Sunday, June 1, 2025

Important Info for this weekend's George Washington Bridge 5k/10k Challenge!

GWB Challenge Website

This email will give you everything you need to know for this weekend - including parking, bib pick ups, schedule, shuttles, photos, etc. Looking forward to seeing you all this weekend!

PARKING & ROUTE INFORMATION

Parking will be hosted by the Fort Lee Parking Authority at 231 Main Street, Fort Lee NJ. This parking garage is directly behind our start line. Parking will be LIMITED - first come first serve. Roads in the surrounding area on our route will be shut down starting at 7am. The lower level of the bridge will be closed starting at midnight - only the upper level will remain open.

CARPOOLING AND RIDE SHARING ARE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED!

Age-group awards will be given out in live-time...meaning you won't have to wait until the end if you placed in your age group. Once 3rd place crosses in your age group - we will make those announcements to claim your medal!

There will be 2 water stops on the routes - on Hudson Terrace (Ramp) and On The Bridge. PortAJohns will also be on route, at start and at finish lines.

Start Line: 220 Bruce Reynolds Blvd, Fort Lee NJ

Finish Line: Ross Dock Picnic Area (Henry Hudson Dr), Fort Lee

SHUTTLE INFORMATION

We will have shuttles bringing spectators from the start line to the finish line. Departure times will be: 7:30am, 7:45am, and 8am.

There will be shuttles on a rotating schedule from finish line to start line once you are finished with the challenge. The last shuttle will leave the finish line when the last participant crosses the finish line (typically around 11:30am). 

DAY-OF EVENT SCHEDULE

· 6:30am - Registration/Check-In/Bib Pick Up Opens

              a. Participants must report to Bag Check after registration. Anything taken over the bridge will need a clear bag that we provide. Or you can check your bag with UPS and pick up at the finish line.

· 7:30am - Bag Check closes

· 7:30am – Program Begins

                  a. Guest Speaker

                  b. Top Shoutouts

· 7:45am - 5k Warm-up begins

   7:50 - 5k Runners begin

         a. 5k walkers begin after

· 8am - Registration closes

  8am - 10k Warm-up

· 8:05am - 10k Runners begin

              a. 10k Walkers begin after

8am-11:30am - Shuttles transporting finishers back to start line on rotating schedule.

Approx. 11:30am - Final Shuttles Depart from Finish Line to Parking

BIB PICK-UP INFORMATION

We will have 2 days for Bib Pick-Up this year prior to race day!

The first option:

May 30th from 11am-1:30pm

Englewood Field Club

341 Engle Street, Englewood NJ 07631

The second option:

May 31st from 9:30am-11:30am & 12pm-2pm

OrangeTheory of Closter

111 Vervalen St, Closter NJ 07624

You may also pick up your bib at the Start Line on June 1st at the check-in tents just past bag check!

You may pick up bibs for multiple people! Just make sure you come ready with their full names.

Photos

We have 4 wonderful volunteers photographing this years event! Two will be at the start line as well as follow everyone onto the bridge, and the other two will be down at the finish line. They will get your pictures to me as soon as they can post-event so please be patient as it can take up to 1-2 weeks to gather all photos. There will be an email sent out on race photo's as well as an album uploaded to our Facebook page. Be sure to follow our FB page and Instagram for the latest updates on photos!

FINISH LINE & SPONSOR INFORMATION

We will have vendors at our finish line for you to browse! We will have our Survivor Tent - where all survivors can head over and claim your custom "birthday" cookies and survivor medals. Other vendors and sponsors we will have are: OrangeTheory, Crunch Fitness, CryoGuys, Food Trucks, Maggiano, DiGirolamo, Lizzi P.C, American Cancer Society and more. Thank you to our wonderful sponsors for making this event possible each year and supporting the fight to end cancer as we know it, for everyone.

Medals

We will be giving all finishers custom GWB finisher medals and all Survivors specialized medals. We will give our 1st, 2nd and 3rd place for both men and women finishers for the following age groups:

Age Group Awards - Male and Female:

-Ages >12 – First, Second and Third place medals 5k

-Ages >12 - First, Second and Third place medals 10k

-Ages 13-18 - First, Second and Third place medals 5k

-Ages 13-18 - First, Second and Third place medals 10k

-Ages 19-29 - First, Second and Third place medals 5k

-Ages 19-29 - First, Second and Third place medals 10k

-Ages 30-39 - First, Second and Third place medals 5k

-Ages 30-39 - First, Second and Third place medals 10k

-Ages 40-54 - First, Second and Third place medals 5k

-Ages 40-54 - First, Second and Third place medals 10k

-Ages 55-69 - First, Second and Third place medals 5k

-Ages 55-69 - First, Second and Third place medals 10k

-Ages 70+ - First, Second and Third place medals 5k

-Ages 70+ - First, Second and Third place medals 10k

T-Shirts were available for purchase before April 18th. If you purchased a t-shirt, you will be able to pick them up at Bib Pick-Up days or at the start line. All Survivors get a survivor t-shirt.

Additional Information

If you have any questions, want to become a vendor, would like to volunteer or would like to switch which event you are running in - please contact Cori at Cori.Mastropolo@cancer.org. 

Thank you for making your miles more meaningful at the 38th George Washington Bridge Challenge. Because of your support, we are able to continue the fight to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. We can fund more life-saving research, fund more Hope Lodge free stays for patients, fund more free rides to and from treatment, and so much more. To learn more about the work we do at the American Cancer Society, because of participants like you in events like this one, please visit www.cancer.org. And of course, although not mandatory, it is recommended to share your RunSignUp fundraising dashboard for this event. Let others know that you are participating in the GWB Challenge for the American Cancer Society and are celebrating National Cancer Survivor Day with a community determined to finish this fight together.

See everyone THIS Sunday, June 1st, bright and early!