Big Bang Mile and Science Festival

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

🏆THE 5th ANNUAL BIG BANG MILE

Saturday, July 19, 2025,

RAIN or SHINE!
Bell Works in Holmdel, NJ

First 300 to register get a t-shirt!

ℹ️IMPORTANT RACE DETAILS

• Open Participation: This race is open to all types of runners and all age groups!
• USATF-NJ Teams: Team captains will submit their rosters by e-mail to the timing company the day before the race.
• Registration Site: Non-USATF-NJ teams can be declared on the registration website.
• Event Day: The schedule will be adjusted based on entries on the day of the event.

🗓️TENTATIVE EVENT SCHEDULE

• 7:00 AM: Bib and t-shirt pick up
• 8:15 AM: Community Run/Walk and U13 Mile
• 9:00 AM: Masters Women (ages 40+) Mile
• 10:05 AM: Coach Tim McLoone High School and Middle School (ages 12-18) Mile

The schedule of each heat will be slightly adjusted on event day depending on the entries for each race.

🏅AWARDS

• USATF-NJ Awards: Top 3 runners in each of the Open Men and Open Women Mile races will receive cash awards.
• Masters Awards: Top 3 masters (age 40+) will receive a pair of Hylo running shoes.
• Age Group Awards: Top 3 runners in specified age groups will receive custom designed medals.
• Cash Awards: Rewards for finishing times under specified conditions for both men and women.

📝REGISTRATION

• Early Bird: $30 until March 31.
• Standard Rate: $35 from April 1 to June 30.
• Final Rate: $40 starting July 1.
• Closing Date: Registration closes on Friday, July 18, 2025.

No registration on race day. No animals or headphones allowed. Strollers only 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. This is a theory that the universe started with an explosion 13.8 billion years ago. For their important contribution to science, Penzias and Wilson were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1978.

The radio telescope used by Penzias and Wilson still stands today, and a nearby plaque explains its significance. It is worth a visit. In fact, 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. We hope that runners draw inspiration from this story to learn more about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and perhaps even pursue a STEM career. Aim high!

Learn More and Register Here