Coaster Photo by George Ertle
This was the scene at the start at the Allenhurst 5K race Sat., June 24.
By WILLIAM CLARK
Allenhurst hosted its first annual 5K race Sat., June 24 in honor of its former Commissioner Terry Bolan.
Over 400 runners dashed and trotted through the borough streets to raise money for the Borough’s first responders and parks department.
Bolan was a longtime fixture of the town according to brother-in-law Bob Selden.
“Terry had a lot of friends,” Selden said. “He was much beloved. A great guy.”
Bolan died last summer from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, something the avid runner discovered while he was out for a jog, Selden said.
“I thought a 5K would be perfect and serve its purpose of raising money for the first responders and borough parks,” Selden said.
Selden said when he was thinking of ways to honor his late friend and family member he called Mayor Dave McLoughlin and said he wanted to facilitate a 5K.
The thought has also crossed McLoughlin’s mind.
With the help of Terry’s wife, Eileen, Deal Fire Chief Scott Foley and the leadership of the Jersey Shore Running Club, Selden and his team got to work creating the race.
“I would call it a mosaic where a lot of different pieces came together and made this a nice race,” Selden said. “We had the support of the police department and the Allenhurst Department of Public Works. We had great volunteers and the JSRC is just great. They basically can take over.”
The course looped its way twice throughout town, trying its best not to affect traffic too badly especially during a busy summer Saturday.
“It was a fast course,” Selden said.
The event continued after the last runner crossed the finish line with a party on the Allenhurst beach. Selden’s former law partner Tom Walters and his band played music while participants enjoyed the festivities.
The organizers were happy with how all parts of the day shook out especially considering the threat of rain that loomed over the area but never came to fruition.
Over $30,000 was raised for the effort
“It couldn’t have gone any better for our first try,” Selden said.
The organizers are hoping to make this a yearly tradition around the time of Bolan’s birthday June 22.
“It’s a nice way to start the summer,” Selden said.
Next year he hopes to expand the course a bit so that runners are able to see more of the town. But otherwise, the only part that Selden would change is more people.
Although this year Selden and his organizing partners wanted to honor Bolan, Selden can see this race taking hold in the future as more of the borough’s race.
“Maybe this race will keep going on forever,” he said.
A long lasting imprint of the man that served the community for so many years.
