The Insane 50-Mile, Cape May-to-Margate Run You Need to Try This Summer
Cape May, New Jersey | Photo: Shutterstock
I couldn’t not share this, you guys. In reporting a piece for an upcoming issue of Philly Mag, I was chatting with NJShoreRun.com’s Steve Antczak, who casually mentioned that he’d created—and has completed four times—a 50-mile running route hitting almost all of the towns that comprise the Jersey Shore.
The route runs from Sunset Beach in Cape May to Robert’s Place restaurant in Margate (or vice versa, if you start at the top and head down). Steve calls it the Animal Camp Cape to Gate 100-Miler, since you could run it out-and-back for, well, double the mileage.
In Steve’s words:
I came up with this route in 2011 as an ultra-training run for myself and members of my ultra running club, the Animal Camp, who were training for spring 100-mile events. The intent was to run all of the best parts of the the Shore from Sunset Beach, Cape May, to Margate, loosely following the Cape-to-Gate Relay (the day we would run the course) and Ocean Drive Marathon courses. I put on the route every Ocean Drive bridge (12 of ’em), OC Boardwalk, Sea Isle Promenade, Avalon Boardwalk, Wildwood Boardwalk, Cape May Promenade, Hereford Lighthouse, Lucy the Elephant, Cape May Lighthouse, Sunset Beach, and just for good measure, a section of Avalon beach. It’s a perfect NJShoreRun course!
The route map is here, and it does look pretty stinkin’ awesome, with lots of bridge crossings and oceanfront running. Steve adds that he doesn’t expect most people to actually run the whole thing—you could run segments for shorter distances, of course—but I say, why aim so low? Consider this, my ultra marathon friends, your challenge for the summer.
If you do it (*Ahem, Rebecca Schaefer and co. of the Rocky 50K Run*), holler at me, because I will most definitely want to feature you on the blog. Aaaand, go!
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