Come out for the only trail race with an age-graded start (that we know of) on the East Coast. Top age-group performers have a legitimate shot at the overall title. Even if you aren’t out to win, the race is run on challenging, yet very runnable trails, in beautiful Nolde Forest; it also has great schwag and virtually no bottle necks. Challenge your families and coworkers to come out and compete on a “level” playing field.
Hey ringers: Here’s a chance to show off a little by passing the whole pack!
This year’s swag is a cool travel picnic blanket. It’s guaranteed to the first 100 registered; after that, availability will be based on inventory left for re-orders. Get registered to guarantee yours!
Berks County Parks and Recreation Department is holding a trail running event on June 5th at 9 a.m. starting at the Angora Road Trailhead at Antietam Lake Park. This running event is geared towards beginner trail runners and will include a 3-4 mile mapped out loop. The Pacers were invited to represent the trail running community as trail experts and be on hand to provide any tips, tricks, and techniques that we’ve picked up over time. Blair Hogg and Lisa Domeshek have volunteered to represent the Pacers for this event. Fleet Feet West Reading will be on hand as the shoe experts and will be bringing in HOKA to demo some trail shoes. If this sounds like something you’d like to be a part of and contribute some of your own trail running expertise, reach out to either Blair, Lisa (vicepresident@pagodapacers.com), or Michelle (president@pagodapacers.com) to coordinate.
Save the dates for some fun Pacer social events this summer:
We’ve got some fun events coming up that incorporate more than just running and can involve the whole family!
June 23rd 7pm – Run/Ride/Swim Event @ Wilshire Pool
There’s an extra Thursday in June, so let’s take advantage of it!
Bring your bike & ride or lace up your shoes & run or walk and then take a dip afterwards!
Wilshire Pool has offered to open their doors to the Pacers on Thursday, June 23rd from 8pm-10pm for a moonlight dip! As the saying goes – “The more the merrier”, so we invited our friends in the Reading Area Cyclists group and Fleet Feet Run Club to join us. It’ll be a good ol’ fashion pool party with the who’s who of Reading outdoor enthusiasts!
Guided group run and ride will leave from Wilshire pool at 7pm. Long and short running routes will be available and announced closer to event.
Event will be held at Wilshire Pool, address below.
Wilshire Pool
3031 Van Reed Rd.
Sinking Spring, PA 19607
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August 6th 9:30am – Outdoor Yoga with Yuriko @ Fawn Hill Hop Yard
Get your long run in early and then join our very own Yuriko Beaman, as she guides us through this class full of mindful movement and breathing practices in front of a lovely backdrop of lush, tall, green hop bines. This class is open to all levels of yoga. All you need to bring is a yoga mat or towel and water!
Event will be held at Fawn Hill Hop Yard, address below.
Fawn Hill Hop Yard
141 Wilma Ave.
Reading, PA 19607
Pickleball – date and time TBD
Michelle is working out details with Larry Zerbe, director of West Reading Pickleball, to provide a skills & drills session and court time for the club.
More details to come on all these events as we near the dates. Facebook events will be created for each of these with more detail as well.
Spring seems like it has FINALLY made its arrival! I don’t know about you, but I am so thankful that warm weather, sunshine, and longer days are finally upon us! There’s a lot to look forward to over the next few months, such as getting back to member-hosted Wednesday Night Runs; the summer lineup of Pacer races (Charlie Horse, Run for the Ages, and Grings Mill); and some fun social events.
B.T.W. is a local and somewhat newish member-run nonprofit organization providing necessary maintenance and improvements to several Berks County trails that benefit all trail users – runners, hikers, and mountain bikers alike! Are you a trail runner? If so, there’s a good chance you’ve run on some of the trails they’ve worked on!
Pagoda Pacer members Sandie & Stephan Kincaid are heavily involved in Berks Trail Works and will be stopping by our membership meeting this month to catch us up on some of the projects that Berks Trail Works have been working on, what’s up next for them, and how you can help support your local trails!
To learn more, please arrive to the membership meeting early. We’ll hear from them at 6:45 p.m.
May’s monthly membership meeting info:
May’s Monthly Membership meeting will be held on Thursday, May 12th, at Mohnton Fire Company Social Quarters, 100 E Summit St., Mohnton, PA 19540. The meeting is upstairs. Enter the front door and go up the stairs to your left. There is no need to ring the buzzer for entry.
