George Sheehan Classic

Red Bank, NJ, June 16, 2007

Koech and Brock win Sheehan Classic in New Jersey

Leaders and Pack pass each other

RED BANK, NJ (June 16, 2007)– 20-year-old Kenyan Philip Koech won the 2007 George Sheehan Classic 5-mile run with a time of 23:14. Koech, currently based in West Chester, Pa, was followed closely by second-place finisher Dagne Alemu, 27, Ethiopian 5,000 meter Olympian, who finished 12 seconds back in 23:26. Kenyans Isaac Arusei, 23:43, Benson Cheruiyot. 23:54 and Solomon Too, 24:41, rounded out the top five spots in what proved to be a very fast field; nearly windless conditions, with warm but not hot temperatures, made for good-racing-weather morning.

Finishing sixth overall, first American, was Robert Cannon, 24, from Toms River, who earned the prize for top male finisher from New Jersey. He was followed in the NJ division by Robert Cavanaugh, West Long Branch, 29, (seventh, 25:18), and Thadeus Meyers, 22, Middletown, (ninth, 25:35). Cannon, former cross county and track standout at Toms River South and Haverford College, won the Spring Lake Five in May.

Toms River’s Noel Brock, a 29-year-old who teaches third graders in Brick, was the first female finisher with a time of 28:51, resulting in an American woman champion of the Classic for the second year in a row. Brock, assistant track coach at Toms River HS North, had won in Spring Lake just three weeks back. Following Brock at the Sheehan Classic were Megan (Maggie) Guiney, 26, Middletown, (second woman, 29:31), last year’s Classic champion Jennifer Malavolta, 36, Reeders, PA, (third, 29:50), Madelyn Noe-Schlentz, 46, Freehold, (fourth, 30:06); and Jennifer Martin, 35, Clifton, (fifth, 30:17). Brock, Guiney and Noe-Schlentz were also awarded Top 3 NJ Female honors.

The SBLI No Nonsense Runner Award, recognizing individual and non-profit organizations who go above and beyond, was presented to Andrew Kaiser and the Ryan Andrew Kaiser Memorial Foundation at the post-race award ceremony. The RAKMF, which hosts the annual Ryan’s Run 5K, assists local families with critically ill children, and strives to improve the future outlook for kids with congenital heart disease.

Nearly 2,500 athletes participated in the Sheehan Classic, a two-day event held June 15-16 that included a series of kids’ races, a two-mile health walk and the premier event, the five-mile run.

“We moved the race in 2004 from its previous August date, hoping that we would have cooler weather,” said race director Philip Hinck. “The weather was perfect this year, a mild breeze at the race start with hazy skies burning off during the race, provided ideal running conditions. We had a very successful race, thanks to our sponsors and to the hard work of countless volunteers.”

The George Sheehan Classic began in 1981 as the Asbury Park 10K Classic and quickly became one of the major road running events on the national calendar. The race moved to Red Bank in 1994 and was renamed to honor the memory of Dr. George Sheehan, the prominent author, philosopher and area physician. “The Doc” has been called the “father of the running boom” in the United States. The Classic was named one of the Top 100 Road Races by Runner’s World magazine, and the Best Memorial Race in New Jersey by the New York Times.

SBLI (The Savings Bank Life Insurance Company of Massachusetts) and Riverview Medical Center, Red Bank sponsor the Sheehan Classic. Other sponsors include: Horizon BlueCross BlueShield of New Jersey, Wachovia Bank, Wachovia Securities, New Jersey Natural Gas Company, Builders General Supply Company and Straub Motors Lincoln/Mercury. Refreshment sponsors are Whole Foods Market and Poland Springs Water.

The George Sheehan Classic is the second event of the SBLI Jersey Shore Golden Grand Prix, a series of races that offers prize money to overall winners and age group category winners. The five 2007 events are: Spring Lake 5, George Sheehan Classic, Belmar 5, Asbury Park 5K & Pier Village 5K. Further information can be found on the series website, www.SBLIgrandprix.com.

Finishers of the George Sheehan Classic might agree with this quote attributed to the late beloved Running Doc: "When I run, truly run...it is all there. My body does what it does best. The mind like a kaleidoscope constantly rearranges the things it has stored into new and exciting patterns. And my soul utterly loses itself in the present." Complete race results can be found on the web at www.sheehanclassic.org.