Shiver by the River

The 30^th annual SHIVER by the RIVER 5K & 10K is upon us.  Join us on the 2^nd Sunday of each month: Dec 8^th, Jan 12^th, Feb 9^th and Mar 8^th, at Jim Dietrich Park, in Muhlenberg Twp.  In case you missed us last year, please note the new time:  Registration opens at 8:30, both races start at 10:00. If you can’t run all 4 of them, run 3, run 2, or run 1.  

Each year at the Shiver banquet, we ask the runners to complete a survey, asking what each runner likes best, what they like least, and any comments or suggestions.  We really do read those, and we sometimes make changes based on the suggestions. For instance, many of you have asked that we start the race earlier, so effective Dec 2018, we started at 10:00.  Below are a few responses to some of the most frequent questions. We will have more FAQ in future newsletters.  

Question(s):  Why don’t we have awards for 5K vs 10K? Why don’t we start the 5K & 10K at different times? Why don’t we have a different course for the 5K and 10K, instead of running the 5K twice for the 10K?  The answer to these questions is the same: What makes the Shiver unique is that each runner can choose their distance as they are running, possibly running 10K some months and 5K other months. Hence, the awards are combined; the starts are at the same time; and the courses have to be combined.  

Question:  How is the scoring done?  Answer: Each runner gets points equivalent to the place they finish, regardless of 5K or 10K.  If someone is the 35th person to cross the line in the 5K, they get 35 points; if they are the 35th person to cross the line in the 10K, they get 35 points.  A runner must run at least 3 of the races to be eligible for an award and if they run 4, the highest points are dropped (example, if a runner finishes 10th in the Dec 5K, 20th in the Jan 10K, 25th in the Feb 10K, and 15th in the Mar 5K, their points would be 10 + 20 + 15).   Even if several of the front runners only run 1 race, points for all runners are equivalent to the finish place .  The points assigned are not affected by how many in your age group finish the race in front of you. After the March race, the total points for each person is accumulated; then we sort by age group, and then by points, to determine winners in each age category.  We don’t calculate points for runners only completing 1 or 2 races.  If the runner completes 3 races, we total their points. If the runner completes 4 races, we determine the worst finish and drop those points, accumulating the remaining 3 races.   

If you choose not to run the race, please consider volunteering.  We need volunteers before the race, for parking and registration; during the race – on the road, at the finish line, and in the farmhouse; and after the race – for cleanup.  If you can help prior to the race, please plan to arrive between 8:00 – 8:15.  If you can help with the race itself, please arrive no later than 9:30. Look for one of the race directors somewhere around the farmhouse.   Thank you in advance for your support!

Hope to see you there!!!

Sue Jackson, Kelsey Jackson, Georgine McCool, Tiffany Pantoja