(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski) caption: HEAT OF THE MOMENT: Jennifer Kirsch heads to around the last turn at Weaver Stadium last Sunday on her way to finishing as the top woman at the Princeton Healthcare 10k. The Manalapan resident, who decided on Sunday morning to run the race, clocked a time of 42:39 and was the 17th overall finisher in the event which was held in stifling high 80s conditions.

Kirsch Beats the Heat, Competition As Leading Woman in Healthcare 10k

Bill Alden

When Jennifer Kirsch woke up last Sunday morning, she could have beaten the heat by heading to the beach or spent a relaxing day with her twin daughters.

Instead, the Manalapan resident opted to head across the state to run in the Princeton Healthcare 10k.

The 40-year-old ended up beating her competition and the heat as she was the first female finisher in the race and 17th overall with a time of 42:39.

“I didn’t plan on running this race; I woke up early and I was looking at my calendar and I don’t know when I am going to be able to race again,” recalled Kirsch, a member of the Raritan Valley Roadrunners club.

“My weekends in the summer are busy. It was hot but I thought I’ll just go and do what I do; that’s pretty much my race attitude.

Princeton resident Dan Feder was the overall winner of the race, breaking the tape at Weaver Stadium at 36:31 to place first among the 332 finishers.

Afterward, Feder showed the effect of his effort and the stifling high-80s conditions as he lay prone in a tunnel off the track before recovering with help from the race staff who gave him fluids and ice packs.

Kirsch acknowledged that she also was slowed by the intense heat that greeted the runners in the event which was back on the streets of Princeton after being held across Route 1 in Plainsboro last year.

“It was a much slower pace than I usually do my 10ks in,” said Kirsch.

“It was kind of embarrassing; I felt like I was going to pass out at one point. I know there were a couple of people in the front pack who stopped and walked.”

Despite the conditions, Kirsch was able to pull away from her fellow female competitors.

“I looked behind when I got to five and a half miles and I didn’t see anyone,” said Kirsch.

“I was a little bit worried. I had something left but with the heat it is hard to judge what you are going to be able to do.”

For Kirsch, placing first of the 144 women in the race was secondary to the satisfaction of participating.

“I just keep it fun,” asserted a smiling Kirsch, a stay-at-home mom who typically trains 35-50 miles a week. “That is what racing is all about, getting out and supporting causes.”

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