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Aug. 3, 2006

Event spotlights health benefits of exercise, Mayor’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports

Runners of all ages will fill downtown Woodbridge for the 11th Annual Crossroads of New Jersey Race, slated for Sunday, September 3 at 9 a.m.

All race events start and finish at the Municipal Building on Main Street. The race is part of the USA Track and Field-sanctioned New Jersey Grand Prix and takes place rain or shine.

Presented by the Mayor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and The Club at Woodbridge, the Crossroads of New Jersey Race features 10K and 5K races and a One-Mile Mayor’s Fun Run/Healthwalk. There will also be Lollipop races for the very young runners, with children up to age 10 invited to run in their respective age groups. All Lollipop participants are winners and receive lollipop prizes.

“The Crossroads of New Jersey Race is a great family participation activity for promoting a healthy lifestyle,” says Interim Mayor Joseph F. Vitale. “It’s a terrific way to celebrate the benefits of physical fitness.”

Indeed, the race has become a favorite community event in Woodbridge. Residents line the course waving signs, offering cups of water and shouting encouragement to the runners making their way up Main Street.

This year’s Crossroads of New Jersey Race will feature the Joseph A. Ward Memorial Trophy for the first male and first female Woodbridge Township resident finishing in the 10K event. Ward, a Port Reading resident who died in 2004, was a Crossroads Race founder and a committed community activist. “Joe was involved in creating and supporting many great causes that affected many people in Woodbridge,” says Jeff Zirpolo, chair of the Mayor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. “We hope this trophy not only honors his memory but inspires others to follow his example.”

Registration begins at 7 a.m. with the 5K and 10K races kicking off the event at 9 a.m. The One-Mile Mayor’s Fun Run/Health Walk starts at 10:30 a.m., followed by the Lollipop races at 10:45 a.m.

Registration forms can be picked up at Woodbridge Town Hall, Woodbridge Main Library, The Club at Woodbridge and Runner’s High in Metuchen. For more information call (732) 549-9440 or see www.runners-high.com.

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