The UNITE Half Marathon—13.1 Miles of Excitement and History at Rutgers University
Get ready, once again, to run the UNITE Half Marathon at Rutgers University! Have fun running a unique course and get schooled (in running, that is) along the way! Great perks on this one; and new relay division!

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By Traci Joy
Posted Thursday, 7 April, 2011

After an enormously successful inaugural year, the UNITE Half Marathon is back by popular demand and ready to knock your running socks off! If you missed last year or were unable to participate, here is your chance to run this fabulous course! Have a New Year’s resolution to run a half marathon? This is your opportunity! You have plenty of time to train, and then learn about the art of running at Rutgers University. Fellow runners, join the running fun on Sunday, April 17th for a racing event that will go down in history! Not ready for 13.1? Get your buddy together for the relay, but don’t miss this event.

Exercise Your Body, Mind and School Spirit!
CGI Racing has prepared a meticulously thought-out course and racing event with tons of amenities based upon runners’ experience. They guarantee there will be no boring stretches or long silent miles without scenic views, aid stations or fan support. There will be an excellent team of volunteers and support staff along this course, as well as spirit, good cheer, and thousands of other eager runners. The UNITE Half Marathon at Rutgers does indeed UNITE: runners of all abilities will take part in this amazing second year. There will be elite athletes and novice runners alike. And what a great race to participate in! Reviewers and bloggers who enjoyed last year raved about this event! And this year they added a two-person relay! Don’t forget that Rutgers’ students receive a significant discount on registration! So wear your red and bust out your letterman jacket because it’s back to school on April 17th!

An Amazing, Historic Course
This course is 13.1 miles of collegiate beauty that will take your breath away. Rutgers University is one of the oldest, largest and most beautiful campuses in the country and you will definitely feel part of the academic and athletic culture this school is known for. Along the course you will hear live music from local bands and get cheered on by sport clubs, sororities and fraternities.

This scenic course enjoys a winding point to point route. You will pass an array of historic and culturally significant buildings and locations, such as the Old Queen’s House, the famous, and recently renovated Rutgers Stadium, the College Avenue Gym (site of the first inter-collegiate football game), and the Buccleuch Mansion, which is must-see. The course ends with your strong finish on the historic College Avenue Campus with thousands of fans supporting you!

The race will blast off at 8:30 a.m. at the Sonny Werblin Recreation Center on Busch Campus, with energizing music from marching bands and cheers from enthusiastic cheerleaders helping to get the field started. The first mile winds past Yurcak Field (soccer, lacrosse) and Rutgers Stadium, which has recently undergone one the largest renovations in college stadium history. From mile two to three runners arrive at the Livingston Campus and speed through a loop around the RAC (Rutgers Athletic Center), baseball complex, and the Bauer Track and Field Complex. Miles four and five take the field back to the north side of Busch Campus, and then the course heads south toward Raritan River.

There will be live music and tons of fan support. There will be hundreds of volunteers and 7 aid stations with electrolyte drinks and gels at miles 2.2, 4.5, 6, 7.5, 8.5, 10, and 11.

Mile seven is a terrific location for spectators, so be prepared to be inundated with thousands of cheering fans lending their support. Miles eight through twelve are an out-and-back through Johnson Park and along the banks of the Raritan River. Runners then cross the river on Landing Lane Bridge and zip through beautiful Buccleuch Park. The last mile steers you onto the College Avenue Campus – the original campus of the college. Once you take a right onto College Avenue the finish is just around the corner at magnificent Voorhees Mall!

Make sure you join in the fete at the post-race block party located right off of the finish line at shady, tree-lined, stately Voorhees Mall on Seminary Avenue! There will be a live concert, food and a chance to celebrate in style with fellow runners!