Food and drink at 6:30 p.m. | Guest Speakers at 6:45 p.m. | Meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. All members are welcomed.
* Members are responsible for purchasing their own beverages. Please bring cash.
Pacer Passport
Just a reminder about the Pacer Passport, which is a way to promote & reward club involvement. This initiative was created to encourage members to participate in club activities, volunteer for club events, and to be a part of club direction, decisions, and growth. Members work towards completing the pyramid by having each block signed once that requirement is fulfilled.A copy of the passport can be picked up at a Wednesday night run or at the monthly membership meetings. You can also request one by emailing president@pagodapacers.com or download a copy HERE.
Treasury Report – Michelle Henry – Shaun renewed the club’s memberships with two Berks trail conservancies for $100 each.
Races:
Charlie Horse Half Marathon (Sunday, May 29, 2022)—Registration has picked up, but is still behind last year. He needs two experienced aid stations captains. If interested, reach out to Shaun Luther.
Run for the Ages 10K Trail Run (Sunday, June 26, 2022)—Blair Hogg – registrations are slow. Since the swag this year is a packable picnic blanket, he is having trouble coming up with what to do for sponsors and appropriate advertising.
Grings Mill 5K and 10K (Sunday, August 7, 2022) – Jason Karpinski – this year, using chip timing; like other races, registration is slow.
Blues Cruise 50K (Sunday, October 2, 2022) – Dan Govern – Registrations are a little slower this year. He has not looked at swag yet, but does like getting a shirt. Monetary donations from previous years have accumulated – it will be used for redoing a piece of the ski slope that is heavily affected by erosion. The work will probably will be done by the summer and ready for the Blues Cruise.
Oley Valley Country Classic – no report.
Kris Kringle 5 Miler — no report.
Shiver by the River 5K and 10K – (concluded for 2021 – 2022 season) – Sue Jackson – This series was the first time that the series lost money, about $2000. The runners were not registering like previous years: about 880 people total, which is about 600 less than pre-pandemic. Prices will likely have to increase. The price of the farmhouse is increasing to a non-resident rate. The current early-bird series rate is $45, and regular rate is $60. Sue may change the swag for next year to eliminate the need to pre-order of shirts in various sizes. She is open to comments, if you have any.
Jr. High Cross Country Fall Invitational – no report
Committee Reports
Social Committee: Michelle Henry
West Reading Pickleball – Michelle Henry – She is in touch with that group, and will try to coordinate an event.
Veladrome trip– Mike Whalen – still planning
Wilshire Pool – in June, run and ride from the pool location
Outdoor Yoga, Yuriko will lead the event on August 6 at 9:30, at Fawn Hill Hop Yard, Shillington
Communications Committee: Steve Vida, can arrange for any postings on our media outlets
Community Service
Weekly runs – Michelle Henry – Phil will be putting out a post on Facebook to have the WNR hosting events start in June.
Trail Maintenance – Mike Whalen – has been working on the ski slope. Report any completed maintenance done on the ski slope to Blue Marsh administration, so that the Blue Marsh can qualify for more federal funding. Sandy Kincaid from Berks Trail Works is here next month to discuss their program. Anyone using power tools, must go through the course.
May 1st, race mates needed, for Lanie’s Fashionista 5K. Contact Mike Whalen, Kris Jacoby, or Dale Weiss. Also they will be doing the Grings Mill Run, and, perhaps, doing a few Wednesday night runs in a limited capacity.
Scholarship Committee: Beth Kohl – the committee met last week and announced the following choices for scholarships. For the Pacer member scholarship – Kierra Pickard, daughter of Marshall Pickard, won; then 3 winners in the open category for cross country scholarship were chosen: Caryn Rippey (Wilson), Rachel Ulrich (Govenor Mifflin), and Grace Mangold (Wilson). Beth motioned that these 4 awards x $750 be approved. Her motion was seconded and approved. Regarding changes to the scholarships in upcoming years, the committee, after some discussion, recommended no changes to our current process and award amounts. Currently, the awards can be adjusted as needed. The committee needs a few more team members; talk to Beth, if you can help.
