Jun 21, 2018 Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset To Host 10th Annual Steeplechase Distance Run To Benefit Cancer Center

Register Now for 100-Mile Summer Challenge

Hillsborough, NJ, June 21, 2018 – Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, a member of RWJBarnabas Health, will host its 10th Annual Steeplechase Distance Run on Sunday, September 30, 2018 in Hillsborough. The event features a 10K Run, 5K Run, 2 Mile walk and kids’ sprints. Registration is now open at www.steeplechasedistancerun.com.

All proceeds from the race benefit educational and support services at the Steeplechase Cancer Center at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset.

For the second year, the hospital will also hold a 100-mile summer challenge in conjunction with the race. Participants log at least 97 miles between now and September 30 – an average of one mile per day - and finish their last miles at the Steeplechase Distance Run to earn a commemorative 100-mile finisher’s medal and support the Cancer Center.

“The Steeplechase Distance Run is a wonderful community event which brings together cancer survivors, their families and health care providers as well as individuals who are running or walking in memory of loved ones who lost their battle with cancer,” said Tony Cava, president, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset. “Over the past decade, the event has raised nearly $1 million to benefit educational and support programs at the Steeplechase Cancer Center, including our annual Cancer Survivor and Caregiver Celebration. These programs are an important complement to the medical care that we provide, helping us address the social and emotional needs of our patients and their families.”

The Steeplechase Distance Run begins and ends at Amsterdam Elementary School in Hillsborough. The 10K run includes a flat course running through the scenic neighborhoods and landscapes of Hillsborough. The run features start mats, mile clocks and energy stations and is considered a challenging test of speed and endurance. Individuals may walk or run the 5K course or do a 2 Mile walk. Children age 2 to 11 are encouraged to participate in Kids’ Sprints, which are 25-100-yard runs. Each child will receive a prize.

All runs are USA Track and Field (USATF) certified.

To be guaranteed a commemorative 100-mile finisher’s medal, participants in the 100-mile Summer Challenge must register by August 1. Registration for the 10K Run, 5K Run and 2 Mile Walk is $30 (16 years old and older) and $15 (15 years old and younger) until September 24. After September 24, registration fees are $33 for all entries and $10 for the Kids’ Sprints. Participants will receive an event t-shirt.

Check-in and registration for the Steeplechase Distance Run will begin at 7:30 a.m. The 10K race begins at 8:45 a.m. followed by the 5K race at 9:30 a.m. and the Kids’ Sprints at 10:45 a.m. An awards ceremony for the 10K race will begin at 10:15 a.m., followed by an awards ceremony for the 5K race at 11:00 a.m. The event will be held rain or shine.

The Steeplechase Distance Run is organized by Somerset Health Care Foundation, which raises funds for Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset. The Steeplechase Cancer Center enables Central New Jersey cancer patients to see their doctors, undergo outpatient treatment and participate in promising cancer research studies – all in one place close to home. The three-story, 63,000-square-foot facility, which opened in 2007, houses radiation therapy services,a PET/CT, infusion therapy, breast imaging services, the hospital’s research team, oncologists’ and surgeons’ offices, nutritional counseling, patient navigator services, a patient resource library, the Sanofi US Wellness Boutique and complementary medicine services, such as yoga, t’ai chi, meditation and massage. The Sanofi US Breast Care Program is one of only a select few in New Jersey to achieve full accreditation by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers and has also been named a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology.

The Steeplechase Cancer Center is nationally accredited by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons, demonstrating its commitment to meet the highest standards for comprehensive, high-quality, multidisciplinary patient-centered care.

To learn more about Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, please visit www.rwjbh.org/somerset. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/rwjsomerset and Facebook at www.facebook.com/rwjsomerset.