For detailed information on the course and to view the course map, visit: http://unite.cgiracing.com/Course/CourseDetailsMaps.aspx

About Rutgers University
Rutgers State University of New Jersey is the 8th oldest University in the United States. It was founded in 1766 as a small school named Queen’s College as an all-men’s college affiliated with the Dutch Reformed Church. The original college is today called the College Avenue Campus and contains the most historic buildings of all of the campuses. In the 1770’s the school became part of the fight for American independence as many students and professors joined in the Revolution and in 1825 the name was changed from Queens to Rutgers in honor of Revolutionary War veteran Colonel Henry Rutgers.

In 1869 Rutgers was the first university to choose a color to signify school spirit! Their first choice was orange, but orange ribbon and fabric was difficult to come by in the late 1860’s, so the next best choice was scarlet. Rutgers is also the site of the first intercollegiate football game, beating visiting Princeton 6-4 in 1869 whilst showcasing their red ribbons from stadium seats.

In 1945 the school became a public university and is only one of two Colonial colleges to become public universities (William and Mary is the other). Today Rutgers enjoys global reputation for academic excellence and high admissions standards. And though the Rutgers UNITE Half Marathon won't test you academically, it will test your endurance and spirit as it takes you through 13.1 miles of college and colonial history and the gorgeous surrounding areas of New Brunswick. To find out more about Rutgers’ rich history, visit: http://www.rutgers.edu/about-rutgers/rutgers-history

Lots to See and Do in New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick sits on the Raritan River making it a beautiful setting and fabulous place for runners and visitors. You can run trails along the scenic river, part of the National Recreation Trail System, and through the many public parks and various campuses the area has to offer (http://www.cityofnewbrunswick.org/depts/publicworks/parks.asp). This is a city with big-city cultural offerings and a small-town feel, with art museums, theaters, and a bustling nightlife. If you are interested in art, a must see is the Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Museum at Rutgers (http://www.zimmerlimuseum.rutgers.edu/). You can also go to the famous State Theatre, George Street Playhouse, or the Stress Factory Comedy Club for some comic relief.

There are various running clubs in the area and lots of nooks for exploring on foot. For a bit of history, you can take a walking tour of the city. There is a walking tour map: http://www.cityofnewbrunswick.org/09site/Community_Bulletin_Board/NBHistoricWalkBrochure.pdf . Be sure to check out Buccleuch Mansion at Buccleuch Park. It is right near the half marathon finish line.

The food in the area is amazing and there are great spots for pre and post race meals. The Harvest Moon Brewery is a local favorite with house-created beers on tap and delicious eats from potato skin pizza to arugula salads and burgers. You can also visit Stuff Yer Face restaurant famous for Stromboli and unique beers. For Italian, look no further than Due Mari Pesce e Vinotecca, the Spring Street Café e Trattoria, Leones Trattoria or Skinny Vinnie’s, where you can find an array of pasta and pizza options terrific enough to satisfy a Manhattan palate!

CGI Racing Has Done it Again!
CGI Racing is a New Jersey based race management firm that also organizes the Wild Half Marathon, the New Jersey State Triathlon, the Philadelphia Women’s Triathlon, and the North East Maryland Triathlon and the Black Bear Triathlon. They have over 20 years of expertise producing top-notch sporting events and creating unforgettable racing experiences for athletes of all levels. This year expect the same professionally organized racing event with great attention to detail and an event planned perfectly from beginning to end. The events specialists at CGI are athletes themselves, so they are planning everything with you, the athlete, in mind. There were rave reviews of the inaugural UNITE Half Marathon at Rutgers University, and this year will be even better! They have another fabulous race day planned for you, so please register early before it sells out!

The UNITE Half Marathon will expand to three more universities in 2012, and an anticipated three more in 2013! Get ready to Unite – nationwide!

UNITE for Charity: Run for a Cause
Run for an important charitable organization! Make every step count as you help others - whether it is helping paraplegic children race, helping to eradicate pediatric HIV infection, or battling Leukemia and other cancers. Raising much-needed funds and awareness for an organization can help you achieve your athletic goals and make you someone’s hero!