Membership committee: New memberships have been going ok at the membership tables opened now at all races. (We had two new members at the meeting this evening.)
Old business:
Fleet Feet is sponsoring a trail running event. Blair and Lisa D. will be there on June 6, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. There will be 3 to 4 miles of trail running. (June 5th is National Trail Day.)
Member passports for end-of-year swag are going ok. Michelle will send an email blast, and discuss at the start of the WNR.
New business
Next month, arrive at 6:45 for the meeting to hear the Kincaids about trail maintenance.
Pacer Trailer – Mike Whalen — can we move it back to the Storage World at Wyomissing Blvd. Shelves were made to fit the bins, which should be relocated. Mike has declared “No more Vaseline in the trailer.” The trailer exterior was damaged at Storage World, probably by someone backing into it. He cleaned the trailer after the last Shiver, so it looks very good right now. The AED needs the pads replaced, Mike will take care of this. The AED should not stay in the trailer.
The Pagoda Pacers Athletic Club is proud to announce and congratulate our 2022 Scholarship award winners, each of whom are Berks County high school seniors. Each winner will receive a scholarship of $750 toward their upcoming higher education plans.
The recipient of the Pacer Member scholarship is:
Kierra Pickard
Kierra Pickard, a senior at Berks Catholic High School, who plans to attend Fairfield University. Kierra is the daughter of club member Marshall Pickard and Christina DeAngelis.
The recipients of the Cross Country Runner scholarships are:
Caryn Rippey
Caryn Rippey, a senior at Wilson High School, who plans to attend Bucknell University;
Rachel Ulrich, a senior at Governor Mifflin High School, who plans to attend Misericordia University; and
Grace Mangold
Grace Mangold, a senior at Wilson High School, who plans to attend either Rider University or the University of South Carolina.
The club received applications from many very strong and deserving students, and wishes all who applied the best in their future endeavors.
All ladies are invited to join us for an after-hours shopping night with Brooks Running! A representative from Brooks will be in attendance to help feature their Run Bra line along with new apparel available in-store. Bras and apparel will be be 20% off!
Each attendee will also be entered into a raffle to win gift cards and prizes from Fleet Feet West Reading, Sly Fox, as well as other local businesses.
There will be snacks, wine, and beer available while you shop with us!
Feel free to arrive anytime between 6:00pm and 8:00pm. If you would like to reserve a time for a bra fitting with an outfitter or Brooks representative please email jason@fleetfeetwestreading.com
We will have 3 bra fitting appointments available every 15 minutes between 6:00pm-8:00pm. Otherwise, enjoy shopping at your convenience with us that evening!
THE BIG RUN 5k
On Wednesday, June 1, Global Running Day, let’s inspire the runner in everyone. Fleet Feet West Reading and Brooks will be hosting The Big Run 5k at the Union Township Recreation Area. Pretzel City Sports will be timing the event and prizes will be awarded to the top 2 males and females and the top 3 in the following age groups: 12 and under, 13-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70 and over. The awards ceremony and after party will be the Fork and Ale located across from the recreation area.
100 Campbell Ford Rd, Union Meadows Trail East, Douglassville, PA
About Fleet Feet: Committed to providing expert advice, data-driven insights, head-to-toe product solutions, and robust training programs, each Fleet Feet location serves runners based on the belief that RUNNING CHANGES EVERYTHING™. Learn more at fleetfeet.com
About Brooks Running Company: Brooks Running Company sells its performance footwear, apparel, run bras and accessories in more than 50 countries worldwide. Brooks’ purpose is to inspire everyone to run their path to a better self by creating the best gear, tools and experiences. Founded in 1914, Brooks is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and is headquartered in Seattle.
Training for a race requires planning – do you have the right gear; have you done the right type of training; and in the case of a long distance or ultra, do you have the right support team? These factors alone and combined can make a difference between a PR and a DNF.
Wednesday May 11th 7:00 PM– College Funding: Paying for college takes more than good grades! We’ll take you through different college savings tools to discuss pros and cons to make sure your kids (or your grandkids) are on the right financial path. Click Here To Register
Tuesday June 14th, 7:00 PM – Financial Planning for Women: This session is designed specifically to help empower women to understand and take charge of managing their wealth with confidence. Click Here To Register
Pagoda Pacers News 