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.
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!)
If you love hard trail races that have an unreasonable ratio of vert to distance, with tons of rocks and water crossings, and climbs/descents that lack any logical amount of switchbacks, and which would USUALLY be very muddy (just not in the 2024 season), then you’ve already found the PA Trail Dogs and their epic races.
Like a lot of us, I crave a training goal that scares me and horrifies my non-runner friends. Struggling to train for ultras due to my cranky knees, I went with more races at a shorter distance. I’ve run a number of Rocksylvania races, so I was familiar with the trail series and its scoring, and intrigued by the idea of trying to complete the full slate at a sub-ultra distance. The races vary from 4 miles to 50K, and there are 5 divisions, 4 of them shorter than ultra distance. April Zimmerman advised me that while ALL of the races are beautiful and hard, the 25Ks are possibly the best sampling of Rocksylvania running. There are 8 races in the 25K Granite Division. Here’s a link to the Trail Series page: https://www.patraildogs.com/rocksylvaniaseries
Race #1: Hyner Trail Challenge
The first race in the series was the Hyner Challenge in April. I had run the 50K twice, and this was my second go at the 25K. It is a huge event with 1,000 runners in the 25 and another 400 in the 50, so unlike the rest of the series, it’s very crowded for a lot of the run. I knew I hadn’t trained on hills enough, but I felt sure I could finish, and once school was over (forever since I was retiring), I’d be able to train properly. Ha! The climbs at Hyner are outrageous and the views breathtaking. There’s a wonderful sense of community in running a race with so many participants, which we don’t get so much in trail running. The race starts and ends with about a mile of road to thin the pack. Then there’s a huge climb to Hyner View lookout over the Susquehanna, followed by 2 more monster climbs including the infamous SOB hill for a total of about 4,500 feet of vert, and some tricky descents.
The after-party is a joyful celebration of our sport! ALL of these races have great after-parties, but of course the others are smaller. The weather was unusually nice for April, so lots of people hung out for hours after finishing. Hey, I love running ultras, but there is no denying how very much more fun the after party is when you get there much sooner and without having completely depleted your reserves!
Race #2: Slate Run
Slate Run, in early June, is one of the hardest but also most beautiful of the series. I had signed up twice before, but circumstances had prevented me from toeing the line. I had run the course with Joanne Van Horn and Pete Groth in the past, so I knew what to expect. This was the only race that I went up and back day-of, because of an overcrowded family schedule. That was doable since my husband, Alan, drove, but not ideal. And that’s one of the big challenges in racing these series: it’s most comfortable to spend 2 nights in the area, so time and cost can be factors.
Slate Run has a half-marathon and a 25K, all starting together. You begin and end with about 2 miles of rail trail. All the rest is pretty challenging single track! Like most of the races, it was longer than 25K–a free bonus of 1.5 miles. (According to my GPS, the races in the series varied from just under 15 miles to 18 miles.) There are 2 massive climbs, totaling almost 3,000 feet of vert, and the downs are treacherous. The wildflowers were beautiful, and many runners saw a timber rattlesnake on course, but sadly I missed it! This was the first race I ran with poles, in hopes of giving a little relief to my knees on the descents. I was glad to have them, but after this race, I bought a quiver and kept my poles put away until the pack thinned out a couple hours in. No one likes poles waving around when runners are bunched! My apologies to those near me early on in this race. Another fun after-party, and Pine Creek right there for a post-race cold plunge.
Race #3: Sharp Top
I heard a rumor that this race at the end of June will be discontinued for next season, so I’m glad I got to run it. They had a 50K also (I was truly relieved to make the turn to 25K at the split!) There is a primitive campground at the start/finish, but we had a graduation party in NJ right after the race, so we stayed in Williamsport Friday night rather than bringing the camper.
