Big Bang Mile and Science Festival

🏃‍♂️ The 6th ANNUAL BIG BANG MILE

Anticipating the preservation of the Holmdel Horn Antenna and the creation of Dr. Robert Wilson Park.

The Shore Athletic Club is proud to host the Big Bang Mile.

Saturday, July 18, 2026,

RAIN or SHINE!
Bell Works in Holmdel, NJ

🌌 EVENT DETAILS

• Course: Possibly the best records-eligible road mile course in the universe!
• T-Shirt: Important: To make basic race registration cheaper, the Big Bang Mile T-shirt is now an optional $12 "add-on".
• Guarantee: To guarantee your T-shirt and size, you MUST order it before June 15.
• Participants: This race is open to all types of runners and all age groups!

📅 TENTATIVE EVENT SCHEDULE

• 7:00 AM: Bib and t-shirt pick up
• 8:15 AM: Masters Men (ages 60+) Mile - part of USATF-NJ Masters Men Team Championship
• 8:35 AM: Masters Women (ages 50+) Mile - part of USATF-NJ Masters Women Team Championship
• 9:40 AM: High School and Middle School (ages 12-18) Mile

🏆 AWARDS

• Open Runners Awards: Top 3 USATF-NJ runners in each of the Open Men and Open Women Mile races will be awarded either a pair of running shoes or cash (amount TBD).
• Masters Awards: Top 3 USATF-NJ masters men and masters women based on age grading will be awarded either running shoes or cash.
• Age Group Awards: For runners to be eligible, they must run in their respective Age group.
• Cash Awards: $200 Cash Bonus for a winning time under 4:10 for men or under 4:50 for women.

📝 REGISTRATION

• Early Bird: $20 - until March 31.
• Standard Fee: $25 - from April 1 to May 31, with a price increase to $30 on June 1!
• Registration Closing: Closes Friday, July 17, 2026.
• Restrictions: No animals or headphones allowed in any heat for safety. Strollers only allowed in the Community race.

📖 THE STORY BEHIND THE BIG BANG MILE

The Bell Works building was once a primary location for Bell Laboratories. “Bell Labs” attracted top-notch scientists to conduct basic research that might advance telephony. Two such scientists, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson, studied radio signals from space in support of the Telstar project. In 1964, to their surprise, they observed a background noise coming from every direction in the sky. Wherever they pointed their radio telescope, they measured the same frequency and strength of microwave radiation. Puzzled, Penzias and Wilson conferred with colleagues. Princeton University astronomer Robert Dicke revealed they had found evidence for the Big Bang.

The radio telescope used by Penzias and Wilson still stands today. It is located on top of Crawford Hill, about 2 miles northwest of the Bell Works facility. Holmdel Township has purchased the 30 acres that surround the antenna and will convert it into Dr. Robert Wilson Park.

The Shore Athletic Club dedicates the Big Bang Mile Race to scientists everywhere, hoping that runners draw inspiration from this story to learn more about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).

For more information and registration, please visit Big Bang Mile Registration.