This month’s Away Game will take us to the crown jewel of Philadelphia’s park system: Wissahickon Valley Park!
We’ll meet at the Wigard Avenue Trailhead, off Henry Ave in Roxborough (not too far from Dallesandro’s Steaks!) at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 16 for a casual, group run of about 10-12 miles (with shorter options for those who want to do less).
Post-run lunch spot and route will be announced on the Facebook event, where you can also post other questions, carpooling requests, etc.
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!)
May 6: Shillington Park (meet by the pool) — post-run to follow at Paolo’s
May 13: Rustic Park—post-run to follow at Italian Delite
The Pagoda Pacers Athletic Club is proud to announce and congratulate its 2026 scholarship award winners, each of whom is a Berks County high school senior. Each winner will receive a scholarship of $1,000 toward their upcoming higher education plans.
Two scholarships are open to all high school seniors whose parents are current members and in good standing for at least one year of the Pagoda Pacers.
The recipients of the 2026 Member scholarships are:
Katelyn Wagner, a senior at Oley Valley High School
Kyle Padilla, a senior at Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School
Two scholarships are open to all high school seniors who participated on a Berks County high school’s cross-country team.
The recipients of the 2026 Cross Country scholarships are:
Hannah Houp, a senior at Oley Valley High School
Daniel Shank, a senior at Daniel Boone Area High School
The club received applications from many very strong and deserving students. We wish all who applied the best in their future endeavors.
The Scholarship Committee members are Beth Kohl, Cathy Unruh, Sue Jackson, Karen Rule, Curtis Musser, and Katie Beane. If you are interested in joining the Scholarship Committee, please contact scholarshipcoordinator@pagodapacers.com.
This is the end of the May ’26 Newsletter.Continue scrolling if you would like to view older content.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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 26th
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).
This month’s Away Game will feature the iconic “Baby Buzzard” course, north of Hershey. This is the most challenging group run that we do each year: 16 tough miles in the mountains with a ton of climbing and a “non-trivial” water crossing. Bring nutrition, hydration, first aid, and a sense of adventure.
We’ll meet at the Buzzard Trailhead at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 18.
Ambitious runners who want to tackle the Full Buzzard Marathon course (at their own risk) are welcomed to start with us as long as they are comfortable navigating the course on their own.
Post-run lunch spot will be at Snitz Creek Brewey in Annville. Follow the Facebook event for updates, carpooling requests, etc.
Pagoda Pacers News 