The worst thing about this one was the parking. We have an SUV, but had driven our sedan to the race. The last couple miles to get there were gravel and the parking was just a field which mostly wasn’t mowed. It was rainy, too, so everything was muddy and rutted. I know Alan expected to need a tow to leave (we didn’t). The race was pretty runnable, and “only” 2,600 feet in about 18 miles–and I missed a flag and ran some extra (my fault, markings were good). I had my poles, but never got them out. Lots of Jeep-road type stuff and nice single-track, not especially rocky. I had one hard fall early on, probably because it was warm and misty/rainy, so my glasses were constantly fogged up. Speaking of fog, the big overlook was completely socked in, so no vista (see photo below), but the misty woods were spookily gorgeous. This race had especially good food and beer afterward, and in spite of the rain and mud the atmosphere was friendly and festive. If it is not discontinued, I would go back, but in the SUV!
Race #4: Cook Forest
Cook Forest in mid-August has only the 25K distance. It is the farthest drive, so we camped for four nights in the modern campground at the state park, where the race is held. We’ve been to this park several times now, and it was my second time running the race. We both thought the area has really improved as a tourist destination in terms of restaurants, breweries, and a rail trail nearby. Cook Forest is famous for old growth trees, AND it has lots of mushrooms, so: my kinda place! The race has a beautiful course, very smooth trails for Rocksylvania, and the least vert (2,200 feet in 17.5 miles) of the series. The only negative is a couple of miles of actual road in the middle, but that gave Alan an easy spectator spot.
There were lots of yellow jackets this year. I didn’t get stung, but several runners around me did, and I ran scared of them for a lot of the race. I’ve seen at least one trail race canceled because of them this summer! It was super humid, but the course winds through old growth trees, follows creeks and the Clarion River, and climbs to the famous fire tower. It is one of my favorite trail races ever. We had a really fun camping trip too, full of gravel riding and hiking and breweries, as the rest of the teachers and students went back to school.
Race #5: Boulder Beast
Boulder Beast in mid-September also has a 25-mile distance, which I did some years ago and loved, but this year I was happy to turn toward 25K at the split. Almost 3 miles of road at the start and finish in Lock Haven, so you’d think with only 10 miles of trail it would be fairly quick…but the boulder field mile took me 49 minutes, so, no!
3,100 feet of vert, 3 main climbs, all hard. The boulder field is intense! I love this race once it’s over, but I’m actually kind of scared on the boulders. They go on for a VERY long time, and it’s crazy steep. After that, normal Rocksylvania stuff until the road. Very beautiful course. The after-party is great, and there are hot showers! It was great to truly clean up before relaxing with tasty food and beer. This is probably one of the best ones for camping, conveniently located right at the start/finish.
Race #6: Green Monster
The Green Monster in mid-October has three distances: 15K, 25K, or 50K. The RD writes hilarious email updates and FB posts, which are a hoot. It’s in the cute town of Wellsboro, so we camped nearby for 3 nights. The race has on-site dry camping, but no amenities, and it rained. I know, right? During a truly historic summer drought, almost all my 25Ks were wet, and THIS baby was a true soaker! Some utter badass spent the night in a sleeping bag on the ground with just a tarp folded over top, and it was a monsoon! Anyway, 3,700 feet of vert, 5 major climbs, and finishing with a scary downhill called Frankenstein’s Forehead. I was dreading this the WHOLE TIME because I remembered it from running the 50K 5 years earlier, and being terrified back then on a completely dry day. The course is just beautiful: lots of running along creeks and sweet singletrack. On this day, it was very muddy and slippery–drenched from the start.
Finally, I was approaching Frankenstein’s Forehead. The rain had picked up. It was hard to see with my glasses. As I neared the last AS, it began to thunder and lightning in earnest. I expected to be held, and I knew I’d be frozen if I wasn’t moving, but also NO WAY would they send us down the Forehead in this weather! Just as I got there, a volunteer arrived in a jeep with beer for the AS workers, filling them with joy and distracting them from closing the course. Or maybe they never intended to! I don’t know. I rolled right through there with a couple of other runners in the 15K, and down we went! After a few minutes, we were all just whooping and sliding. Lightning crashed over and over and the rain was pouring down. Before I knew it, I was at the bottom–much less scary than I remembered. I gotta stop dwelling on my fears and just run through them! The rest of the way was largely under a couple of inches of water on a beautiful trail following a creek. Extra good swag for this one and super food and beer.
