Bloomfield Sunset Classic renamed for Tom Fleming

The sun hasn’t set on remembrances for Tom Fleming, an iconic track coach in Essex County.

The latest came at the annual Sunset Classic in Bloomfield on Thursday night, renamed after Fleming this year. The Tom Fleming Sunset Classic included a kids run, a 1-mile and a 5-mile race that started on Foley Field.

Fleming, a Bloomfield and Glen Ridge native, died in April while coaching his Montclair Kimberley Academy track and field team in Verona. He was 65. 

He was a two-time New York City Marathon winner, and finished second in the Boston Marathon twice. In addition to coaching at MKA, he taught fourth grade at the private school for 18 years.

Another accomplished runner, Bill Rodgers, a four-time winner of both the Boston Marathon and New York City Marathon, joined the Bloomfield festivities to sign autographs and remember his friend on Thursday. 

“Tom is here in spirit,” Rodgers said. 

Fleming and Rodgers often ran together and had known each other for more than 40 years. Sometimes Rodgers would finish ahead of Fleming in a run, and sometimes the longtime MKA coach would win, but Rodgers noted they were great teammates.

“Tom and I, we would talk on our runs about trying to change the sport for the better and to build the sport, and how we do that,” recalled Rodgers. “I think the Sunset Classic was a result of that. How do we reach more people? You look around today and you see the kids, and the older people like myself. But you know everything has changed for the better.”

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Thursday’s run supported the Bloomfield Educational Foundation and the district’s Vocational Education and Special Training program.

It also marked one of the latest tributes to Fleming. The Oval at Essex County Brookdale Park officially became the Tom Fleming Athletic Complex in early June. 

Fleming, born in Long Branch and raised in Bloomfield, attended Bloomfield High School, where he began competitive running. He continued to run while attending William Paterson College – now William Paterson University – and earned a status as All-American.

It was during his senior year in college that he finished second in the Boston Marathon and finished first in the New York City Marathon.

One of the participants in Thursday’s run, Arlend Macasieb of Millburn, trained with Fleming as his coach. Once he heard about the tribute to him at the Sunset Classic, Macasieb said he needed to participate. 

“Basically my best running years were when I was running for Tom,” Macasieb said. “It was great. He was awesome. He always made you do stuff you didn’t think you were capable of.”

Email: jongsma@northjersey.com