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| SATURDAY, 6 AUGUST 2005 |
On Saturday, August 6, 2005, SPFHS alumni Walter Biner (SPFHS Class of 2003, University of Massachusetts at
Amherst) and Brian Kopnicki (SPFHS Class of 2004, The College of New Jersey) competed in the River to Sea Relay
road race. This unique event is perhaps the most challenging non-marathon/non-ultra road race in the state of
New Jersey.
Competing in teams of seven, each team submits an average 5K time to determine the starting time of each
team. The team with the slowest seed time sets off at 6:00 AM. The race begins along the banks of the
Delaware River in Milford and finishes 92 miles later at the Manasquan beach. There are 14 legs, each of varying
length and level of difficulty. Each of the seven runners on a team runs two legs. This race is a handicapped race
- the winner of the race is the first team to reach the finish line in Manasquan, not the team with the fastest time.
There were 83 teams entered in the race, of which 82 competed.
Biner and Kopnicki competed on Team 75, known as the Hickory High School Huskers (a reference to the movie
"Hoosiers"). The remainder of the team was composed of Kopnicki's coach at The College of New Jersey, Phil
Jennings, and four of Kopnicki's TCNJ teammates: Marc Altenau, Greg Bull, Greg Howe, and Matt Randal. The
Huskers started in the last wave of four teams at 9:45 AM. Two of the other three teams that started at 9:45 AM
were also affiliated with TCNJ: The River-to-Sea Biscuits (Team 76), composed of seven TCNJ runners, and The
Average Joes (Team 74), composed mostly of TCNJ alumni.
Team 75 completed the 92-mile course in 8 hours, 46 minutes, and 33 seconds (8:46:33), which averages to
5:43.4 per mile. This was the fastest elapsed time of the day. Unfortunately for Team 75, they could not catch
every team that was given a head start. Although Team 75 was in the last group of starters, they crossed the
finish line second, a mere 3 minutes and 38 seconds behind a team that started 2 hours and 45 minutes before
them at 7:00 AM. The next fastest team, Team 76, had an elapsed time of 8:56:33, 10 minutes slower than Team
75. Team 74 had the third fastest elapsed time - 8:58:33.
Results of the 10th River to Sea Relay can be found by clicking here.
Amherst) and Brian Kopnicki (SPFHS Class of 2004, The College of New Jersey) competed in the River to Sea Relay
road race. This unique event is perhaps the most challenging non-marathon/non-ultra road race in the state of
New Jersey.
Competing in teams of seven, each team submits an average 5K time to determine the starting time of each
team. The team with the slowest seed time sets off at 6:00 AM. The race begins along the banks of the
Delaware River in Milford and finishes 92 miles later at the Manasquan beach. There are 14 legs, each of varying
length and level of difficulty. Each of the seven runners on a team runs two legs. This race is a handicapped race
- the winner of the race is the first team to reach the finish line in Manasquan, not the team with the fastest time.
There were 83 teams entered in the race, of which 82 competed.
Biner and Kopnicki competed on Team 75, known as the Hickory High School Huskers (a reference to the movie
"Hoosiers"). The remainder of the team was composed of Kopnicki's coach at The College of New Jersey, Phil
Jennings, and four of Kopnicki's TCNJ teammates: Marc Altenau, Greg Bull, Greg Howe, and Matt Randal. The
Huskers started in the last wave of four teams at 9:45 AM. Two of the other three teams that started at 9:45 AM
were also affiliated with TCNJ: The River-to-Sea Biscuits (Team 76), composed of seven TCNJ runners, and The
Average Joes (Team 74), composed mostly of TCNJ alumni.
Team 75 completed the 92-mile course in 8 hours, 46 minutes, and 33 seconds (8:46:33), which averages to
5:43.4 per mile. This was the fastest elapsed time of the day. Unfortunately for Team 75, they could not catch
every team that was given a head start. Although Team 75 was in the last group of starters, they crossed the
finish line second, a mere 3 minutes and 38 seconds behind a team that started 2 hours and 45 minutes before
them at 7:00 AM. The next fastest team, Team 76, had an elapsed time of 8:56:33, 10 minutes slower than Team
75. Team 74 had the third fastest elapsed time - 8:58:33.
Results of the 10th River to Sea Relay can be found by clicking here.
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| Click the thumbnail images to enlarge. |
| Teams 75 and 76 before their start. |
| Brian Kopnicki (gray shorts) leads off for Team 75. Kopnicki's roommate, Anthony Arnold (orange shorts), leads off for Team 76. |
| Walter Biner touches off to Brian Kopnicki as Biner finishes his second leg and Kopnicki prepares to start his. |
| Members of Team 75 unwind after the race on the beach at Manasquan. |
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