UNITE?Half Marathon winners shy of Olympic qualifications

On a cold, brisk morning yesterday, beneath a cloudless, sunny sky, about 6,000 people stood in silence before the fourth annual UNITE Half Marathon and 8K. During the moment of silence for the Boston Marathon, the only sound was that of thousands of flags rustling in the breeze. Then with a bang, the runners were off.

Organizers distributed roughly 3,000 American flags before the race began, said Michele Redrow, co-owner and race director for CGI Racing. The Scarlet Knight held a large American flag during the national anthem.

The event spanned the major parts of the Busch, Livingston and College Avenue campuses and redirected bus routes for the majority of the morning.

According to the CGI Racing website, Demesse Tefera, a 34-year-old from Washington D.C., who finished first in the male participant category of the half marathon, ended with a time of 1:07:50, just 2:50 behind the Olympic qualifying time.

Hirut Beyene Guangul finished first in the female participant category of the half marathon with a final time of 1:16:41, 1:41 over the Olympic qualifying time, according to the website. She also finished among the top five runners.

The University and UnitedHealthcare sponsored the race, which had the majority of the participants in the half marathon, Redrow said.

The race partnered with about 24 different charities, none of which were exclusive to their members, Redrow said. Since its inception, the race has raised about $300,000.

“One group this year from Lawrenceville Prep raised $10,000 on their own,” she said. “All participants can raise for any charity of their choice.”

During his two-hour run, Chuck Glatz, a University alumnus, said he noticed the weather was perfect for running on Sunday morning.

“It was real nice out,” he said. “It was a good time on a beautiful day.”

Glatz said he ran in the marathon because it is a personal fitness goal of his. It was his second year in the marathon, and he likes coming back to the University to run.

“The water stations were perfectly placed along the course,” he said. “The miles were also marked really well.”

Redrow said the weather conditions for the event were, by 8 a.m., perfect.

“This was by far the best year we have ever had for weather,” she said. “Even if it was just a little chilly.”

Despite the recent events in Boston, including the bombing at the Boston Marathon, Glatz said he was undeterred yesterday from running.

“That was incentive to be here and run today,” he said. “I did notice more Rutgers security around. I also saw some state troopers, and some Piscataway or New Brunswick police.”

Prior to the event, Redrow said she met with officials from local, state and federal authorities to make precautions for the race.

“The Rutgers University Police Department worked closely with its local, state and federal enforcement agencies to help ensure public safety during the UNITE Half Marathon on the Piscataway and New Brunswick campuses and … we were able to assist in bringing this event successfully to Rutgers without incident,” said Lt. Nicholas Chiorello of RUPD.

Frederique Delhaye, another runner in the marathon, did not share Glatz’s view on the police presence, and felt they were much more subtle.

“The police were very discreet at the event today,” Delhaye said. “It is also a much smaller event — we are only [6],000 runners, as opposed to 30,000 runners.”

While it was a smaller event, and only a half marathon, Delhaye said she and her husband did think about the events in Boston prior to the race.

“We grieved for them, and we kept them in our thoughts,” she said.

Delhaye, whose final time was around two hours and fifteen minutes, said this was her second marathon ever, and she was grateful the University opened its doors to host. It was also nice to hear bands and music along the entire course, which kept the run interesting.

When the half marathon started in 2010, about 2,000 athletes signed up, Redrow said. As of Sunday, the race had a cap of 6,000 people, with more than 400 students running in the event.

“It’s in its fourth year and we closed at 6,000 people. This is the largest half [marathon] in the state,” she said. “We are talking with Rutgers about raising the cap to 7,500 for next year.”

The great thing about the event is that it showcases the University, Redrow said. It shows the University in a different light.

“We are thrilled the University embraces the race, and it gets better every year,” she said.