Community Corner

New Jersey Marathon Race Director: 'We are On'

The New Jersey Marathon will run as planned on May 5.

When New Jersey Marathon Race Director Joe Gigas posted "We are On," on the race's Facebook page, the thousands of participants understood exactly what he meant.

Gigas posted the message to let people know that this year's New Jersey Marathon will run as scheduled on Sunday May, 5, starting at Monmouth Park in Oceanport.

The annual race is the largest in the state and Gigas said there was never any doubt that it would be run even after he, and the rest of the world, heard about the tragedies that occurred during the Boston Marathon on Monday.

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"I never considered cancelling it," Gigas said during an interview this week.

Gigas said other tragedies in recent memory have not stopped people from doing the things they love and that this one should be no exception.

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"I can't think of one istance where we have stopped our way of life because of something like this," Gigas said.

Gigas said the only way the race would not be run would be if Homeland Security advised him and his team to not do so.

Gigas said there will be security, police and emergency services at this year's marathon, as there is every year.

"You don't always see it, but that's because we don't advertise where they will be," Gigas said. "County and local police have been in contact with me and I'm being helped by the best."

He said he believes the bombing in Boston will not stop people from participating in the race; quite the opposite in fact.

"I'm a pretty optimistic guy, but I think more people will get involved with it now," he said. "We actually had a bump in registrations (on Monday). I don't know whether that was coincidental or not, but don't think it was."

Gigas said he believes the support for this year's participants will be as strong as ever.

"We are on and we hope everyone will come out to cheer these athletes on," Gigas said.

Check back next week for a full preview of this year's New Jersey Marathon.


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