have lost numerous major sponsors over the last several years, I find this hard to believe. Me thinks there is more to the story...

just b/c a race makes money doesnt mean it's successful.

if there are other opportunities where the school can make MORE money without the time and labor required of staging a large race, then putting on this race would be stupid.

if anyone wants to see the race continue, step up to the plate and start re-organizing it.

USATF is not going to pick up EVERYTHING to keep the race going. If the locals are ready to pack it in, then USATF wouldn't want to be part of it.

Excellent memory, jerseyoldman. I was one of the ones who went off course, in about 20th place. A beautiful extra 3 miles or so.

USATF-NJ has no pull with Far Hills, where the race starts and finishes. The property USED TO BE AT&T Moorland Farms. Now its owned by one guy, who is also the mayor of Far Hills and profits from his property and its use for "The Hunt" a day of rich people reveling and watching some horse races and fox chases in the fall. There is nothing that USATF-NJ can do for this guy or the town, he owns the stuff, he calls the shots.

Grote

So, what's the deal? Is the race cancelled because it was an "ineffective fund raiser" or because the town refused to give permits to close Route 202 and other roads? If it was an ineffective fund raiser, then lots of money must have been wasted somehow... Volvo, Star-Ledger and dozens of others $ponsored the race - who got that money? I mean, the prize money was modest... I understand it takes some money to put on the race itself (bibs, manpower, cops, etc) but did the Midland Run really see it as an "ineffective fund raiser"? Or is that just the excuse not to fight the town once they decided not to issue the necessary permits? Inquiring minds want to know...

As recent as 2004, the Midland School's take was $100,000! That's going to be hard to replace considering that sponsors no longer have the publicity of the run in return for their $$$

The proposed Car-A-Mile Marathon and other events for 2006, were not going to be in Far Hills. So, the event was able to attempt to reorganize after being kicked out of the town and found its way to a new location and course. I believe that the marathon was a misguided idea on many fronts...valiant effort, but misguided. I'm neither right nor wrong about this, just an opinion, and I'm sad to see the event gone. I believe that the expectation to get so many people out to NJ is flawed...who wants to come to NJ? Too many other marathons that time of year, as well...and weather is bad. It further isolates and disinterests the wealthy locals who used to turn out in droves. The Somerset Hills area is one of the wealthiest in the US, and the organizers have lost touch with that base of people. Midland USED to be the big event to turn out to in the spring, just to hang out, tailgate, whatever, even if not running. It hasn't been that for a few years now. The Car-A-Mile idea definitely didn't excite locals either...especially since the real deal was a 1-year LEASE on a car, not really a free car. People have plenty of money and plenty of cars in these parts.

Grote

Yeah, it's a pretty wealthy area and I suspect they view the race's demise happily.

A couple of other issues here. In the past, Volvo would donate a car to be raffled off. Every raffle ticket sold was pure profit for the school. In the past few years, they still raffled off a car, but it was not donated, so the amount of money brought in was seriously reduced. Couple that with declining numbers in the runs and the event just wasn't making nearly the money it had in the past.

They should rename it the Sopranos 15k,packet pickup at Bad-a-bing.

the first race was also hot....do you have any results for the first race?...20th place is great!.