Skip to main content

Big Bang Mile and Science Festival

Sun August 18, 2024 Holmdel, NJ 07733 US Directions

Events

USATF NJ OPEN TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

Masters Men (ages 60+) Mile

8:50AM EDT - 9:05AM EDT
Open to ages 60 - 99.
USATF NJ OPEN TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

Hackensack Meridian Health Masters Women (ages 40+) Mile

9:10AM EDT - 9:25AM EDT
Open to ages 40 - 99.
USATF NJ OPEN TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

Masters Men (ages 50-59) Mile

9:30AM EDT - 9:40AM EDT
Open to ages 50 - 59.
USATF NJ OPEN TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

Masters Men (ages 40-49) Mile

9:45AM EDT - 9:55AM EDT
Open to ages 40 - 49.

Coach Bob Andrews High School and Middle School Mile

10:00AM EDT - 10:10AM EDT
Open to ages 12 - 18.

Fun Team Mile (Office, Bar, Restaurant, Gym, Fitness Center & Family Teams)

10:15AM EDT - 10:35AM EDT
Open to ages 16 - 99.
USATF NJ OPEN TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

Open Women Mile

10:40AM EDT - 10:50AM EDT
Open to ages 16 - 39.

Place

Bell Works
101 Crawfords Corner Rd
Holmdel, NJ US 07733

Description

"Celebrating the preservation of the Holmdel Horn Antenna and the creation of Dr. Robert Wilson Park."

The Shore Athletic Club is proud to host the

The 4th ANNUAL BIG BANG MILE

was Saturday, July 13, 2023, now Sunday,, August 18

RAIN or SHINE!
Bell Works in Holmdel, NJ

***

First 300 to register gets a t-shirt! 

PLEASE NOTE: This race is open to all types of runners and all age groups! Teams for the USATF-NJ 1 Mile Team Championship competition will be declared using the normal process.  That is, team captains will submit their rosters by e-mail to the timing company (CompuScore in this case) and to the USATF-NJ LDR Committee the day before the race.  USATF-NJ will send out e-mail early next week announcing the race and providing the details for the roster submission process. The Big Bang Mile registration web site is where non-USATF-NJ teams are declared.



TENTATIVE EVENT SCHEDULE

7:00 AM - Bib and t-shirt pick up
8:20 AM - Mary and John Saarmann Community Run/Walk and U13 Mile
8:50 AM - Masters Men (ages 60+) Mile
-- part of USATF-NJ Open Men Team Championship
9:10 AM - Hackensack Meridian Health Masters Women (ages 40+) Mile
-- part of USATF-NJ Open Women Team Championship
9:30 AM - Masters Men (ages 50-59) Mile
-- part of USATF-NJ Open Men Team Championship
9:45 AM - Masters Men (ages 40-49) Mile
-- part of USATF-NJ Open Men Team Championship
10:00 AM - Coach Bob Andrews High School and Middle School (ages 12-18) Mile
10:15 AM - Fun Team Mile (office, bar, gym, restaurant, family)
10:40 AM - Open Women Mile
-- USATF-NJ Team Championship
10:55 AM - 361 Degrees Open Men Mile
-- USATF-NJ Team Championship

The schedule of each heat will be slightly adjusted on event day depending on the entries for each race.

AWARDS

USATF-NJ  Open Runners Awards
    Top 3 USATF-NJ members in each of the Open Men and Open Women Mile races will be awarded a pair of running shoes or other award of similar value (a voucher to be redeemed).
  To score for a USATF-NJ Open team, the individual needs to have been identified in the respective team submission(s) to Compuscore (the scoring company) and USATF-NJ. These submissions are anticipated to be due via email by 6PM Friday (7/12).

Masters (age 40+) Runners Awards
  Top 3 masters men and masters women based on age grading, based on their respective Masters Mile races (regardless of what Masters race participating in), will be awarded a pair of running shoes or other award of similar value (a voucher to be redeemed).  Masters age grading awardees need not be members of USATF-NJ.

Age Group Awards
  For any runners (USATF-NJ Member or not), as an individual to be eligible for the Age Group awards, you must run in the Race for your respective Age.
  Age Groups (Male and Female) are for the Top 3 (Male and Female) for ages 18-29, and 5-year age groups from 30 through 79, and 80+.
  *Age Group awards are custom designed medals and will be given out on race day during the Awards ceremony.
 
