By John Spinelli
LONG BRANCH – Before there were popular races like the Spring Lake 5 or the Red Bank 5k, there was only one opportunity for Monmouth County runners.
Since 1964, the Lake Takanassee Summer Series has been a fan favorite for athletes in the Two River area. This year, the meet marks its 60th anniversary (no competition was held during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020).
“The original intent of the series was for college and professional athletes to compete and stay in shape during the summer months,” said founder Elliot Denman of West Long Branch.
Denman, now 90 years old, is a former 1956 Melbourne Olympian and was also the first track and field coach at Monmouth University (then Monmouth College). For many decades, athletes of all ages have raced 5ks around the beautiful Lake Takanassee Park in Long Branch. Although it’s smaller nowadays, the meet has a long history. The series, established by Shore A.C., offers weekly 5k and 1,500-meter races in July and August around the perimeter of Lake Takanassee. Races start at 6:45 p.m. and medals are awarded for top finishers in each race and age group. All kids’ run participants receive ribbons. According to the Shore A.C. website, “consistent top performers earn overall series awards.”
In 1987, Olympian Jerry Kiernan smashed the meet record, crossing the finish line in 14:27. Only one year later, Cindy Girard won the women’s race with a time of 16:46.2. That same year, race – walker Frank Funkhouser, a 1984 U.S. Olympic trialist, earned a time of 20:40, while in 1992, racewalker Gerilynn Buckholtz clinched the women’s best time in 24:37.
Middletown resident and Shore Athletic Club president Erin O’Neill said the Lake Tak Series is still one of their members’ most enjoyed events.
“Every summer, many families, including some here for vacation, will come to race in the evening,” O’Neill said. “Many times, we’ll have a parent run after watching their child compete in the shorter races.”
Last year’s overall men’s winner was Alex Dweck, who won four out of five races; in the women’s division, Samantha Willis won three out of the five. Masters athlete Harry Nolan of Navesink, 77, says he has been active every summer since 1964.
“I’ve had the pleasure, and luck, of running in every first night opener event since the series began, and over the years ran in hundreds of them, including winning 134 of the 5k races,” Nolan said. “The race attracted about a dozen runners in the first event in 1964 and kept building to a peak of about 250-plus runners per race by the mid-1980s,” he said.
“By that time, the running boom was in full swing,” he said, so participation lagged as many other races were offered.
Denman said the meet isn’t limited to track and field athletes looking to stay in shape; lifeguards and those seeking new fitness opportunities also run.
Parking is available in the overflow lot at St. Michael’s Church. For more information or to register, visit shoreac.org.
The article originally appeared in the July 3 – July 9, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
