Second Capital Running has been involved with the Parvin Turkey Trot since it’s first year in 2018, first as community to support the event and bring in more runners, and then in 2020 we took over as the management and operations force behind the event. For the following 3 years we worked alongside the Parvin Appreciation Committee to make this event happen, but with each year the workload scale tipped more and more on our side and less and less on the committee. This was evident in the 2022 race when not a single member of the committee board was present at the race. We produced 2 successful races for the committee in 2022, charging less that half of our usual services fees as well as covering some of the hard costs ourselves, and we were not compensated for them until July of this year.
Needless to say, the nature of the relationship became unfavorable, and in September of this year I decided it was time to end the relationship. For many reasons, the most important being not wanting to lose the tradition for our runners, I wanted to press on and attempt to put on our own Thanksgiving race. I went through the proper channels and filed my permit through the state parks service, who couldn’t grant us Thanksgiving morning for our race, but were prepared to grant us the following day. Thanksgiving Day was being held in case the committee opted to host their own Turkey Trot. This was a concession I willingly accepted so that we could move forward. Unfortunately the president of the committee, Robert Zuest was hellbent on sabotaging our efforts.
On Monday October 30, two weeks after first hearing that we would be granted the permit for 11/24, the park office informed me that they had to revoke our permit. I was told that Robert Zuest argued that allowing us to host this event interfered with his ability to host his own Turkey Trot, despite the fact that they did not, and still do not at this time, have a Turkey Trot on their schedule of events. This decision came from the superintendent of the southern region of NJ state parks, who explained to me that they would not accommodate both events if the committee were in fact hosting theirs.
It did not matter that our company had moved forward with planning the race after getting word from the park office 2 weeks ago, nor that we already had 50+ runners registered and paid for, nor that it would cost us over $3,000 in refunds and materials. It especially did not matter that with 25 days to go, Robert Zuest and his committee had no evident plans to host a race, nor the means or manpower to produce it. I was told that the state “hopes for the best for [the committee] to be able to host their events, but understand that they may not always be able to follow through on their plans.”
I played by the rules. I fought in the right and respectable ways to make this race happen and to keep a tradition alive for our runners. Today I accepted that it was beyond my control and I had lost my fight. Perhaps by no coincidence at all, the passage below came to me as I was reading this morning:
“I don’t agree with those who plunge headlong into the middle of the flood and who, accepting a turbulent life, struggle daily in great spirit with difficult circumstances. The wise person will endure that, but won’t choose it–choosing to be at peace, rather than at war.” - Seneca
I knew that there would be strife ahead when I decided to part ways with the committee, but I also knew it would be worth it for my community. I could keep fighting, I could press the state, but they’ve also made it clear that they will be making it more difficult for these types of events to happen at state parks in the future, so today I choose peace. This likely means the end of our time at Parvin, our favorite park, and I’m sorry for that. The last race of the year for Second Capital Running will be the Jolly Holly Run in Millville, a really great race and great way to end our season. Personally, I will be running the Williamstown Badgers Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving this year and hope to see some of you there.
Further Together.
-Andre “Andy” Rivera
Founder, Owner
Complaints and concerns can be voiced to the Parvin State Park Office: 856-358-8616 or the Office of the Superintendent of the Southern Region: 609-704-1964