Have you noticed that the leaves are falling already? The dry weather we are experiencing is prematurely kick-starting autumn. I would ask you to “do a rain dance” and buy us time to extend foliage season until November 5 when the 28th Annual Oley Valley Country Classic 10-Mile and 5k Run will take place, but I just don’t think there is anything we can do to ameliorate the effects of this drought. As much as we love sunshine and the hot weather, the lack of rain has made an impact on what a beautiful Pennsylvania fall season can look like. We will hope for the best! Don’t let this be an excuse for not running Oley this year. This event is going to be great weather or not (see what I did there); the leaves will still be hanging on to their beautiful crimson, orange, and yellow colors, shining against the backdrop of a never-ending blue sky…or we’ll have bare-naked winter trees against that same sky.
The race begins and ends at the Oley Fairgrounds in Oley, PA. There is plenty of parking at the Fairgrounds, and the indoor (and outdoor) facilities provide ample space for pre-race camaraderie and post-race commiserating. (Or the other way around??) The venue is really a comfortable place to host a race. We look forward to seeing you come hang out for the morning and run a 10-mile loop or our “junior” Oley Valley 5k, which is a great course too! The rolling-hill, 10-mile course does take you past some pretty farm country, and you may grab a glimpse of some cows or horses, the occasional hen, maybe a cat, dog, squirrel, or beaver. The sights are amazing, so look around and take in all the nature.
Four aid stations will line the course with water and Gatorade, all sponsored by the RRCA (Road Runners Club of America). This year’s event has been recognized as part of the RRCA Eastern Regional Championship Series, which means extra hardware for the fastest and by age group.
The proceeds from this event will benefit the Oley Ambulance Association and the Pagoda Pacers Scholarship fund. We also want to thank our sponsors: Grand View Financial Partners, Fleetwood Footcare, and Gallen Insurance for their generosity.
This year’s awards will be provided by local glass artist Maggie Gallen. Race shirts will be provided by Sneaker Villa, and all your potato chips will be provided by Dieffenbachs—one potato two potato!
There will also be post-race soup and “too-late” carb-loading after the race, along with the awards presentation.
Event timing provided by Pretzel City Sports!
If you prefer not to run the event, please reach out to a race director for a volunteer position. We need plenty of help on this day! Our race directors are Len Burton (leonardeburton@gmail.com) Barry Goodhart (barrygoodhart@gmail.com)
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