Running With The Balloons: A 5k Race Unlike Any Other

RUNNING WITH THE BALLOONS: A 5K RACE UNLIKE ANY OTHER  

 

READINGTON, NJ — There are 15,000 5K races held in the United States, but this one takes runners to new heights.

 

The Advil® Running with the Balloons 5K Cross-Road Challenge presented by Power Crunch, races through the QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning in Association with PNC Bank, the largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America, on Sunday, July 31.

 

Combining the elements of cross-country with a traditional road race, the flat, fast, low-impact USATF-NJ certified course features a mix of surfaces including grass, pavement, gravel and dirt road. Runners race past the balloon launch field while Sunday morning’s mass hot air balloon ascension takes place, and finishes in the heart of the Festival at Solberg Airport. Fittingly the U.S. Army is a participating partner.

 

The top male finisher and the top female finisher will each win a free ride in a hot air balloon. The top three overall male and female finishes receive non-cash prizes. Race time is 8:00 a.m. Corporate entries are permitted.

 

And this is one race that promises to get off to a hot start: instead of firing a starting pistol, Brian “The Human Fuse” Miser will set himself on fire and be shot from a 24-foot-long crossbow to start the race.

 

“We strive to make our festival experience a memorable one and this holds true for our 5K,” said Festival Executive Producer Howard Freeman. “From our human fuse starting gun to running while 100 balloons are in the sky above you, this is a race unlike any other.”

 

Freeman noted that Advil is a natural partner for all of the Festival’s Health & Wellness activities on Sunday, which include the 5K and Nature’s Path sunrise yoga and jazzercise workouts.   

 

Propel Fitness Water, SNY (the official TV partner) and Bridgewater Nissan (the official pace car) are additional partners in driving this growing event on the areas’ racing calendar.

 

The Advil® Running with the Balloons 5K was named one of the Top 10 5K races in the United States last year by The Active Times. The race was cited for its competitive field, fast course, scenic setting, charitable support and providing the unique experience of racing during one of the Festival’s early morning mass hot air balloon ascensions.

 

All runners’ entries include a full-day pass into the Festival, which includes Festival admission, free parking, lawn seating to Sunday afternoon’s John Kay & Steppenwolf and Foghat concerts, a t-shirt, and access to both the morning and evening scheduled mass hot air balloon ascensions. 

 

In keeping with the Festival’s belief in “doing well by doing good,” a portion of the proceeds benefit the Center for Educational Advancement (CEA) for people with special needs in Flemington and the Children’s Miracle Network. 

 

The 34th annual QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning in Association with PNC Bank, July 29-30-31 at Solberg Airport in Readington, NJ, features twice a day mass ascensions of more than 100 sport and special shaped hot air balloons from around the world, live concerts, and 39 hours of family entertainment and attractions. 

 

To register or learn more visit www.balloonfestival.com/entertainment/5k.  

 

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Russ Mensch

Mensch & Company, Inc.

Public Relations & Event Marketing

201-797-2448

[email protected]