2025 Press Release
For Immediate Release - June 2025
Nearly two hundred fifty individual women runners and walkers are expected to join together at Thompson Park on Saturday, August 23 to raise funds for and promote awareness of organizations that provide essential services to women and their children in Monmouth and Ocean Counties.
Presented by the Jersey Shore Running Club, the thirty-second annual Saturday in the Park 5K “Women Taking Steps to Help Women" will be a fun-filled, rain or shine event featuring a Women's 5K Run and Scenic 3-Mile Walk at 8:30am and Children's Races for Girls and Boys at approximately 9:30am. There is a free pre-race stretching-warm-up for participants, as well as a mini-expo with sponsor/partner tables to visit before and after the events.
Race Day Registration and check-in begins at 7:30 am. All women in the 2025 5K will receive a high quality, women’s style wicking shirt and a finishers gift. Entry fees are $30 before July 29, $35 after July 29 and $5 for Children's Races.
"We are very excited to be celebrating our 32nd anniversary. Each year this race supports programs dedicated to providing shelter, counseling, advocacy and education for women and their families in both Monmouth and Ocean Counties." said Penny Hinck and Marianne Ploskonka, Race Directors, Jersey Shore Running Club. Past participants of Saturday in the Park have consistently remarked about how they have been touched by the ceremony at the start of the race when the runners and walkers join hands and realize the need for all of us to come together to support these "safe harbors" for women and their families.
"For 2025 our primary beneficiary is Providence House of Catholic Charities in Ocean County,” added Hinck. “Proceeds will also be distributed to Monmouth County organizations.” Since its inception, Saturday in the Park has raised over $240,000 and has created greater public awareness of options and services available to women.
The Saturday in the Park event was first staged at Bodman Park in Middletown and was then held at Monmouth University and Brookdale Community College, before finding its home at Holmdel Park in 1999. For this 32nd year, we once again are holding the live event at Thompson Park in Lincroft.
The Saturday in the Park Women’s 5K has enjoyed enthusiastic support from many girls’ high school and youth athletic teams. To show our appreciation to these teams and to encourage continued support of SIP and the race’s beneficiaries, the race offers all members of these teams a special entry fee of $25 prior to August 15. Awards will also be presented to the top three teams, based on their number of participants.
Saturday in the Park event sponsors have included: McLoone’s Restaurants, Monmouth Medical Center Foundation, Friends of the Spring Lake Five, Damien Fertility Partners, Jersey Shore Grand Prix, Charity House Foundation, JAG-One Physical Therapy, New Jersey Natural Gas Company, Monmouth County Police Chiefs Association, Assemblyman Sean Kean, Two River Community Bank, Food Circus, Kenney Gross Kovats & Parton, MacGowan Agency, Shore Athletic Club, Waxing the City, Windmill Restaurants, Belmar Five Mile Run, Ellen McSorley, Jack & Diane Cheer, Robert Galizio, Esq., Compass Industries, Arbel Group, Allstate Sales Group and Euro-ware Inc.
Members of the race committee have included JSRC members and charity representatives: Jennifer Bauer, Cathy Berth, Mindy Brady, Jim Buckler, Lorraine Buckler, Dawn Ciccone, Barbara Hay, Eileen Higgins, Philip and Penny Hinck, Karen Hornberger, Elizabeth Ireland, Rachel Johnston, Bill Koch, Luann McGraw, Suzanne Parton, Joanne Sodano, Theresa Veilleux, Joe Freeman, Karen Kelly, John O’Gorman, Nate Manco and Marianne Ploskonka.
The committee will also offer extraordinary random prizes thanks to the generosity of the business community. In addition, there are recognition awards for all category winners. The Mary Conry Memorial Award will be presented to the first JSRC member to finish. Mary was a member of the JSRC and the Saturday in the Park Race Committee.
Sponsorship opportunities are still available and donations for giveaway items are welcome. All sponsors will receive signage recognition and be highlighted on the event website, and are invited to set up a table on race-day. Participant donation incentives are available as well; with a $15 donation you will receive a set of custom “bib boards”. All runners have to do is make a small donation when registering for the race or if already registered - simply click on the "donation link" to contribute. Individuals and companies may contact Marianne Ploskonka, JSRC at (732) 684-6195; marianne@saturdayinthepark5K.org
Jersey Shore Running Club is the largest running club in New Jersey with well over 1,500 members. Dedicated to both running and to the community, JSRC events support local community and charitable organizations. The club offers a variety of benefits including a monthly newsletter and an up-to-date website, www.jsrc.org. The JSRC offers the camaraderie of running with friends through its group runs. In past years, the club hosted Rundamentals, a beginning running program for women, to help them prepare to participate in the Saturday in the Park as their first 5K.
For more information on Saturday in the Park 5K, visit www.saturdayinthepark5k.org, or contact Penny Hinck at 732-233-3545: penny@saturdayinthepark5K.org or Marianne Ploskonka, JSRC at (732) 684-6195; marianne@saturdayinthepark5K.org. ###
