Bennett Brookstein makes his way to a first-place finish in the 50-59 age group at the Bungalow Beach Boardwalk 5 Miler in June. As a volunteer for the Atlantic City Marathon pace team Sunday, he will help other runners meet or beat the time they have targeted.
Charles Schroeder
Bennett Brookstein will be among the thousands of runners participating in the Atlantic City Marathon on Sunday.
Unlike nearly all of the others, he hopes you finish ahead of him.
Brookstein, a K-8 health and phys-ed teacher who lives in Philadelphia and Atlantic City, will be one of about 18 volunteer members of the pace team. Each of them will carry a sign with a goal time -- in his case, 3 hours, 50 minutes -- and run the race at that pace (about 8 minutes, 46 seconds per mile) throughout the 26.2 miles.
Other runners shooting for that time will follow along, some all the way, some for just part of the race.
"I help them finish ahead of me. That's the goal," the 53-year-old explained Tuesday. "I really do like helping people."
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The marathon bills itself as the third oldest continuously run marathon in the United States. It is known for its fast, flat course and oceanfront views. The course takes runners along the Boardwalk and through all of the Absecon Island communities, including Ventnor, Margate and Longport.
More than 3,500 runners are expected to participate in the weekend's four Boardwalk races -- 5K and 10K races Saturday and a half marathon and the main event Sunday.
Brookstein has been running for 40 or so years -- "since middle school," he said -- and knows his way to the finish line.
He finished first in the 50-59 age group at the Bungalow Beach Boardwalk 5 Miler in June, but as a pace-team member Sunday his objective is not to compete but to help others achieve their goals. And it's all very informal. The runners choose to join a pace group or go on their own.
"People can run with us. You're not forced to, and you don't have to sign up," he said.
"I help them, I push them, I coach them, I encourage them to keep going and do their best. ... Some people like me and some people will hate me because I will talk the whole time," Brookstein added.
Sunday's race will mark his third time as a member of the AC Marathon pace team. "As a pacer, we sacrifice our race for the others around us," he said.
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A marathon debut
Brookstein is a veteran of races of all distances, but Sunday's race will feature plenty of newcomers.
Brooke Goldberg is preparing for her first marathon, a choice she made as a byproduct of a friendly little competition with younger sister Paige.
"I've never done a race before, but in my training I've run quite a few half marathons," said Goldberg, who will turn 23 the day before the race.
Goldberg lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, but knows her way around Absecon Island. "I grew up spending my summers in Margate and Ventnor. ... I did a lot of my training down the shore this summer."
She is keeping her goals simple for her first marathon. Breaking five hours would be nice, she said, but the priority is "mainly to have fun and cross the finish line."
Goldberg, who is an international model and operates a mobile coffee shop that caters weddings and other events in Pennsylvania and at the Jersey Shore, has been an athlete all her life and is looking forward to this new challenge.
"I'm really excited at this point," she said. "I think I'll get a little nervous when it comes to race packet pickup time, but for now I'm really excited."
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'Sharing the joy'
Olan Adeyemi has been training for the race, just as Goldberg and all the other runners have. But he's also been promoting the race.
The 36-year-old personal trainer has been serving as an ambassador to drum up interest on social media in Atlantic City's race weekend.
"I just help bring awareness to the race. ... I make weekly posts, just on tips on running, why the AC Marathon is a good course because it's flat, how people can use that course to qualify for more elite races, like Boston," he said.
Marathon officials reached out to him about the ambassador role after he put together an Instagram reel of his April Fools Half Marathon experience in Atlantic City. It's a volunteer gig, though his entry fee is waived.
Since race weekend consists of four races, "I let people know it's accessible to all levels," he said. "A lot of people I'm coming with, this will be their first."
The Atlantic City Marathon was also Adeyemi's first. "I started running during the pandemic just for fun," he said.
Atlantic City was one of the few locations that kept its marathon going during the worst of the pandemic, so he gave it a shot then and has run it two more times since.
Adeyemi is the founder of OwnPace Run Club in Delaware and will bring about 30 other runners, plus family and friends, to the Boardwalk this weekend. They're coming for three days with plans that include dinner, social activities and entertainment.
"A lot of people are excited to come down. ... So I think it's good for the entire AC community," he said.
Adeyemi has enjoyed his role as a race ambassador. "This was a very, very good opportunity. ... I just want to share the joy of running and races."
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More than a race
The marathon is part of the AmeriHealth Atlantic City Marathon Race Series that consists of several races throughout the year.
Bally's Atlantic City will host a Runner Expo, free and open to the public, on Friday and Saturday in the Treymore Ballroom on the sixth floor. It will be open from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday and from 3 to 8 p.m. Saturday.
The expo will feature vendors, race registration and sneak peaks at the marathon gear. But it also will support Stand Up 2 Cancer and Community Recycling, an AtlantiCare partner.
Attendees are encouraged to donate new or gently used shoes -- all types, running shoes, casual sneakers, dress shoes, children's footwear -- at the drop-off bins just inside the entrance. For every bin that fills up, a donation will be made to Stand Up 2 Cancer. Community Recycling will distribute the shoes locally and globally.
"Each pair of shoes donated not only helps those in need but also carries with it a sense of hope and strength from our incredible running community," Genia Bittner, the marathon series director, said in a news release. "The shoes that have once crossed finish lines will now travel further, touching lives in ways we can't even imagine."
The 5K and 10K races will start at 9 a.m. Saturday on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. On Sunday, the half marathon and marathon will begin at 8 a.m.
Races will begin and end at Bally's, with live music and DJs along the way to keep the runners and spectators energized. Race officials said more than 800 volunteers will participate, and 22 water stations will be set up along the marathon course.
A post-race party featuring food, drinks and entertainment will be hosted by The Yard at Bally's. Award ceremonies will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Age-group awards will be distributed at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
The Atlantic City Marathon Race Series is a division of the Marjorie & Lewis Katz JCC, a nonprofit based in Margate. For more information about the races or to register, go to acraceseries.com.
PHOTOS 2022 Atlantic City Marathon & Half Marathon
Contact Charles Schroeder:
609-272-7189
CSchroeder@pressofac.com
X (Twitter) @ACPressCharles
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