This year will mark the fourth time Janine Dolce-Weith has run the 10K at the Steeplechase Distance Run in Hillsborough. A bodybuilder and cross-fit enthusiast, the Raritan mother of two ran for fun and fitness. This year, it’s personal.
She will be running after taking a year off to undergo treatment for breast cancer at the Steeplechase Cancer Center at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, the beneficiary of the event.
“The care that I got at the Steeplechase Cancer Center was by far the best around. We are so fortunate to have this center in our community,” said Dolce-Weith.
She will join other cancer survivors, their caregivers and community members at the 11th annual Steeplechase Distance Run on Sunday, Sept. 29 at Amsterdam School in Hillsborough. The event features 10K and 5K runs, a 2-mile walk and kids’ sprints. Titanium sponsor for the race is The Peer Group for Plastic Surgery/Dr. Colin Failey.
Paul Hibbert of Somerville will be walking at the event with friends and family to give back to the Steeplechase Cancer Center, where he was treated for head and neck cancer.
“At the Steeplechase Cancer Center, you never feel alone,” Hibbert said. “They are going to fight with you and do everything in their power to help you through every step of your journey.”
“I didn’t feel like a number,” echoed Wendy Pinchinson, a breast cancer survivor from Bridgewater who will be walking for the first time at the Steeplechase Distance Run. “Wherever I went, people knew me. It was such a nice, family-like center. I really felt safe and cared for.”
All proceeds from the Steeplechase Distance Run benefit educational and support services at the Steeplechase Cancer Center at 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 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 may 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.
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.
To register for the Steeplechase Distance Run, visit www.steeplechasedistancerun.com.
