From SOMA Fox Running Club:
Sometimes just reaching the New Year is a feat unto itself.
Come celebrate your journey to 2023 by running or walking the One Mile Fox race on January 7. This race is sponsored by the SOMA Fox Running Club, and 25% of the profits from this race will be donated to our charity partner, Meeting Essential Needs With Dignity (MEND). MEND provides our food-insecure neighbors throughout Essex County with fresh, healthy food all year long.
Sign up here!
If you were expecting to coast gently into the new year, well, flat and fast is not what you will find here. No, instead we offer you guts and glory. The course takes you through the Maplecrest Park/Springfield Avenue neighborhood and provides both challenging uphills and thrilling downhills. Heats will begin at 10 a.m. and will be time-seeded for both safety and excitement. When you register, please note your expected finish time.
Here is a map of the route.
This is a family-friendly event, complete with a kids’ heat once all the big people finish. Registration is only $16 ($14 if you are a SOMA Fox member – you can sign up or renew an existing membership here!) and $10 for youth under age 14. Entry fee is non-refundable. Bib transfers are allowed – contact us at somafoxrunningclub@gmail.com if you want to transfer your bib.
Online registration will close at 11:59 p.m. on January 6. But don’t wait – this race is close to selling out!
You can affiliate with a team when you join. You don’t need to be an official running team or club – you are welcome to form a team of family, friends, co-workers, whatever – just for this race! – and if your team has 10 or more registered runners, we will give you a space at race headquarters for a table or a tent!
If you don’t see your team listed, please reach out to somafoxrunningclub@gmail.com and we will happily add you!!
What of the swag, you ask? A gray SOMA Fox Running Club 2023 beanie is available for an additional $15 at registration.
Second Wind Race Timing will provide chip timing for this race, along with two results kiosks so you can check your time right after you cross the finish line, an LED finish line clock, and an inflatable finish line arch to make your crossing that much more fun.
AWARDS
Yes, we have those too!
We will provide the first-place finishers in each of these categories with a prize: 1. Male, 2. Female, 3. Open.
Additionally, the top three male, female, and open finishers in each of the following age groups will be recognized: 14-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, and 65+. Winners will be determined by chip timing for in-person finishers only.
Every youth finisher will receive a medal. (And caregivers! If your kid wants a running buddy, you can both run your own heat and pace your kid – or the other way around. Just remove your bib before you take on the kids’ race.)
THE WHEN, WHERE, HOW, WHO and WHY (Hopefully, we covered the WHAT above!)
WHEN: Saturday, January 7, 2023. Heats begin at 10 a.m. We will email you your heat and start time on January 4. Virtual participants may complete a one-mile course of their choosing any time on January 7, 2023.
WHERE: Race headquarters will be located at the Springfield Avenue Gazebo, 1662 Springfield Avenue, Maplewood, N.J. 07040.
Here you will find: First aid station, bag check, sponsors’ tables, team tables, and post-race water and bananas for race participants wearing bibs. Porta-a-potties are available in Maplecrest Park near the playground.
HOW: The start and finish line will be on Tuscan Road between Springfield Avenue and Maplecrest Park.
You can park your car on Springfield Avenue, along Maplecrest Park on Oakland Road, and in nearby municipal lots. Please be a good neighbor when parking!
WHO: The SOMA Fox Running Club (SFRC) was established in 2021 as a 501c3 non-profit organization in New Jersey, serving South Orange / Maplewood and the surrounding towns. We are a member organization of Road Runners Club of America (RRCA).
Our mission is to promote and extend the joys of running to our community through group workouts, camaraderie, runner-to-runner support, and hosting local races and events. We welcome all levels of runners from absolute beginners to the highly experienced or super speedy. We welcome runners ages 18 and up, all genders, and all backgrounds. We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion through promoting a safe, welcoming, and respectful community. We strive to share the mental and physical benefits of running with everyone who joins, no matter their running goals.
WHY: We believe in giving back to our community. Because we firmly believe that all people should have access to healthy food to achieve their own goals, our charity partner is Meeting Essential Needs with Dignity (MEND). We pledge to donate a percentage of all funds raised to MEND.
For more information about the SOMA Fox Running Club, visit: https://www.somafoxrunningclub.org/
