Kris Kringle 5-Mile Run 2025—Rescheduled for Sunday, April 12

April 2, 2026 by pagodapacers

Just a reminder that our rescheduled Kris Kringle 5-Mile Run is coming up on Sunday, April 12!

We’re still looking for volunteers to help make race day a success, so if you’re available, please contact Michelle Henry at mhenry.pacers@gmail.com with your availability and preferred role. If you’re planning to run, there are still opportunities to help before or after the race as well.

If you’ve always wanted to run Kris Kringle but weren’t too excited about a December start line, this may be your best (and possibly only) chance to run it in much friendlier weather. So if you’re interested in running but haven’t registered yet—or know someone who might want to join us—online registration is open until April 6 at 11:59 PM. Be sure to sign up and help spread the word.

click to register!

Please note: because this is the 2025 race, it does not count toward the 2026 PPAC Passport.

Race Results (March ’26)

April 2, 2026 by pagodapacers

Want to see your race results in the newsletter?

Send them to newsletter editor Matt Brophy at Matthew.L.Brophy@gmail.com!

Shiver by the River #4, 10k

45:54	Nicholas DiMascio
68:51	Yuriko Beaman
68:52	Matt Brophy

Registration Open and Volunteers Needed for “Girls on the Run” at Penn State Berks on May 16!

April 2, 2026 by pagodapacers

Girls on the Run Berks is excited to announce that registration for our Spring 5K Celebration at Penn State Berks is now open!

Join us on Saturday, May 16, at 8 a.m. as we celebrate a joyful and meaningful season with the girls in our program. This end-of-season event is a powerful moment where participants experience the confidence and accomplishment that come from setting and achieving a goal.

We are also looking for volunteers to help make this event a memorable experience for everyone involved. Opportunities include course marshals, cheer squads, and more—each role plays an important part in creating a positive and encouraging atmosphere along the course.

Interested in volunteering? Sign up here:
https://www.pinwheel.us/r/irmSBJj

We look forward to having you join us as we support and celebrate the girls in our community as they discover joy, confidence, and strength through running.

Next Membership Meeting: 4/9/26

April 2, 2026 by pagodapacers

Tobias Frogg Berks
2613 Hampden Blvd, Reading, PA 19604
Food at 6:30 PM | Meeting at 7:00 PM

Come early, grab a drink, stay after—it’s easy to chat, catch up, and socialize as a club before and after business. And if you need to skidaddle right after the meeting, that’s OK too.

Please remember to RSVP no later than Sunday, April 5!

Here’s your April RSVP link: https://forms.gle/EKmSaf1njUN6e5vB6

Minutes from the Monthly Meeting (March 12, 2026)

April 2, 2026 by pagodapacers

Pagoda Pacer A.C. Monthly Membership Meeting

Thursday, March 12th, 2026

Tobias Frogg: 2613 Hampden Blvd. Reading

Michelle Henry presided

Jennifer Pierdomenico recorded minutes

26 members in attendance

CALL TO ORDER at 7:00 pm

Minutes from the February meeting were accepted as posted.

REPORTS

Treasurer Report (Shaun Luther)

Balance is $81,440 which is ~95% of target
Shiver expenses make up 99% of past month’s payments
Starting to get in Run for the Ages & Blues Cruise registrations
Club taxes to be filed by next meeting.

Scholarship Committee (Katie Beane)

Total of 11 applications have been received, and the committee will meet next week to determine scholarship recipients.
- Club members 4
- Non-club members 7

Social Updates

Wine & Cheese (Lisa Domeshek)
- Saturday September 26^th
Bike Ride (Michelle & Caroline)
- Narrowing down dates and have final date next month.

Kris Kringle (Lisa Domeshek)

Race is set for Sunday 4/12 and volunteer sign-up sheet passed around during the meeting. Contact Michelle or Lisa if you want to volunteer. Set-up will occur on race day this time (rather than the day prior).

South Mountain ThrowDown Lite (Brandon Beane)

Ultra signup is now active (South Mountain ThrowDown Lite* – April 25, 2026)
Ten hour event and is priced at $15 starting at 9AM (2.5mile loop)

OLD BUSINESS

NEW BUSINESS

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Healthy Kids Running Series looking for volunteers. Information can be found at this link: Healthy Kids Running Series Spring 2026 – Reading, PA

Gift of Life Donor Bash on April 26^th. Information can be found at this link:

29th Annual Gift of Life Donor Dash – Campaign

MEETING ADJOURNED at 8:12 pm

South Mountain ThrowDown Lite*

April 2, 2026April 2, 2026 by pagodapacers

This year we’re keeping it simple on purpose. Think of this as a grassroots test run for something bigger. We have the property, we have the loop, and we want to test it out on a smaller scale before rolling out a full 24-hour event next year.

