Tag: Races

Letter from the President re: Fate of Gring’s Mill Race

by pagodapacers

At the upcoming October monthly meeting, I will make a motion to discontinue the club’s Gring’s Mill race. If you want to participate in the debate and vote, please attend on October 10.

The current race director is moving from the area. This prompted discussion at the last Board of Directors’ meeting, and a recommendation to bring the issue before the club for a vote. The size of the club has decreased over the last decade. This action is intended to reduce the commitments of the club and avoid overextending our race directors and volunteers.

** 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.

Mohnton Fire Company Social Quarters
100 E. Summit ST
Mohnton, PA 19540
https://goo.gl/maps/fukZK8BEGAsXUjDv5

The meeting is upstairs. Enter the front door and the stairs are on your left. No need to ring the buzzer for entry.

Food and drink at 6:30pm
Meeting starts at 7:00pm

All members welcome. Members are responsible for purchasing their own beverages.

Steve

president@pagodapacers.com

30th Annual Oley Valley Country Classic Just a Month Away

by pagodapacers

Coming Sunday, November 3, 2024, at 9 a.m.—the 30th running of the Oley Valley Country Classic—10 Mile and 5k PLUS (more on that later) races, and new this year, the “Croc-O-Mile”—a one mile run in Crocs!!

THE OVCC will start and end at the Oley Valley High School!  Registration will be indoors including bathroom facilities for pre- and post-run gathering.

We are going with a long sleeve shirt this year, with a super cool Pagoda / Hex sign logo—the design  looks awesome!

Watch our Facebook and Instagram for updates.

To guarantee your shirt, sign up by October 18. We will have some extras for race-day registration.  
Sign up today at: https://runsignup.com/Race/PA/Oley/30thAnnuaOleyValleyCountryClassic10Mile5KSaturdayNovember3rd

This event is also an RRCA Eastern Regional Championship, and a great place to run a PR, on this smooth, rolling hills course.

Munchiez Food Truck will be on site cooking up their menu. The Pagoda Pacers will also have light post-race fare available.  

Run your best 10M and finish on the track of the Oley Valley High School!

The 5K–for safety’s sake–has measured out to 3.25 miles. I’m sorry, but with the race location this year and the rural area, we are limited on road choices and the best loop we have devised is a little bit longer than your typical 3.1.  It’s really in the best interest unless you want to run up a gigantic hill or evade traffic on a road that’s not-the-best for a race. The roads we are using are the best for the safety of our runners.  

Croc-O-Mile: I think this is the funniest idea! Run your best in Crocs (or equivalent) on the Oley High School Track. Sign up in advance or on race day for this no frills fun run in your favorite rubber shoe! Only $5!  

We are actively looking for volunteers to help us make this race go smoothly. Please click on the link below if you are interested in volunteering:

https://runsignup.com/Race/Volunteer/PA/Oley/30thAnnuaOleyValleyCountryClassic10Mile5KSaturdayNovember3rd

OR reach out to a race director to let them know of your availability.  leonardeburton@gmail.com or barrygoodhart@gmail.com

 See you in Oley on November 3!

Tank Tops to Shiver In

by pagodapacers

Dates:  2nd Sunday:  Dec 8th, Jan 12th, Feb 9th, March 9th  

Time:  10:00 am; Registration opens at 8:30

Location:  Jim Dietrich Park, Muhlenberg Twp.

Come out and join us for the best winter series in the area!! If you have never run a Shiver race, or if it’s been a few years, this is a great reason for running through the winter, not to mention seeing runners you haven’t seen for years! If you are one of the many runners we see year after year, we look forward to seeing you again.  

Online registration, for the series is open and can be found at www.pretzelcitysports.com.    

Once again, we are not mailing apps!  However, we will accept mail-in registrations.  Apps can be printed from www.pagodapacers.com, or they can be picked up at any of the many races timed by Pretzel City Sports. Pre-registration is only available for the series; however, we will have race-day registration for both the series and individual races.   

This year’s swag is a tank top in both women’s and men’s sizes.  Great colors!!!!   

 

Each race includes a post-race buffet of soup, pretzels, and snacks. End-of-year party includes a hot and cold buffet, plus lots and lots of door prizes, overall awards, and 5-year age-group awards.  As always, this buffet is free to any runner who registers for the series or runs at least 3 races. There is a nominal charge for all others.

Come out and join us for our 35th season!!!!!!

Race Directors,

Sue Jackson, Georgine McCool, Tiffany Pantoja

Blues Cruise Is This Sunday (10/6/24)!

by pagodapacers


The Blues Cruise race date is nearly here: Sunday, October 6, 2024!

As we enter race week, there are many tasks to be completed. If you wish to volunteer, please sign up at https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=112917.    

If you are unable to use the sign-up page, please contact Elaine Cook directly. On the sign-up page, you can choose a task or allow Elaine (our volunteer coordinator and race director) to help you find a fun job that fits your time frame. 

*** We do need 1 or more persons to conduct a course check (usually on bike, but horses are ok also) early on race day.***   

For those that use the trails at Blue Marsh, please email bluescruiserd@gmail.com if you see any areas with trees down, or areas that need to be mowed/weed-whacked.

If anyone is on the trail after the race, please remove any of the pink or orange ribbons our sweepers may have missed.

*** FAQ: The race is clockwise this year!***

Coming 11/3/24—the 30th running of the Oley Valley Country Classic 10 Mile and 5k event…and…new this year: the Croc O Mile—a one-mile run in Crocs!!

by pagodapacers

This year the OVCC will begin and end at the Oley Valley High School!  There are indoor facilities for pre- and post-run gathering.

We are going with a long sleeve shirt this year, with a unique race logo—the design options are looking awesome! See one you really like? Email leonardeburton@gmail.com with your preferences!

