Take The Bridge kicked off its three-part summer / fall 2016 series Friday night, August 5, over a 2.5 mile out and back course on the Manhattan Bridge. 40 runners bested a race that TTB veteran Vinnie Milliano calls "always a hell of an experience and always surprisingly difficult."
There are no big clocks or mile markers on a TTB course. We like to think that runners run by gut. Veterans Jennie Cohen and Daniel Marin each hung back on the early uphill, before moving mid race to repeat their victories from this March's TakeTheBridge Williamsburg. The wins not only earned them $100 cash and prizes from Brooklyn Running Co, but also put them in the lead of a new series prize sponsored by Strava.
Two first time TTB racers took the men's race out aggressively. As November Project's Jason Kulig pulled away from Jeremy Mulvey of Lost Boys to claim the prime - $50 - at the Manhattan side turnaround, he did something unexpected - he stopped. We we didn't say he had to finish! joked race directors Adam and Darcy, as their race crew radioed to report the news on prime. They've since updated the website - you do have to finish!
Jason did take eighth, explaining he was gunning for the prime and simply didn't want to obstruct runners going for an individual place. Jeremy took third behind Lost Boys teammate Tim Rossi, stamping the club as an early favorite in another new Strava prize - the team series. But November Project sits just three points behind, with two races left to determine which club pockets $250.
Leighanne Sharek nailed the women's prime and took second overall, while leading Brooklyn Navy Track Crew teammates Carly Gill and Erin Higgins into the top five. BNTC now leads November Project by seven points in the team standings, which score the top eight runners from each race with a team affiliation. No, you can't change teams - check out full rules on our website.
Oh, and what would a TTB event be without a sweet afterparty? About 80 people - runners, staff, photographers, #cheersquad - drank post-race beers at the Lighthouse, under the Manhattan Bridge archway. We quote the most quotable Vinnie again, who points out that Take The Bridge draws not only some of the best runners in the city, but some of the best people. Where else does an awards ceremony end with a whole crowd singing happy birthday to the race co-director (Darcy says the race WAS her party).
Registration for TTB Queensboro opens August 26th at noon. Stay tuned @ site / Instagram / fb
- Adam Barcan (Co-Director)
Photo by Pete Thompson
2016 STRAVA SERIES POINTS FOR MANHATTAN
men:
daniel medina (lstc): 8pts
tim rossi (lost boys): 7pts
jeremy mulvey (lost boys): 6pts
myles fennon (np): 5pts
john honerkamp (np): 4pts
ryan starbuck (cptc): 3pts
steven waldon (front runners): 2pts
jason kulig (np): 1pt
men's teams:
lost boys: 13pts
november project: 10pts
lstc: 8pts**
central park track club: 3pts
front runners: 2pts
women:
jennie cohen (dashing whippets): 8pts
leighanne sharek (bntc): 7pts
carly gill (bntc): 6pts
jessica snider-rodriguez (np): 5pts
erin higgins (bntc): 4pts
macon lowmen (np): 3pts
emma raviv (np): 2pts
kat o'brien (iron runners): 1pt
women's teams:
brooklyn navy track crew: 17pts
november project: 10pts
dashing whippets: 8pts**
iron runners: 1pt
**team has not yet met the qualifying standards specified in rules