The Sub 5 Challenge
Initiated in January 2004, the Sub 5 Club was formed to challenge Fordham Prep's middle distance runners (and everyone) to try to reach their goals. The inaugural challenge was that if 15 kids break 5:00 for the 1600 meter run, we'd buy special "Sub-5" T-Shirts; if 20 kids did it we'd make it hooded sweatshirts: Well, by May of 2004 over 23 runners had accomplished this task!
In July of 2004 Bob Anastasio, class of 1970, agreed to underwrite the program so that from now on, all Prep runners who break 5 minutes will be presented with the "sub 5" sweatshirt. Bob held the Fordham Prep record for the Mile run throughout the 1970's, having run 4:16 to take 2nd to a future Olympian at the Penn Relays in 1970. But Bob remembers how hard he had to work to break 5 minutes as a Freshman and wanted to be sure the satisfaction he got from reaching that goal could be appreciated by current and future Prep runners. Bob went on to set numerous records at Cornell University (including a 4:01 mile and 1:46.6 relay split), some of which still stand to this day. Bob participated in the US Olympic Trials in 1976 (running 1:47 for the 800 meters!) and has been one of the area's top road racers since the early 1980's. He started one of the internet's original websites devoted to local road races.