This January, many people will declare that 2023 will be the year that they finally start exercising. Only some will honor these promises to themselves.
Joe Conroy is one person who has kept his resolve. More than two decades ago, the Bordentown City resident joined the Running Company of Haddonfield on its weekly group runs. He joined, he says, to get into better shape, and also for the social aspect.
It turned out to be a great decision. Now 47, Conroy still runs 15 hours a week or more, including weekly runs with the Bordentown Area Running Club, or BARC for short.
BARC, formed in 2013, is full of locals who, like Conroy, have committed to keeping up with regular exercise in the effort to keep in shape. They meet Wednesday nights at Tindall Road Brewing Company on Farnsworth Avenue before taking a group jaunt around the city. If they have a beer or two afterward, well — that’s fair reward for keeping at it week after week.
Conroy enjoys these runs. But more and more over the years, he has also sought something more challenging — grueling, even. Conroy has been pushing himself on longer and longer runs. He’s become what’s known as an ultra runner.
In summers, he has taken to running what he calls the Three Brewery 50K, starting in Bordentown and continuing along the Delaware River Heritage Trail through Roebling, Florence and other river towns on down to Camden. On that run, he passes Tindall Road, Third State Brewing in Burlington City and Double Nickel Brewing in Pennsauken.
The breweries, alas, are only landmarks. No beers along the way — not if he wants to finish. The excursion is longer than a marathon, and there are no medals at the end. Just the satisfaction of a run well run. He takes the River Line home.
Several years ago, Conroy started these types of runs in training for what he hoped would be his first 100-mile run: the New Jersey Devil 100, a 100-mile trail race through the Pine Barrens. The race, organized by Beast Coast Productions LLC, was originally set for 2020, but canceled that year, as well as 2021 and 2022, because of the Covid pandemic.
The race is on again for this year, set for April 22, and Conroy intends to take part. But assuming everything falls into place for that, he won’t be running a hundred miles for the first time. Because he just couldn’t wait.
Last September, Conroy reached 100 miles — actually 101.9 — in a single run for the first time at the Hainesport Endurance Run, also organized by Beast Coast Pro. He completed another ultra running event, Beast Coast Pro’s 55-mile Batona Trail run, in November 2021.
Fellow BARC member Larry Braasch says that Conroy is humble — not someone to crow about his accomplishments on trails or pavement. But to run 100 miles is “an astounding achievement,” Braasch said in an email. “I’m impressed with attitude and of course the mental fortitude needed run for the extreme distances which Joe runs.”
Braasch said Conroy is very supportive of fellow BARC members. “I just started running last year, and it can be really intimidating running with others. But Joe is always there with a smile and an encouraging word. He’ll hang back and run with me on occasion just to keep me going,” he said.
Conroy says he was a “geeky kid who loved comic books,” and didn’t take up running until he was an adult. He grew up in Somerdale, near Camden, and has lived in Bordentown City since 2001, first as a renter and later as a homeowner with his wife, Caroline.
They are both teachers: Joe teaches language arts at Pond Road Middle School, and Caroline, who is originally from West Milford, teaches students with disabilities at Wilbur Watts Intermediate School in Burlington City. They have two children: Maura, a fifth grader art MacFarland Intermediate School, and Patrick, a freshman at Bordentown Regional High. Joe also coaches track and field at Pond Road.
Conroy has been at Pond Road for his entire teaching career. He recalls starting the job back in 2001, and later that week experiencing the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S. with his students.
He has been teaching long enough now that he has had a number of experiences of running in races with former students. One former student, Molly Moore, is a fellow member of BARC.
And he runs with other groups besides BARC. He joins the Pineland Striders on their Batona Trail Series, a group run through the Pine Barrens (though not a race). He also runs with Uptown Gentlefriends on their Delaware Bridge Loop Series. He runs with others when he can, he says, because distance running can be a lonely affair, and a lonely runner can struggle for motivation over the course of many miles.