Race #7: Call of the Wilds
Wilds was only a week after Green Monster, in late October: the 2 hardest courses, back-to-back. It has a 50K as well, which I’ve run twice (my 2 slowest ever 50Ks). The 50K starts in the dark, so I was grateful to begin in sunlight. It was the first cold start of the season for me, but it turned into a hot and perfect fall day. 4,600 feet of vert, 3 huge climbs, stunning fall color, crazy rock formations, and vistas and vistas and vistas.
The most nuts climb is called Torbert. Ugh. Glad when THAT’S over! Fun after-party, and I finally met Nancy, the woman I’d been challenging for the lead in our age group. I was ahead only because she’d missed one race, but she was gaining hard with one race to go. Sadly, she rolled her ankle badly at Wilds, and couldn’t run the final race.
Race #8: The View
The View, in early November, also has a 15K, and it is very similar to Hyner. By this point, I was toast. The Rocksylvania season is concentrated in the fall, and I’d also coached cross-country for the first time and taken a few other trips, and I was just plain tired. No injuries, just that little whisper your tendons give you when you’re not in your 20s anymore and in fact you’re barely still in your 50s, but you’ve been trying to do epic shit anyway.
Thank goodness this was the shortest one–I got under 15 miles–but there was still 3,600 feet of vert and a hefty dose of rocks. You start and finish with about a mile of road, and honestly I knew in that first mile I was in for a suffer-fest. I got cocky and didn’t give my body the rest it needed in the weeks before the race. So I had a long slow day on those trails and tried to savor the views and the trail camaraderie and enjoy a final epic trail race. The climb to the View at Hyner (first photo), SOB (below), the endless jeep road on the ridge, done. Mission accomplished! Great after-party and a very satisfying feeling of accomplishment!
Rocksylvania Trail Series Awards Party
The season wraps up with an awards party at New Trail Brewing in Williamsport for the top 3 finishers in each age group in each division. Here’s another event I don’t think I could have managed if I hadn’t retired, but wow it was fun! I had the absolute pleasure to meet several other runners during the series, and it was very nice to sit with them for a few hours when we weren’t sweaty and exhausted.
The swag was super, and plenty of pizza and beer. I set out to try to earn the coveted Rocksylvania jacket, but there were lots of other goodies in the swag. Trail Dogs do it right! I can’t say enough about this series, IF you want to run super hard, crazy vert, gorgeous trails!
A few tips if you want to check out the Rocksylvania Trail Series:
Some of the races fill fast (especially Hyner, which opens almost a year ahead and fills right away!)
If you are bringing spectators, generally they can partake in the food, too, if they make a donation, or, in some cases, purchase a meal ticket in advance. Check to be sure, though, because usually other food options are not very close, and a hangry crew spoils your post race glow!
Many of the races offer free or cheap dry camping nearby.
I’ve always considered the Wednesday Night Run to be a core component of the Pagoda Pacers’ identity. I think it is a primary means of drawing new members into the club. During the last 3 years, we have consistently provided leaders for both a long and short route at the Wednesday Night Run. This was an attempt to accommodate different ability levels and create a welcoming environment for new runners.
Starting in 2025, we won’t be able to provide the same level of attention. I’d like to highlight these changes:
We will continue to post a map for a long and short route each week. I will continue to lead the longer route, but we won’t always have a guaranteed leader for the short route. Week-to-week we’ll manage with whoever is in attendance.
I’ve had some requests to mix in new locations for WNR. If you have any ideas for new routes, please let me know. Maybe it’s your go-to loop near your home. Give some consideration to adequate parking at the start, as well as manageable traffic and visibility along the route.
Please don’t ask me “Where’s Matt?” at an upcoming WNR. It’s still too soon.
If you would like to see your race results in an upcoming newsletter post, please e-mail Matthew.L.Brophy@gmail.com and I will be sure to include them.
** 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.
