NJ Turnpike Exit Closing This Weekend for Unique 5K Race

This Saturday morning, Exit 15X on the New Jersey Turnpike will be temporarily blocked for a unique running event. Drivers in New Jersey can expect this unique adjustment. Special Olympics New Jersey hosts the NJ Turnpike 5 5K. It will happen on the oddly curving Secaucus Junction highway. Lots of people will attend.

The exit closes at sunrise, even though the race starts at 8 a.m. The main stretch of the Turnpike through Hudson County will remain open while the road is blocked for three hours. Transportation officials said the race’s time was chosen to avoid serious issues with cars. They must arrange alternative routes if they use the crossroads.

Running enthusiasts will follow a 3.1-mile circuit around the helix, past toll booths, and along a high road with stunning vistas. By midweek, almost 300 people had signed up, and organizers predicted it would be wonderful. Online registration was available until late Thursday, but it’s still open on Saturday morning.

This race may be the first on the NJ Turnpike. It’s the state’s second busiest highway after the Garden State Parkway and built in 1952. The Turnpike wasn’t recognized for sports events before. However, charity runs now occur on a major New Jersey road. This type of event draws many people annually. Other events include the George Washington Bridge Challenge and the Cooper Norcross Run The Bridge in Camden.

The Special Olympics The NJ Turnpike 5K was a big success, and organizers want to make it an annual event like the Lincoln Tunnel Challenge 5K, which draws thousands of runners. The unique setting and philanthropic motive attract many. This proves that even the state’s busiest road can be used for good.

Sources

Special Olympics New Jersey
New Jersey Turnpike Authority