The 55-mile, point-A-to-point-B Batona Trail Run is an example of a long run where runners often find themselves alone with their thoughts. Conroy said that while he enjoys the peace and serenity of a run through the woods, he finds it beneficial to almost purge his mind of all thoughts.
“You have a lot of time to think, and if you delve down into some negative thoughts, or if you start worrying about pace or start worrying about where you are in distance, that can wear you down mentally and make you want to quit,” Conroy said. “I have to put myself in a headspace where I’m very content being in the moment.”
The Jersey Devil 100-miler — starting at Bass River State Park, 50 miles out and 50 miles back, across the entirety of the Pine Barrens — will be another one of those runs with long stretches of solitude. The Hainesport Endurance Run, on the other hand, was on a one-mile loop, which provided for a more social experience.
“In order to finish 100 miles, you have to mix walking with running with jogging. When you’re on a loop, you are alongside other runners every step of the way, from the fastest to the slowest,” he said. “If you’re a social person like me, you pass the time by talking to the other runners, learning their backstories. That’s what made it such a great event.”
Nonrunners may find that they have little concept of just how much time it takes to complete these long runs. The Batona Trail Run, for instance, took Conroy nearly 12 hours to complete, and his finish time for Hainesport was 27:43:07, i.e., longer than one full day.
Staying the course over such long periods demands mental focus as much or more than physical strength, Conroy said.
“Most people would think that the physical aspect of running would be the most limiting factor, but in my experience, the mental aspect, followed by nutrition and hydration, are the most important,” he said. “To complete 100 miles, you have to sharpen your mind to be able to handle the thought of handling these long distances for huge amounts of time.”
Just because he is comfortable running alone does not mean that he doesn’t crave community, though, and BARC’s weekly Wednesday night runs give him that fix.
“The other runners may not have the ultra running experience that I have, but I fit in very easy. I try not to talk about my experiences — I would rather hear about the experiences of other runners, give them encouragement or quick coaching tips to help become better versions of themself,” he said. “I am a teacher, and as a teacher I try to use that teacher positivity to make a positive impact on other runners.”
He said he’s been fortunate to remain injury free throughout most of his running career, and says he feels blessed that his body has been able to handle whatever challenges he has put it through. “I feel one thing that’s kept me injury free is, I like to focus on running distance very slow,” he said.
Though Conroy commits a lot of time to his running, he said he does what he can to minimize the impact it has on his family. He says he often gets up at 4 or 5 in the morning, to complete his daily run before the rest of the family is awake. He also finds time for other pursuits: he is a homebrewer, and a guitarist who also occasionally performs live with fellow Bordentown resident Carter Quinby.
As for what’s next, Conroy is focused on getting in shape for April’s Jersey Devil 100. After that, he plans to tackle three races known as the PA Triple Crown: the Hyner 50K, the World’s End 100K and the Eastern States 100. All three are held in Pennsylvania, and all three take place on terrain that features severe elevation changes — a noteworthy difference from the fairly flat terrain of the Hainesport Endurance Run and Jersey Devil 100 routes.
A runner must finish all three races in the same year to be able to say they have finished the triple crown. “Knowing I can complete a flat Pine Barrens 100 miler, I would feel more confident on more mountainous terrain,” Conroy said.
And if anyone reading this story should feel the need to resolve to run more in 2023, Conroy does have some words of encouragement:
“My early advice is for persistence and commitment. Start with small goals and keep at it. It’s about doing a little bit several times a week. And once you build up the healthy routines, you can amp up the intensity and duration. One of the best ways to continue that commitment is to do it with other people. Whatever activity you choose, it’s more fun with other people. It’ll keep you accountable. Maybe you won’t always look forward to running, but you’ll look forward to spending time with old friends or new acquaintances.”
Joe Conroy crossing the finish line at the Hainesport Endurance Run, held on Sept. 3, 2022.,