For the 2026 Lite* version—scheduled for Saturday, April 25—you’ll have 10 hours to stack loops on a short, repeatable course featuring one honest climb per loop. Run one lap, run all day, come to chase vert, or just hang in the woods with friends.

While this won’t be a full-blown event, we will have aid available. $15 covers property use, basic aid, and logistics. No awards. No frills. Just dirt, vert, and good people.

Come help us build the foundation for next year’s 24-hour South Mountain ThrowDown

click to register!

The Course

The loop utilizes South Mountain YMCA’s Peak Side trails, consisting of a mix of dirt, grass, and gravel trails. The course starts at the old carriage house and winds through the woods on dirt and grass trails before arriving to one substantial climb that ends at the Cushion Peak overlook. From the overlook, runners will have a meandering gravel road to follow back down to the old fountain steps and the start/finish. The total loop is approximately 2.5 miles with 660 feet of climb.

Race Day & Other Details

This year’s event will take place on Saturday, April 25 and is limited to 100 runners.

Check in: 8 am
Runners off: 9 am

Runners must finish the final lap before the 7PM finish time in order for the lap to count.

Spectators are welcome, and there will be space at the start/finish for pop-ups and crews. Those not racing can cheer on their friends and family, walk up to the Cushion Peak overlook, or enjoy a round of frisbee golf. Pacers will not be permitted for this year’s event.

Also… no camping this year; however, it is in the plans for the future 24-hour event.

36th Shiver by the River Recap

April 2, 2026 by pagodapacers

The 36th Shiver by the River is complete!!!! We had 713 finishers throughout the 4 races, with 162 runners completing the series. In looking at all of the months, our fastest runners for the series were 5K: Aiden Igielski (17:32, January race); Ty Diaz-Cruz (19:29, March race); and 10K: Jonathan Thrush (32:02, December make-up race); Ty Diaz-Cruz (41:57, January race). We thank every runner and volunteer who joined us! We are always appreciative of everyone that joins us, but this series was difficult, with the December race postponed for a few weeks and an arctic blast in Feb. We can’t thank you enough for your support. Runners remember, though; it’s on those terrible weather days that you get the best finish place!!!!

In March we had 147 5K runners and 57 10K runners. Congratulations to the top M/F 5K runners, Charles Fries (17:50) and Ty Diaz-Cruz (19:29); and the top 10K M/F runners, David Hitesman (37:40) and Stephanie Bender (42:44).

Results for each race, plus the series results, can be found on pagodapacers.com. Awards that were not picked up at the banquet are at Fleet Feet (705 Penn Ave, West Reading) and can be picked up any time during normal business hours until April 10^th.

Special thanks to Elaine & Alan Cook, and Michael Whalen, who brought the Pacer trailer to the races. This is such a huge help!!!

As always, THANK YOU to all the Pacers who participated either by running, volunteering, or both! We sincerely appreciate all of our volunteers, whether you helped us at one race or every race, whether you have helped us for years, or whether this was the first time you volunteered for Shiver. Everyone was so willing to do whatever was needed to make this series another success! I don’t want to mention specific names for fear of forgetting someone, but volunteers, you know who you are, and runners, you know who they are – you see so many of the same volunteers parking cars, at the water stop, at the same registration table, at the same intersection, or inside the farmhouse supplying soup, pretzels, and various snacks. THANK YOU!!!!!!!

The awards ceremony was again held at the Temple Fire Company, in Muhlenberg Township. THANK YOU to the following for the donation of door prizes:

Redner’s

Fleet Feet

Joanne Patti

Victor Emmanuel

Rose Hagy

Pretzel City Sports

Tom Sturgis

Alecia Bradley

Tiffany Pantoja

Judy Anttonen

Yuriko Beaman

Donna Hey

Aaron Kreider

THANK YOU to our sponsors:

Dieffenbach’s

Thank you to Fleet Feet not only for their door prize donations, but they also donated Gift Cards to our overall Male/Female winners.

Please contact Sue Jackson at shiverdirector@pagodapacers.com if any door prize donors were missed.

If anyone has any comments, concerns, or questions concerning the series, please contact one of the race directors. We value your input, and we read the surveys, making modifications when possible.

We have already begun preparations for next year. Jim Dietrich Park is reserved for the 2^nd Sunday in Dec, Jan, Feb and March; and Temple Fire Co is reserved for the 2^nd Sunday in March. We’ve started conversations about swag for next year. We hope to see everyone next year, and bring a friend!!!!!!!

Sue, Georgine & Tiffany