The 2nd Shiver by the River 5K/10K is Sunday, Jan 12th, at Jim Dietrich Park, in Muhlenberg Twp. Registration opens at 8:30am; both races start at 10:00am.
If you have never run this race or maybe you haven’t run it for a few years, come out and join us! There are gallons and gallons of soup and dozens and dozens of bagels waiting for you in the farmhouse. Not to mention a chance to reconnect with runners you haven’t seen in ages!
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 arrive no later than 9:30. Look for one of the race directors somewhere around the farmhouse. Thank you in advance for your support!
Hope to see you there!!!
Sue Jackson, Kelsey Jackson, Georgine McCool, Tiffany Pantoja
The Pagoda Pacers award four outstanding high school seniors each with a $750 scholarship for their continuing education. Students are recognized for their participation and achievements in athletics, academics, and community service.
Pacer Member Scholarships – Two (2) scholarships are open to all high school seniors whose parents are current members in good standing for at least one year of the Pagoda Pacers.
XC Scholarships – Two (2) scholarships are open to all high school seniors who participated on a Berks County high school cross country team.
We run every Wednesday night–year round–at 6:15pm. Come join us. All paces welcome. No membership required.
–DECEMBER 4: Oley Valley High School, 17 Jefferson St, Oley. Post-run gathering at Bella Italia Restaurant.
–DECEMBER 11: Home Depot, 1731 Crossing Dr, Wyomissing. Run to see the lights at Gring’s Mill! Bring money to make a donation.
–DECEMBER 18: Hampden Park (near Reading High School). Christmas on the Mountain run! Bring money to make a donation! Option to climb up to the Pagoda and run along Skyline Drive.
–DECEMBER 25: Christmas run at Nolde Forest, Sawmill Parking Lot, 8:30am. No PM run.
Note: Nine club members serve on the Board of Directors, and each is elected to serve a two-year term. Five or four of the Board positions are up for election each year. The members of the Board who are currently in the middle of their terms, and will be up for re-election next year, are Larry Drogo, Tom Chobot, Sue Jackson, Jon Durand, and Matt Brophy.
The remaining Board members would like to thank outgoing Board members Phil Lechner and Ken Seale for their service to the Board and the club.
Membership dues for 2020 are due by the end of the year. $20 for a single membership. $30 for a family membership (limit to 2 adults over 21 in the same household; children under 21 are free associate members). 3 options for payment are available: PayPal, snail mail, or use RunSignUp. For the first 2 options you must go to the Pagoda Pacer website.
You can go to the Pagoda Pacer website and click on Join Now. Or use this link.
Dinner, dancing and drinks. $10 per member/$20 non-members. Don’t miss this chance to socialize and see all of your friends in something besides their sweaty running clothes.
Renew your membership (or join) by clicking HERE. You can also become a Pacer or renew your Pacer Membership at the party.
Word on social media was Target had deals on Christmas decorations where you’d get $50 back if you spent $100. This started an exchange on lights etc and made me wonder the long term impact. You see my youth crossed the time between screw-in bulbs and those first plug-in. I’m not sure if it was frugality, pride, or some generational thing, but strings of lights were not replaced without a fight.
Probably in each household, year after year there was a system to how they were put away, and when they didn’t light, you learned how electricity worked. In those strands each bulb was connected in series like a chain. If one bulb failed, the entire strand goes dark and you’d spend the afternoon swapping bulbs to find the culprit. Through this rite of passage, I may have learned much: unsafe techniques on a ladder, don’t hang lights on a holly bush, what it feels to get shocked, and a few curse words.
We try to get smarter with each passing year, and you learn to check things ahead of time. You learn taking down is as much work as hanging up. You learn to prioritize with what’s available, and most of all, you try to remember why you do it.
Hanging lights is probably the closest I’ll get to being a Race Director. I’m humbled and appreciative that the club elected me for a second term as President. I’m a realist, however, in knowing this organization functions because all the lights light. No different than the single bulbs, each member–through volunteering, participating, and promoting–does a part and the Berks area benefits.
November 10th was the 25th running of the Oley Country Classic 10-Miler and 5k. I believe over the history of the race, the Oley Youth League has benefitted something like $100,000. This is done through the hard work of Barry Goodhart, Lenny Burton, and all the Pacer volunteers. What is amazing is the entry fee is still close to the price in the 90s at only $25. As noted, I have been electrocuted, but I can’t recall even a 5k at that price where you get a competitive race, a shirt, and awards that are as impressive as the work of Maggie Gallen (Barnard). If you haven’t been, the shop at Googleworks is a great opportunity to support local artists such as Maggie.
December brings two races we host with and without festive Christmas bells and lights. The Shiver series starts Sunday, December 8th at 10 am. Time to register your first of at least 3 finishes in the series. Three weeks later, join the festivities for the Kris Kringle 5 miler Sunday, December 29th. Both of these are well organized and opportunities to stay active through the cold on the course with a bib or as a volunteer.
We’ll skip the December meeting as David Feinauer (aka Swamp) and team promise to put us all on the Naughty List with a not to be missed Christmas Party on Friday, December 6th at the Grill Fire Company. If you haven’t gotten your fill of Christmas decorating, I’m sure the team would appreciate the help with raffle prizes and decorating. I don’t believe ladders are permissible.
Last but not least, I’d like to thank Phil Lechner and Ken Seale for their time and involvement with both the Board and the Pacers’ club in general. Ken and Phil both have changes and new opportunities in their lives, which opened the board positions in which Ellie Alderfer and Karen Rule were elected.
We’re working on a Royals game for January and Walleyball for February. If we don’t see you in December, have an amazing Holiday–enjoy the lights!
A long list of runners turned out for the 2019 Harrisburg Marathon, all running in honor of Mike Ranck, who ran all previous 47 iterations of the race: Mike Zimmerman (who completed his first marathon), Laura Yoder (who won her age group and qualified for Boston), Jess Gockley (who completed her first marathon and placed 2nd in her age group and qualified for Boston), Karen Gibbons (who completed her first marathon), Brian Stones (who qualified for Boston), Rhoda Smoker, Conrad Smoker, Jon Durand, Ryan Espulgar, Donny Mengel, Dan Govern, and Brooke Schell.
It was an emotional day for all these runners, who each wore pictures of Mike on their shirts.
Brooke ran with Mike’s jacket, which he wore while finishing last year’s marathon. Fresh in her mind was the memory of Mike’s continually hopeful talk, during his treatment, that he would be able to at least walk the marathon this year.
Mike made his presence known with graffiti on a bridge near the finish.
Mike’s wife Laurie, his daughter Courtney, and his granddaughter Willow were all in attendance to see the finishers. Brooke presented Willow with Mike’s medal.
