Bloomfield’s Tom Fleming Sunset Classic To Return For 34th Year

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The 34th running of the Tom Fleming Sunset Classic will take place in Bloomfield on Thursday, June 30.

According to a news release from township officials:

"Since the early 1980's, the Sunset Classic has been a calendar favorite in Northern New Jersey road racing. The race is a challenging and picturesque five mile course that winds its way through Bloomfield and Glen Ridge."

The Bloomfield Educational Foundation offered details about the annual race, which will have a new title sponsor, Brookdale ShopRite.

“The race will benefit V.E.S.T., a vocational educational student-training program at Bloomfield High School for special needs students. In addition to donating sponsorship funds, Brookdale ShopRite will also continue to provide a complimentary refreshment tent for volunteers, runners and spectators that includes hotdogs, beverages and assorted snacks.”

The BEF continued:

“This year, the Kids Sprints will take place on at Foley Field at 6:30 p.m. The Rick Petersen Mile event will start at 7 p.m. and the five-mile Brookdale ShopRite Tom Fleming Sunset Classic Race will step off at 7:30 p.m. There will be an awards ceremony for fastest overall times by age bracket. The event promises to be a fun night for the whole family.”

To sign up for the five-mile race, visit www.thesunsetclassic.org. The race begins approximately at the corner of Broad Street and Pitt Street and continues down Broad Street to Sunset Avenue and then to Essex Avenue to JFK Parkway and ends at Foley Field.

“[We are] thrilled to be the title sponsor for this year’s Tom Fleming Sunset Classic,” said Neil Greenstein, a third-generation grocer and the owner and operator of Brookdale ShopRite.

“We’ve hired many graduates of the V.E.S.T. program over the years and Bloomfield Educational Foundation’s commitment to education and kids is so important to our community,” Greenstein added. “We are honored to be part of this great event and look forward to seeing all the runners on the field.”

Other Bloomfield companies supporting the event include The Lummus Technology as a Rick Petersen Mile Sponsor and Friends of Tom Fleming Sponsors: Atlantic Track and Turnout Company, OBALS Inn and Climatec.

For more information about the event, including registration, race start times, a course map and directions, visit http://www.thesunsetclassic.org/.

Bloomfield officials said residents should be aware that a number of streets will be closed during the race, including: Broad Street, Essex Avenue, Forest Avenue, Sunset Avenue, Osborne Street, and Glen Ridge Parkway.

“As always, residents should be mindful of street closures on the day of the race and follow the guidance of the traffic safety officers that are deployed in the area for alternate routes and detours,” Mayor Michael Venezia said.

"We've had to cancel this event in recent years due to the pandemic, but its return is another signal that we are finally getting back to business as usual in Bloomfield,” Venezia added.

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