Coach Mike O'Brien Memorial 5K St. Patrick's Day Run

Join us as we bring back our 5K St. Patrick's Day Run for the third time in memory of Coach Mike O'Brien on our USATF-Certified course (Course certification # is NJ24014JLW).

Mike O’Brien was a beloved cross-country and track coach at Morris Catholic for 25 years. Additionally, he started the original Morris Catholic St. Patrick’s day 5k back in 2012. He really enjoyed the MC 5K and seeing/catching up with all the alumni as well as local runners that came to run.  We are so glad to be able to bring this race back again in his honor!

Get out into the fresh air and join us on Saturday March 14, 2026 at 9 am at Morris Catholic High School in Denville NJ.  Note: we welcome seasoned runners and will award medals in multiple age groups, but no experience is necessary.  If you are a novice runner or have not yet started running, consider trying this "couch potato to runner program: https://www.halhigdon.com/training-programs/5k-training/novice-5k/ 

Keep in mind that we have a limited number of dri-fit t-shirts that we will distribute to the first 250 runners to register.  Don't miss out!  Register early!!

The race proceeds will benefit the Morris Catholic High School scholarship and athletic programs as well as the Denville Public Assistance Fund!

Did you know that Morris Catholic is a co-educational college preparatory school in Northern NJ founded in 1957? Morris Catholic was designed to serve students in Morris County from a perspective of Catholic values. With an average enrollment under 500 students, Morris Catholic is considered to be the right size for a student who wants to find a community that is authentically caring and lands students in the best colleges in the country.  One of Morris Catholic’s goals is to keep its tuition within reach of all families. Therefore, it relies on various fund raising activities such as this race, to enhance the students’ high school experience and to provide scholarships to those who require financial assistance.

As Morris Catholic is located in Denville, NJ, it is only fitting that the proceeds of the race are shared with the Denville Public Assistance Fund, to give back to this wonderful community!

A good run for a good cause? Let's do it!

May the luck of the Irish give us a sunny day; but the race runs on Rain or Shine!

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE ALREADY REGISTERED FOR THIS YEAR'S RACE, HERE ARE RACE DAY LOGISTICS:

We are excited to see you on race day, this Saturday, 3/14, at Morris Catholic High School - 200 Morris Avenue, Denville, NJ -  and wanted to share some race day details with you.  Our race starts at 9:00 (rain or shine!) so please give yourself ample time to park and pick up your bib and t-shirt prior to the start of the race.  

RUNNER BIB AND T-SHIRT PICKUP:
Runner bib and t-shirt pick up will be in the Morris Catholic cafeteria located in the back of the school next to the soccer field, and runners may enter our cafeteria starting at 7:30 a.m.  

PARKING:
Follow the signs for parking as you enter our school campus at 200 Morris Avenue, Denville. 

Please follow all posted and common parking restrictions. For example, don't park in an area if there are any "No Parking" signs posted, don't park near stop signs or intersections, and don't park in front of residential driveways.  Our main concern is that emergency vehicles and local traffic can still easily access the roadways.

NOTE: In the event that our parking lots fill up at Morris Catholic HS, participants are permitted to park on Kitchell Road as long as they follow all parking restrictions.  Also, for easy access to the roadway, we recommend that participants only utilize one side of Kitchell Road for street parking. Audubon Drive, which is the first left from Kitchell Road (directly behind Morris Catholic), is a wide residential street and can be utilized for overflow parking. All Gardner Field parking lots and Savage Road can also be utilized for overflow parking. 

RACE TIMING INFORMATION:
Our race uses state-of-the-art chip timing and results by Best Racing Systems.  You will not have to wait for results to be printed.  Instead, runners can get results on their phone by going to http://www.BESTrace.com/mobile after you finish your race.  This information will also be included on your runner bib.

If you see something wrong with your results (such as your name, gender or age are incorrect), please contact the BestRace race timers by the start/finish line.  Please check your results within 5-10 minutes of finishing so that any corrections can be made before the awards are announced.

POST RACE REFRESHMENTS AND AWARDS:
Race participants and supporters are invited to the cafeteria after the race for the medal ceremony and to enjoy music, bagels, bananas, and beverages.

Thank you so much for participating in this race in honor of Coach O'Brien!