There’s a premature baby in Jersey City spending its first days in an incubator, waiting to be healthy enough to be cradled in its mother’s arms. And another baby who came into the world infected with HIV. And a child fighting leukemia who knows more about chemotherapy than any child her age should.
These kids and too many others like them are being taken care of by the Children’s Hospital of Hudson County, a premiere medical facility associated with the Jersey City Medical Center that features the region’s only neonatal and pediatric intensive care units. Knowing how important the health of our children is to the community, the hospital even treats 80 percent of its 3,000 young patients for free when their parents are in need of help.
Now, the hospital needs your help. And all you have to do is take a brisk walk or jog while taking in what is arguably one of the most spectacular views on the globe.
Taking place Sunday, Sept. 28, along the Jersey City waterfront and Liberty State Park, the 10th Annual Liberty Waterfront Run will raise money for the hospital, one of the largest pediatric programs in New Jersey and second in the state in the number of emergency pediatric admissions. Sponsored by National Retail Systems, the run is enjoyable to both serious athletes as well as novice runners and will also feature a Half-Mile Youth Run for school-aged kids.
Running for a good cause, however, isn’t the only reason serious runners from across the region are drawn to the Liberty Waterfront Run [LWR]. Since it is one of only a handful of half-marathon contests in the state, it lures marathoners from as far as South Jersey because it offers them a chance to prepare for full-distance marathons.
Marathon prep
“It’s a big race,” said Wayne Street resident David Tuong, 45, an equity analyst at a Wall Street firm who will be running the U.S.A. Track and Field-certified half-mile race this year. “It attracts people from all over the state. There aren’t many half-marathons on the schedule, and for people to get ready for the New York marathon, it’s a good tune-up.”
Tuong has lived in Jersey City for 15 years and is a member of a Hoboken-based runners’ club called the Hoboken Harriers, or “HoHa’s,” for short. He says the LWR is the biggest race in Jersey City, a town he described has having an impressive history in the world of track and field.
“The race is a tradition for people,” Tuong added. “In 1988, there was a full marathon on the Jersey City waterfront for the Olympic trials. The Liberty Waterfront Run is sort of a successor to that.”
In citing Jersey City’s great athletic history in track and field, Tuong said the Jersey City Armory, located at the corner of Montgomery Street and Summit Avenue, was a hotbed of local track activity. Andy Stansfield, the gold medal winner in the 200-meter race at the 1952 Olympic Games, was a Jersey City native. The gold medal winner in the 400-meter race at the 1960 Olympiad was Otis Davis, another Jersey City resident.
Local running enthusiasts don’t need to be professionals, however, to appreciate what the race can provide. Even if running is just a hobby done to stay fit, the LWR can help city residents see how they shape up against their neighbors.
“Runners like to train, and races are a culmination of that training,” Tuong said. “They’re a challenge. It’s exciting because you have a lot of people running at the same time. You get to see where you are in relation to others, and it is fun because you can socialize with people you’ve seen at other races.”
Neighborly times
The social aspect is another alluring component to the waterfront run. Local runner and Hamilton Park resident Tracy Bunting, who took part in the shorter race for adults in 2001, said she had an enjoyable experience and plans on again running the 3K race sponsored by Provident Bank this year.
“I remember it being kind of cool,” Bunting said. “What we did was, we ran and then we hung around for a little while.”
The type of community that surrounds runners is a very welcoming one that, above all else, emphasizes diversion and having a good time. A HoHa herself, Bunting said the devil-may-care attitude that pervades groups like the HoHa’s is what entices recreational athletes to join.
“Everyone gets poked fun at and they all drink beers afterward,” Bunting said of a cycling group she met up with while on a business trip in Florida. “It’s nice to do it when you could socialize afterwards. It’s not motivating unless it’s fun.”
Liberty Health, the non-profit company that operates the Children’s Hospital, fully acknowledges how critical the fun factor is in an event like the LWR. Participants in this year’s half-mile Youth Run, sponsored by Fleet Bank, get to run under the official Finish Clock and will receive a free T-shirt, goodie bag and medal for their efforts.
For more information and LWR applications, please call LibertyHealth at (201) 915-2040 or visit www.libertyhcs.org. Interested parties can also write to Liberty Waterfront Run 2003 Applications, 50 Baldwin Ave., Jersey City, NJ 07304.