Carrie Tollefson & Steve Holman to Run NJ Celebrity Chase

Olympians to Run for Rec Funds in Belmar Race

Inaugural Belmar Chase 5K, preceded by the Celebrity Chase, comes to Belmar July 28

By Shawn Smith
Manasquan-Belmar Patch
July 11, 2012

Two Olympians will run for a chance to win $5,000 in recreation funds for a local town when the Belmar Chase 5K comes down Ocean Avenue July 28.

Carrie Tollefson and Steve Holman will literally chase down local mayors and celebrities during the "Celebrity Chase" prior to the inaugural 5K, which is part of a celebration to kick off the 2012 Olympic games.

2000 U.S. Olympian Rich Kenah will direct both events.

“I’ve seen the impact running can have on people of all ages and abilities,” Kenah said. “The world’s best get to go out and compete for gold every four years, but almost anyone can go out and run a 5K. That’s the message I hope to resonate in this community.”

The first runner across the finish line wins $5,000 for his or her town recreation department. The slowest celebrities will get a pre-determined head start; the faster ones will try to chase them down. If either Tollefson or Holman, who will start last, chases everyone down, the $5,000 will be split among the towns represented.

Tollefson, 35, is the 2004 Olympic Trials champion at 1500 meters and competed for Team USA in Athens, Greece. Holman, 42, competed at the same distance at the 1992 Olympic games; is the 1999 U.S. Champion at 1500 meters; and was fourth in the 1993 World Indoor Championships.

The race organizers also announced a prize purse of $3,500 for the Belmar Chase 5K. The male and female winner will each be awarded $1,000, with second place earning $500 and third place earning $250.

Circle BMW of Eatontown is sponsoring the event and will be donating a part of the $5,000 “Celebrity Chase” prize.

“It’s been an honor to serve the communities of the Jersey Shore for more than 31 years,” said Thomas J. DeFelice Jr., founder and president of Circle BMW, in a release. “We’re proud to give back to those communities and to support their recreation programs.”

The night before the Belmar Chase, the Belmar Kids Chase will make its debut, with sprint races on the beach for children ages 5 to 14 and a free kids dash for children ages 2 to 4. The Belmar Kids Chase will be held on Friday, June 27 at 6 p.m. on the beach in Belmar adjacent to the Taylor Pavilion. Everyone that participates in the Kids Chase will receive a T-shirt and medal. There will also be a “Fastest Kid in Belmar” sprint to crown the fastest 9- to 10-year-old boy and girl who are residents of Belmar.

The Belmar Chase will begin at 8:30 a.m. July 28, on Ocean Avenue in front of the Taylor Pavilion. The “Celebrity Chase” will begin just before the main event officially starts.