[Chris Nickinson]

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December 26, 2010

Polar Bear races, plunge goes on in Asbury Park despite snow

KIM PREDHAM LUEDDEKE

In 47 years, the Shore Athletic Club of New Jersey has never canceled its Polar Bear Races.

So for a little thing like snow … even a predicted 16 or more inches … organizers weren't about to call off Sunday's post-Christmas race along the Asbury Park boardwalk.

"This was not the worst year,'' Harry Nolan, who has competed in every Polar Bear race since it began, told a hardy crowd of runners and fans who stuck around for a post-race awards ceremony in the Grand Arcade.

Believed to be the oldest 5-mile run in the nation, the Shore Athletic Club's annual Polar Bear Race is a tradition for many area runners. The race was preceded Sunday by a 10-mile walk won by 24-year-old Andres Chocho of Ecuador, who completed the walk in 1 hour, 35 minutes and 1 second.

at http://www.app.com/a...D=2010101226048