At any given time along the streets and sidewalks in the quaint town of Freehold, one may encounter a neighborhood runner. That runner may be one of the hundreds of members of the Freehold Area Running Club, practicing for their next race.
The Freehold Area Running Club, which started in 1983, holds about 25 events every year, according to its current president of the Club, Chris Gross.
When the original members were trying to think of a name for their new club, they sought out the well-known mementos in this town and came across the Freehold Area Hospital, which is now known as CentraState, according to Gross.
To kick off the new year, the Running Club hosted their 42nd Annual Winter Race Series. For five consecutive Sundays in January into February 2025, the Running Club met at the local Michael J. Tighe Recreational Center to start the race.
Runners as young as 17 to as old as 86 all participate in the race.
Freehold Area Running Club provides newbies a start to the running scene
“There’s lots of gray hairs in this club,” Gross said. A lot of the racers and volunteers in the running club have been here since the beginning, he noted.
Within each of the individual races of the Winter Race Series, they publish the winners and ranks on their website, so each runner can see where they stand.
With the club being a low cost of entry of only $20 a year for a single runner, it is a great place to start for someone who is new to the running scene.
“I wasn’t a runner when I started,” Gross said, “I want to foster anyone else that is like that. I’ve given out a lot of awards to kids who were just like me. I want to get some people back into running.”
The Freehold Running Club takes pride in their prestigious awards that are given annually including over $100,000 through the Matthew J. Stuper Foundation Scholarship named after one of their own who had passed away too soon, according to Isabel Lewis, a volunteer in the running club for over 20 years and Stuper’s mother.
This scholarship goes to track students that attend the local high schools.
“I want the kids to show up,” Gross said.
All of the proceeds made from the running club all go towards charities. During the Christmas season, the Freehold Area Running Club holds their annual Toys For Tots Race. This past holiday season, the running club collected over four boxes filled with toys to donate to children in need, according to Gross. On their St. Patrick’s Day Race, all of the race’s proceeds are donated to the Freehold Open Door, which is located in Downtown Freehold.
Their biggest race of the year is the “Born to Run” Race which is named after the famous album by Freehold’s own Bruce Springsteen. The race is run through Downtown Freehold and is a five-mile run, which usually takes place in the fall months. This race will celebrate their 39th race in 2025 and “begins in Downtown Freehold, through the quiet neighborhoods, around Lake Topanemus to finish back in town,” states runsignup.com, which is where the runners can buy their race tickets.
For each race, Lewis uses an electric time marathon counter to tag each runner’s number bib when they start the race. When each runner signs up for the race, they are given a small piece of paper and their bib to wear with their marathon number on it. The small piece of paper is put through the machine to keep track of their time. For their smaller races, Lewis claims it is easiest to use their own machine, but when it comes to the Born To Run Race, there is a company they can hire to do the job for them.
“My favorite thing about the Running Club is seeing when a runner wins their first award,” Gross said. “Once they get that first award it sparks something in them.”
As each runner gets to the end of the race, the Freehold Area Running Club gives them a reward for crossing the finish line – a bowl of soup in the winter and a popsicle in the summer.
The club tries to meet weekly for practice and may have some spontaneous runs throughout the week. Gross also mentioned they love to bring in guest speakers to spark the Club’s mind on what they can do if they set their mind to something that could lead to a weeklong trip traveling around the world to run a marathon on each continent.
So next time you see a runner from the Freehold Area Running Club, remember it’s more than a race. It’s a start.
