Nearly 1,000 Participants in Annual Hillsborough Hop

Growing in size and prestige, today’s family-friendly Hillsborough Hop 5K had its largest number of registered runners ever, with 978 signing up to participate in the Hillsborough Family YMCA’s 13^th annual benefit road race.

Runners surged from the starting line outside the YMCA at 8 a.m. and wound through local roads, ending at the township’s Peter J. Biondi Municipal Building. Hillsborough Mayor Frank DelCore started the race, thanking the YMCA for giving the community an opportunity to come together in an event centered around healthy living.

“The Hillsborough Hop helps us fulfill our mission to get people healthy and fit for life,” Valerie Giacopelli, executive director of the Hillsborough Family YMCA, a branch of the nonprofit Somerset Valley YMCA, said. “This event also brings our community together. Not only do we have hundreds of runners participating, people along the route look forward to coming out and cheering them on. And we have more than a hundred dedicated volunteers who help out every year and make the race a success.”

The overall Hop winner was, Brian Crowley, 48, of Hillsborough, with a time of 16.44.16. Mr. Crowley’s son, Brendan, 17, came in fifth and the pair won in the father-son race category. The top female winner was Lara Shegoski, 21, of Mongtomery.

The 5K event initially began in 2001 as part of the national YMCA’s “World’s Largest Run” sponsored by Y’s throughout the nation. That first year attracted 151 participants. The Y then decided to hold the run again the following year, christening it the Hillsborough Hop. Since then the event has been held each successive year and has continued to grow into an established road race that runners sign up for year after year.

“Everyone enjoys the Hop and it becomes more popular each year,” said Johnathan White, program director for the Hillsborough Family YMCA. “We have unique parent-child categories that encourage families to run together. I don’t know of any other local races that do that. We are pleased to be able to host this great community run for 13 years.”

Leading up to the race, the Y holds a “Running 101” clinic to train novice runners, some of whom have never run a 5k before.  John O’Neill of Hillsborough said the Hop in 2001 was his first 5K ever, and he went on to run marathons and compete in Ironman triathalons.

 “And now I’m running with my daughter,” said O’Neill, whose 10-year-old daughter, Mikayla, joined him in today’s road race. 

Among the many volunteers were local Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, the Hillsborough High School National Honor Society members, and Somerset Valley YMCA swim team members.

Helping to boost race attendance this year was a large contingent of girls in the Hillsborough schools-based iRUN program, which combines training for a 5K running event with self-esteem, self-respect and healthy living.  The girls, who had trained this spring for the event, had a visible presence in the crowd in their yellow T-shirts emblazed with their logo, “I am Responsible, Unique and Noble.”

The race’s second annual Hoppy Trophy went to Hillsborough Elementary School for having the highest percent of students in the race, with 50 registered runners. The trophy will be presented to the students at the school on a later date.

Proceeds from the event go to the Y’s Strong Kids annual support fund, ensuring all community residents have access to programs that help them live healthier lives. Last year, Strong Kids funds allowed the Hillsborough Family YMCA to provide $165,000 in financial assistance to subsidize reduced-price memberships, child care, camp and other programs to families, children and seniors, offsetting their limited incomes.

The primary race sponsor is Somerset Medical Center Urgent Care at Hillsborough. Supporting sponsors include: College Hunks Hauling Junk, Hillsborough Podiatry Group and FootHill Acres Rehabilitation & Nursing Center.

In addition to the winners, the top male and female finalists were: Matt Sateary,18, of Hillsborough, second place overall; Robert Stianchi, 18, Hillsborough, third place; Lyndsay Mcmeen, 33, of  Morristown, 33, second place; and Tara Zimliki, 33 of Branchburg, third place.

Prizes were also awarded in age categories ranging from 8-and-under, to ages 70-74, as well as  in the parent-child categories, which this year had 121 teams participating.

Full race results will be available at www.compuscore.com.

Additional sponsors for this event were Carrier Clinic, Fleetwood Kitchens, Marytyn & Associates, Vernoia, Enterline & Brewer CPS, Frontier Financial Planning and Capital Management, Active Disposal, Premier Disposal, Petrocks Bar and Grill and Access Self-Storage in Manville.

Submitted by Bev McCarron.