5K Stampede Through Clifton

Clifton is a big city with a small, hometown feel, and this race exemplifies that place. The mayor almost always shows up, they play the national anthem from a tape recorder, the police welcome you, and along much of the course, locals stand on street corners to root for runners. Afterward, they serve a big spread of food that, ssssshhhhh, they don’t seem to realize every other race has stopped doing. There are plenty of giveaways at the end, and though the awards and lotteries take way too much time getting started, and finished, there's a sincerity here that p, honestly, you get nowhere else in NJ running races. If you want a professional, in and out race, there are other places to go. If you want that warm, homey feel, this is the race to attend. I run 15-20 races a year, and nobody does it like Clifton.