** Please let us know if you will attend, so we can plan for food.**
We submit a headcount on the Monday before the meeting. You can mark yourself “Going” to the FB event, comment on the event, or contact president@pagodapacers.com.
Join Fleet Feet West Reading for their 7th annual Teddy Bear Trot!
The Teddy Bear Trot is the perfect blend of running and giving back to our community. All participants are asked to bring a brand NEW Teddy Bear to the event. Participants then join us as we run the bears to Opportunity House in Reading for them to use in their Learning Center.
The run will start and finish at Sly Fox’s Event Venue which is behind the Sly Fox Wyomissing Taphouse. This is not a race, but rather a social group run to give back to our community. Walkers are welcome and there will be a shorter route that is just over 2 miles for anyone who doesn’t wish to complete the 4 mile loop.
The proceeds for this event will be donated to Opportunity House as they continue to serve our unhoused community. Additional monetary donations will be accepted at the event and will be given to Opportunity House to support their endeavors. Non-perishable food items and blankets will also be collected at the start of the run at Sly Fox.
Everyone will have a chance to wear/test Karhu shoes, an exclusive Fleet Feet product. Karhu is the Finnish word for “Bear,” making their brand a perfect partner for this event!
Runners will be sent to Opportunity House to make donations in 3 groups. Groups will depart at 10:00, 10:10, and 10:15 to donate the teddy bears. Please take a look at the pace ranges for each group and sign up for the time that best suits your abilities. The goal is to get to the Opportunity House at the same time to give them the bears and for a group photo. The group will then continue on the 4-mile loop. Those who wish can backtrack back to Sly Fox making the run/walk a little over 2 miles total. There will be group leaders to help direct the runners/walkers.
Our mid-week group runs have at least two different distance options (3-4 miles and 5-6 miles) with an appointed leader for at least one of the two routes. Each run will have its own Facebook “event,” and the routes will be posted a couple days before the run. After each run, those who can will stick around for food, drink, and good conversation, either at a nearby restaurant or a club member’s residence. Come for the run; stay (if you can) for the fellowship. (If you don’t have time to stick around, no worries–just come run with us!)
January 1: New Year’s Day MORNING Run at Nolde Forest, 8:30 a.m. (Mansion Lot–must exit lot by 9:45 a.m.) — NO EVENING RUN
Fun Fact: The Perkiomen Creek has its source in Berks County. Perhaps that’s why there’s a Perkiomen Ave in Reading, Mt Penn, and Exeter, even though the Perky doesn’t merge with Schuylkill for many more miles.
After leaving Berks, the Perkiomen winds its way through MontCo to the luscious Green Lane Reservoir.
We, too, will leave Berks this January and make our way to the “Rue de Vert,” where we will run loops (or at least one loop) around the Perky waters.
Interested? Note the (im)pertinent information below:
Routes with exact mileage and elevation will be posted on the Pagoda Pacers Facebook Event Page. The long route from this location is typically about 12 miles, but there will be options for a shorter route.
We will also go out for lunch after the run–location TBD.
Fun Fact: Perkiomen comes from the Lenni Lenape term Pakihm Unk, meaning “cranberry place.”
The next Pagoda Pacer Weekend 10-Miler is going to be FIRE!
(Too soon?)
Join our group run at 9:30 a.m. at Trout Run Sports Complex (950 W Neversink Rd, Reading) on Sunday, January 26. We’ll run along the Exeter Scenic River Trail over to the Neversink Mountain Preserve and eventually make our way back
In addition to the full 10-mile route, there will be options for shorter distances.
We will also meet up for lunch afterwards, if you have time to stick around (location TBD).
Check our Facebook Events page closer to the date of the run to see a preview of the route.
The first Shiver of the ’24-’25 series is in the books! As always, we thank the volunteers and the runners who came out to support us!!! The volunteers and runners make this race a success!!! 150 runners completed the 5k, with 65 completing the 10k. Results are posted on our website and Pretzel City Sports’ website. 1st male and female in the 5k were Glen Heck (16:25) and Brittney Miller (20:06). In the 10k, our 1st male and female finishers were Brendan Shearn (33:54) and Cheryl Kundek (48:46).
Now we are ready to move onto race #2 on Sunday, Jan 12th. We need RUNNERS!!!! We need VOLUNTEERS!!!!!
If you have never run this race, or if you haven’t run it for a few years, come out and join us and maybe reconnect with runners you haven’t seen in ages! The race is at Jim Dietrich Park, in Muhlenberg Twp. Registration opens at 8:30 a.m.; both races start at 10:00 a.m.
