RED BANK, NJ — 23-year-old Ethiopian Demessa Tefera won the 2006 George Sheehan Classic 5-mile run with a time of 24:11. Tefera, currently based in New York, was followed by second-place finisher Solomon Too, 21, from Kenya, who finished in 24:54. Too won the inaugural Pocono Marathon last month in his first attempt at that distance.

Demessa Tefera

Jennifer Malavolta

Pennsylvanian Jennifer Malavolta, a 36-year-old who teaches junior high German and Spanish, was the first female finisher with a time of 29:55, the first American woman champion of the Classic in recent memory.

Jessica Thomas, 25, Edison, followed Malavolta as second female in 30:38, also earning herself Top NJ Female honors. Second and third place New Jersey women were Freehold's Madelyn Noe-Schlentz, 45, with 30:50, and Jenifer Padilla, 34, Clifton, with 30:54.

The top male finishers from New Jersey were Scott DeFilippis, 24, from Chadwick Beach, who finished third overall, in 24:57, followed by Bill Hoffman, Eatontown, 33, (fourth, 25:48), and Bobby Cannon, 23, Toms River, (fifth, 26:26).

The SBLI No Nonsense Runner Award, recognizing individual and non-profit organizations who go above and beyond, was presented to Dr. Eugene Cheslock and the Parker Family Health Center at the post-race award ceremony. The Parker Clinic is the primary beneficiary of the Classic.

Nearly 2,500 athletes participated in the Sheehan Classic, a two-day event held June 9-10 that included a kids’ race, a two-mile health walk and the premier event, the five-mile run.

“We moved the race in 2004 from its usual August date, hoping that we would have cooler weather,” said race director Philip Hinck. “Although the weather was unusually windy this year, the cool temperatures provided ideal running conditions. We had a very successful race, thanks to our sponsors and to the hard work of countless volunteers.”

The George Sheehan Classic began in 1981 as the Asbury Park 10K Classic and quickly became one of the major road running events on the national calendar. The race moved to Red Bank in 1994 and was renamed to honor the memory of Dr. George Sheehan, the prominent author, philosopher and area physician. “The Doc” has been called the “father of the running boom” in the United States. The Classic was named one of the Top 100 Road Races by Runner’s World magazine, and the Best Memorial Race in New Jersey by the New York Times.

SBLI (The Savings Bank Life Insurance Company of Massachusetts) and Riverview Medical Center, Red Bank sponsor the Sheehan Classic. Other sponsors include: Smith Barney, Horoizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, New Jersey Natural Gas Company, Wachovia Bank, Wachovia Securities, WOW! Work Out World and Straub Motors Lincoln/Mercury. In addition, poster sponsors are Hayseed Design and Hatteras Press, and refreshment sponsors are Whole Foods Market and Fiji Water.

The George Sheehan Classic is the second event of the SBLI Jersey Shore Golden Grand Prix, a series of races that offers prize money to overall winners and age group category winners. The five 2006 events are: Spring Lake 5, George Sheehan Classic, Belmar 5, Asbury Park 5K & Pier Village 5K. Further information can be found on the series website, www.SBLIgrandprix.com

Herald area leading finishers of the windy Sheehan Classic: Jay McGovern 26:45 (26 minutes and 45 seconds [ 7th place of 1590 total, award winner of age-group]), Atlantic Highlands; Steve Waite 27:26 (award), Little Silver; Theo Shaheen 27:53, Monmouth Beach; David McGovern 28:32, Atl. Highlands; Ryan McGrath 28:58, Red Bank; John Forrester 29:45, Little Silver; Gregg Donnelly 30:00, Middletown; Henry Mercer 30:56 (award), Fair Haven; Patrick O’Boyle 31:07 (award), Atl. Highlands; Ali Belicose 31:19 (award), Red Bank; Brian Hill 31:26, Middletown; Bob Sullivan 31:38 and Jim O’Hern 31:51, Little Silver; Paul Dement 32:15, Red Bank; Bob Haithcock 32:19, Middletown; Glenn Corregano 32:19, Red Bank; Michael Metlitz 32:21 (award), Little Silver; Joe Cauvin 32:44, Atl. Highlands; John Robinson 32:47, Middletown; John O’Hern 32:47, Little Silver; Joe Horan 32:49, Red Bank; Matthew Cauda 33:32, Middletown; Catherine Satzke 33:46 (award), Fair Haven; Anthony Miele 34:09 and Carol Buonanno 34:12 (award), Middletown; Ericel Vivvarleon 34:18, Red Bank; Ronald Kane 34:31, Highlands; David Wrede 34:54 and Mark Lonergan 35:00, Red Bank; Stephan Sheehan 35:04, Fair Haven; John Jankowski 35:11, Little Silver; Nicole Karatzia 35:12 (award), Sea Bright; Al Bennett 35:23, Little Silver; Stephen Ham 35:25, Fair Haven; Jon Lemole 35:25, Atl. Highlands; Stephen Noglows 35:30 (Betty Ann’s son) and Andrew Sharkey 35:35, Fair Haven; Anthony Salvadore 35:44, Middletown.

