51st Anniversary Of Jonas Cattell Run Set For Oct. 25

The 51st anniversary of the 10-mile Jonas Cattell Run to warn the soldiers of Fort Mercer at Red Bank that over 1200 Hessian soldiers were approaching to take over the fort is set for Oct. 25, officials said on Thursday.

The run traces the one Cattell made from Haddonfield to National Park on Oct. 22, 1777. The Fort Mercer 5K course will be an out and back course starting and finishing at Red Bank Battlefield.
After the races, Gloucester County will hold the annual 18th Century Field Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Attendees are asked to wear masks and practice social distancing.

“The Jonas Cattell Run and Eighteenth-Century Field day are fantastic events that celebrate our history in Gloucester County,” Gloucester County Freeholder Director Robert M. Damminger said.

The event will feature artillery demonstrations, musket firing and drilling, opportunities to meet the soldiers, battlefield tours, and a gentleman's duel. Food, vendors, and educational crafts and activities will happen throughout the day.

“Our Parks staff and the volunteers who put this event together do a wonderful job,” Freeholder Jim Lavender, liaison to the Gloucester County Department of Parks and Recreation, said. It’s nice to watch the History Channel, but it’s better to have an experience right in your own community.”
Red Bank Battlefield is located at 100 Hessian Avenue in National Park. There will be no day-of registration.

For race information, visit https://runsignup.com/Race/NJ/Haddonfield/JonasCattellMemorialRun