Please remember to only complete the registration form ONCE during the series. As we have done in the past, we will have 3 separate areas for registration. I know you have all heard this before, but trust me, we will still have runners (including Pacers) who will complete a form for each race. We calculate the series results by bib#, so each runner will have the same bib# each month. Obviously if a runner completes more than 1 application, he/she will have more than 1 bib#.
Pre-Registration is in the front room (for those runners who have paid for the entire series).
For those runners who are paying for each race individually, and who ran in December, registration is in the 2nd room, at the table marked “Post-Registration Single Race Entry.” We have a number with a label with your name. No need to complete a new registration form. If you do, there is the potential of being recognized as a different runner when it comes time to calculate the series results. If any information needs to be changed, just let them know when you get your number; no need to complete a registration form with the changed information.
For those runners who have not registered for the 2024-2025 Shiver, registration is in the 2nd room at the table marked “Post Registration.” When completing the registration form, if you have paid for the series, please circle YES; otherwise, we will expect you to pay again at the remaining races.
A few other notes.
On the registration form, we ask for your email address, so that you will be included in any future emails we send regarding the remaining races for this series and for future series. We ask for your mailing address so that applications for future races can be mailed to you. It is certainly your choice as to whether you provide us with either or both of these, but it does help with keeping our runners in the loop.
Because of the rental agreement we have for the farmhouse, requiring us to leave the farmhouse by noon, runners who complete their first loop in over 40 minutes will NOT be allowed to go out for the 2nd loop.
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 plan to arrive no later than 9:30. To help us with volunteer assignments, we prefer that volunteers contact us prior to race day. If you have not already talked to one of us, please reach out to Georgine at Facebook or Instagram or gmmccool56@comcast.net.
Applications are still being accepted for two different cross-country scholarships being offered by the Pagoda Pacers Athletic Club (PPAC).
High school seniors are encouraged to apply for a scholarship as a cross-country runner or as the child of a PPAC member who is in good standing with the club.
Two of each scholarship type will be awarded. Please refer to the PPAC Scholarship page for details.
Around 9am Saturday, Brandon parked his car in a nearby development, and we walked approximately .75 miles to the start of the Historic Brandywine Trail. Neither of us had run any of this previously, but we knew we were looking for white blazes. The beginning part of the trail was well marked and we got through the first few miles with very little trouble.
Our spouses (shout out to Katie and Mark!) generously agreed to crew for us, and they first met us around mile 11 with water and more food. The beginning portion of this route was predominately road, and, while Brandon and I prefer more trail, it was relatively easy to navigate. We did second-guess ourselves a few times, but we didn’t have any major issues until we got to a section of trail with a sign indicating the trail was permanently closed; we followed another trail that closely paralleled the original and did not have to deviate very far.
Shortly thereafter, we met our spouses at another “aid station” around mile 18 and continued on our way. Again, following white blazes at this point was easy, although around mile 20 we noticed that there was a slight discrepancy between the blazes and what was shown in the .gpx file. Another slight re-route occurred about 2 miles later, when we got to another section that was posted as “Closed from October-January due to deer season.” We were able to skirt around the section by following the road and linking back up with the original trail maybe half a mile later.
We came to our third “aid station” at the Pocopson Post Office/Ace Hardware/Veterinarian around mile 25, grabbed some more water and food and were on our way. This section proved to be the most difficult in terms of navigation and terrain. Around mile 30 we came to a part of trail that should have been an easy crossing of the Brandywine Creek by way of a bridge; however, the bridge was under construction, aka non-existent. We spent several minutes trying to find a good spot to cross the creek; fortunately we found a spot that wasn’t very deep, but we did have to backtrack a bit in order to do so.
After the bridge debacle, we continued on, and once again the route was a balance of pavement, gravel road, and single track, but the blazes were placed much more sporadically, and the trail was not well maintained. This led to a lot of time spent consulting the .gpx of the route, bushwhacking, and second guessing whether or not we really were in the right spot. Around mile 32 we encountered our biggest navigational error of the day, when we missed a faded blaze that indicated we should have turned right. We ran along a gravel road for about half a mile before realizing our blunder and needing to backtrack. At some point we crossed into Delaware, although there was no line indicating that (or fanfare) as I had hoped.
Eventually we found Katie and Mark at our fourth and final aid station around mile 32. At this point, we knew we were only a few miles from the end and it was getting dark, so we grabbed the bare necessities and kept moving.
We hammered as best as one can after 35+ miles and eventually found ourselves in Brandywine Creek State Park around sunset. We were happy with our efforts but after 38.5 ish miles we were also really happy to meet Katie and Mark at the car and call it a day.
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