Also: Nicholas Luele 35:50 and Brendan Flanagan 35:51, Port Monmouth; Eric Jacobsen 35:55 and Lance Dayo 35:57, Red Bank; Kiernan Delaurier 35:58, Atl. Highlands; Tom Gillick 35:59, Belford; Jaclynn Heefner 35:59, Red Bank; Brad Memoli 36:02, Middletown; Dawn Wilcox 36:09, Little Silver; Mark Molyneaux 36:10 and Bridget Dowd 36:17 (award), Fair Haven; Vincent Delucia 36:18, Middletown; Aaron Miller 36:19, Red Bank; Kelly Wojciehowski 36:21 (award), Fair Haven; Joshua Prown 36:23, John Sheehan 36:25, Robert Yawgor 36:27, Jeff Thompson 36:34 and Marc Hershey 36:35, Red Bank; Michael Wingertzahn 36:37, Fair Haven; Kyle Shenk 36:37, Atl. Highlands; Patrick Casey 36:39, Middletown; Norman Noe 36:47, Mary Beth Glaccum 36:54 and Kristina Pachman 36:56, Red Bank; Bayley Davis Jr. 37:03 and John Cheevers 37:07, Little Silver; Genevieve Debree 37:08, Fair Haven (262nd place of 1590).

Other Shore-area leaders: Bill Hoffman 25:48 (4th place of 1590 total finishers) [award]), Eatontown; Robert Cannon 26:26 (award), Toms River; Robert Cavanaugh 26:44 (award), West Long Branch; Alex Emerel 27:48 (award) and Jefrey Cody 28:04 (award), Holmdel; Jonathan Messner 28:12, Tinton Falls; Jeremy Pilkington 28:32, Allenhurst; Adam Nalven 29:51, Brick; Jeremy Langer 29:52, Holmdel; Michael Tully 30:19 (award), Belmar; John Reagan Jr. 30:27, Eatontown; Jack Miskin 30:50 (award), Manasquan; Diane Petruzzelli 31:09 (award), Lincroft; Scott Winrow 31:12 (award), Brick; David Wellner 31:15, Oceanport; Andrew Wong 31:50, Holmdel; Amber Hart 31:53 (award [women’s champion of Sgt. Pat’s 5K]) and Kevin O’Dowd 32:06, Colts Neck; Tom Zarra 32:18, Pt. Pleasant Beach; Michael Roscitt 32:25, Thomas Hall 32:40 (award), and Christine Gaeta 32:59 (award), Lincroft; Geoff Schroeder 33:09, Wall; James Munday 33:12, Holmdel; Richard Brugger Jr. 33:42, Neptune City; Gregory Dibernardo 33:46, Brick; James Gamgort 33:53 and Trina Foltz 34:06 (award), Colts Neck; John Holmes 34:10, Brick; Carl Ennis 34:27, Long Branch (115th place of 1590).

Complete race results can be found on the web at www.sheehanclassic.org.

Road-racing events continue with the Pre-Father’s Day 5K in Wanamassa on June 17 at 9 a.m., info call 732-542-6090. On June 24 is the Ryan’s Run in Middletown at 8:30 a.m., info call 732-872-9294 and the following day is the Pine Beach 5K at 9 a.m., info call 732-505-9554. Weekly evening summer races are beginning, check out the Jersey Shore Running Club’s website: www.jsrc.org.