Cash Awards
  $200 Cash Bonus for a winning time under 4:10 for the men or under 4:50 for the women.
  Any open finisher in the top 3 who is not a USATF-NJ member will be eligible for a cash award ($100 for 1st, $75 for 2nd and $50 for 3rd for both men and women).
*It is anticipated that the Cash awards will be given out on race day during the Awards ceremony.
 
High School and Middle School Mile Awards
  Prizes will be Awarded to the top 3 boys and the top 3 girls in the High School and the Middle School Mile.
  Prizes will be Awarded to the top Team (3 participants) in the High School and in the Middle School Mile.
  *Awards are custom designed medals and will be given out on race day during the Awards ceremony.
 
Hackensack Meridian Health Fun Team Mile Awards
  Prizes will be Awarded to the top team (3 participants)
​  *Awards are custom designed medals and will be given out on race day during the Awards ceremony.

This race is the USATF-NJ 2024 1 Mile Road Championship Race for Open Men and Open Women

Flat, fast USATF certified course on closed roads.

2021 Winners: Men - Luciano Fiore (Empire Elite Track Club) - 4:18.61.  Women - Courtney Decker (Bellas) - 5:11.49

2022 Winners & Old Course Record Holders: Men - John Walker - 4:13.50. Women - Danielle (Tauro) Barnes - 5:06.44

2023 Winners & New Course Record Holders: Men - Brian Hill (Shore Athletic Club) - 4:20.25. Women - Clara Peterson - 5:02.08.

Meet Record Holders: Men (2022) - John Walker - 4:13.50. Women (2023) - Clara Peterson - 5:02.08.

REGISTRATION

$30 - Early bird discount for all races until April 30.

$35 - All races from May 1 to June 30. Price Increase to $40 on July 1!

Registration closes Friday, August 17, 2024

No registration on race day

No animals or headphones allowed in any heat for safety. Strollers allowed only in the Community race.

First 300 registered runners will receive a custom shirt with the Big Bang Mile event logo.

 

THE STORY BEHIND THE BIG BANG MILE

The Bell Works building was once a primary location for Bell Laboratories.  “Bell Labs” attracted top-notch scientists to conduct basic research that might advance telephony.  Two such scientists, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson, studied radio signals from space in support of the Telstar project.  In 1964, to their surprise, they observed a background noise coming from every direction in the sky.  Wherever they pointed their radio telescope, they measured the same frequency and strength of microwave radiation.  Puzzled, Penzias and Wilson conferred with colleagues.  Princeton University astronomer Robert Dicke revealed they had found evidence for the Big Bang.  This is a theory that the universe started with an explosion 13.8 billion years ago.  For their important contribution to science, Penzias and Wilson were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1978.

The radio telescope used by Penzias and Wilson still stands today.  It is located on top of Crawford Hill, about 2 miles northwest of the Bell Works facility.  A nearby plaque explains its significance.  It is worth a visit.  In fact, Holmdel Township has purchased the 30 acres that surround the antenna and will convert it into Dr. Robert Wilson Park.

The Shore Athletic Club, New Jersey's oldest running club, dedicates the Big Bang Mile Race to scientists everywhere.  We hope that runners draw inspiration from this story to learn more about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and perhaps even pursue a STEM career.  Aim high!

Race Contact Info

If you have any questions about this race, click the button below.

USATF-NJ Championship Sponsor

USATF-NJ Individual Grand Prix

Holmdel Horn Antenna

Nobel Prize winners Dr. Arno Penzias and Dr. Robert Wilson of Bell Laboratories discovered the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR) in 1964 using the Holmdel Horn Antenna.  The CMBR is key evidence for the Big Bang cosmic theory.

The Holmdel Horn Antenna sits atop Crawford Hill about 3 miles away from Bell Works.  It is a National Historic Landmark.  On January 23, 2024, Holmdel Township purchased the 30 acres that surround the structure and named the parcel Dr. Robert Wilson Park.

Holmdel Township is soliciting suggestions for how to develop the park.  Suggestions may be e-mailed to Wilson-Park@holmdeltownship.com.

Race Website

Additional race information can be found at https://www.shoreac.org/big-bang-mile.html#/.

Directions

Race Participant Survey

Please complete the following survey to help us better understand your race experience.

Did you participate in the race?

Would you recommend this race to a friend?

If you continue to use this site, you consent to use all cookies. We use cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. Read how we use cookies and how you can control them by visiting our Privacy Policy.

If you continue to use this site, you consent to use all cookies.