You can also support the Rutgers Sports Club and help raise funds to keep the athletics department going. With budget slashes for schools across the country, many extra curricular activities and students are suffering losses of exercise opportunities. Here is your chance to help student athletes perform to their fullest potential!

Please also consider bringing an out-of-use cell phone to the race or the Expo! UHopeLine is the creation of the Rutgers Social Work Department with the aim of providing wireless phones and cash grants to local shelters and non-profit organizations that focus on domestic and dating violence prevention and awareness. Phones that can be refurbished are provided to survivors of domestic violence; phones without value are recycled or disposed of in an environmentally sound way. Please bring any out-of-use phones to the race! There will be dropping off bins at the start and finish, as well as the Expo.

Run for one of the many affiliated charities by signing up today. Visit http://unite.cgiracing.com/UNITE4CHARITY/Overview.aspx to learn more about UNITE-affiliated organizations.

UNITE Health and Fitness Expo
The Health and Fitness Expo will be held Saturday, April 16th from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Rutgers University’s Art Werblin Recreation Center, Busch Campus; the Center is located at 656 Bartholomew Road, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854. This is also where the race begins. Race day packet pick-up is available during these hours - see instructions on the registration page.

The expo is free and open to the public. You must pick up your packets, ChronoTrack timing chips (one for each runner and one for each relay team), T-shirts and goodie bags at the expo. Be sure to take some time to enjoy the live music, check out the running clinics and seminars, and have a good look at the vendor booths while you are there!

Race Day Logistics
Parking - There will be plenty of parking on campus near the start and finish lines with shuttles or the choice to walk to the start and finish lines. Parking will be open on Busch Campus near the start (this lot closes at 7:45am) and the College Avenue Campus near the finish (lot open all day). If you are dropping off your runner there are important instructions on how to do so, as well as an extremely useful Spectator Map (http://unite.cgiracing.com/EVENTINFO/ParkingandDirections/DroppingOffYourRunner.aspx)
Prizes -
- Awards for top three (3) males and females overall
- Age group awards (3) deep in five year increments for females and males
- All finishers receive an awesome custom commemorative medal!
Weather - April weather in New Brunswick is generally mild and ideal for distance running, with an average high temperature at 62 and average low 40 with a mean of 51. The sun will be higher and brighter with sunset at 7:15. New Brunswick and Piscataway are beautiful in the early spring with flowers and trees blooming and foliage coming back to life.
Register - You will want to register early for this event! Registration sold out early in 2010 and we expect it to sell out even faster this year due to the popularity of this event! https://www.formstack.com/forms/?712503-wajrKTxWLW

Make it a Weekend Getaway!
There are so many things to see and do in New Brunswick that you will want to make this half marathon a mid-April tradition! Why not create a running adventure and drive or to experience the second annual UNITE Half Marathon? There are plenty of places to stay, including:
- The Heldrich Hotel and Spa - 732-729-4670 or book online at www.theheldrich.com
- Crowne Plaza Somerset-Bridgewater - 732-560-0500 (https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=1468257)
- Hilton East Brunswick - http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/groups/personalized/EWRBHHF-UHM-20100417/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG
Remember to reserve your rooms early and mention the UNITE Half Marathon to get the UNITE room rate!

You wont want to miss the second annual UNITE Half Marathon after such a highly successful inaugural year! Here is your chance to set healthy New Year’s goals and stick to them! We hope you UNITE with 5,000 fellow runners and see what a treat this magnificent course is! See you on Sunday, April 17th and enjoy Rutgers scarlet!

Official UNITE Event Site: http://unite.cgiracing.com/UniteHome.aspx
New Brunswick Official Site Info: http://www.newbrunswick.com/
Rutgers University: http://www.rutgers.edu/
FB: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Unite-Half-Marathon/154743621224454

Related info:
Event Website

Event Registration

Active Running

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