Follow the race on Facebook and/or Instagram for updates!

Sign up today!

click here to register

This event is also an RRCA Eastern Regional Championship, and a great course to run a PR, with the smooth, rolling hills of the Oley Valley.

Munchiez Food Truck will be on site offering post-run eats, and the Pagoda Pacers will also have lite post-race fare available.

We are actively looking for volunteers to help us make this race go smoothly. Please reach out to a race director to let them know of your availability.  leonardeburton@gmail.com or barrygoodhart@gmail.com

 See you in Oley on November 3rd!

Registration Now Open for 35th Annual Winter Race Series: Shiver by the River!

by pagodapacers

Dates: 2nd Sunday, December-March (Dec 8th , Jan 12th , Feb 9th , March 9th)

Time: 10 a.m. start (Registration opens at 8:30 a.m.)

Location: Jim Dietrich Park, Muhlenberg Twp.

Come out and join us for the best winter race series in the area!!

If you have never run a Shiver race, or if it’s been a few years, let us remind you of what makes this series great: it keeps you motivated to run through the winter, and it helps you reconnect with local runners you haven’t seen for years!

If you are one of the many runners we see year after year, we look forward to seeing you again!

Online registration for the series is open and can be found at Pretzel City Sports.

Once again, we are not mailing apps! However, we will accept mail-in registrations. Apps can be printed from the Pagoda Pacers website, or you can pick one up at any of the many races timed by Pretzel City Sports. We plan to also have copies at our monthly meetings (if we remember to bring them).

Pre-registration is only available for the series; however, we will have race-day registration for both the series and individual races.

This year’s swag is a tank top in both women’s and men’s sizes. Great colors!!!!

Each race includes a post-race buffet of soup, pretzels, and snacks. Our end-of-series party includes a hot and cold buffet plus lots and lots of door prizes, overall awards, and 5-year age group awards. As always, this buffet is free to any runner who
registers for the series or runs at least 3 races. There is a nominal charge for all others.

Come out and join us for our 35th season!!!!!!

Race Directors,
Sue Jackson, Georgine McCool, Tiffany Pantoja

Final Blues Cruise Training Run Set for 9/7/24

by pagodapacers

We will meet at the Old Church Road parking area  at 7:45 a.m. on Saturday, September 7th, and carpool to the lower Stilling Basin lot, to run point-to-point on the Blues Cruise course, starting about 8 a.m.

The run is almost 16 miles. Runners can easily shorten it to just under 14 miles by skipping the Skinner’s Loop portion, and of course adding miles is easy too.

(For those looking for a shorter option, an out-and-back of your desired distance is also an easy option. Just meet us at the Stilling Basin so we can run the first few miles together!)

Please comment on the Facebook Event Page if you have questions or need suggestions. Bring water and nutrition! The route features about 1600 feet of climbing.

This will be a great day to dial in your race-day gear! This includes some of our favorite parts of the Blues Cruise course!

For those who have the time, several of us usually grab lunch together after. Hope to see you there!

Sometimes It Feels GOOD to Have the Blues

by pagodapacers

Blues Cruise needs you! 

The Pacers’ most challenging event is the Blues Cruise 50K, which requires about 100 volunteers and lasts 12 hours from set up to clean up.  This year’s race is on Sunday, October 6, with set up starting at 6am, and clean up finishing at 6pm. 

While a number of folks are there for the long haul, most of our volunteers work a shift of a few hours.  As we did last year, we’re asking volunteers to go to the Blues Cruise page on UltraSignUp  and click the green volunteer button next to the registration button in the banner. There you will agree to the waiver which allows you to be covered by our insurance. Then you can select one (or more!) volunteer duties. 

We’d love to get some of our newer members out to volunteer!  I think all the veteran volunteers will agree that this is a truly rewarding day and a great way to meet more of the club. Many of the BC runners are new to ultra running and our volunteers make all the difference–as the runner surveys indicate. 

If you are an experienced ultra runner, your expertise is invaluable; and if you’ve never run an ultra, beware!  Spending a day at this event is likely to get you signing up as a runner next year! 

If you’d like to volunteer, but can’t participate on the 6th, check out the list.  We need course maintenance throughout September, and we need course markers on Saturday October 5th, as well as gear cleanup on Monday October 7th. 

Finally, our final Blues Cruise training run is Saturday September 7 for a 14 mile course preview–check out the Facebook event page for details!  Thanks everyone, you are the ones who make this race great.  Looking forward to seeing you there!

click here to register as a volunteer!

Elaine and Michael

Registration is OPEN for the 38th Annual Kris Kringle 5-Miler!

by pagodapacers

The Pagoda Pacers Athletic Club is happy to invite you to the 38th annual Kris Kringle 5-Mile Run on Sunday, December 29th!

Looking to squeeze one last fun event in over the Christmas break? This race is always a family favorite, with proceeds benefiting the Berks County Cross Country Coaches Association. So grab your friends & family and close out 2024 with us!

Course: The course features a mix of road and easy trail sections through Blue Marsh and the Union Canal Trail.We’ll be running counter-clockwise this year. Strollers and walkers are welcome. Dogs are not permitted at this event. 

Registration Fees: ALL registration fees are RACE ONLY 

  • $25 per runner through December 3, 2024
  • $30 per runner from December 4 to December 15, 2024 at midnight
  • Day-of registration: $30 (hoodies will not be available for purchase)
  • ONLINE REGISTRATION WILL CLOSE ON DECEMBER 15th at 11:59PM EST

Option to add a hoodie for an additional cost during checkout.

Hoodies: 

  • This year’s hoodie will be Dark Heathered Green, as voted on by you! You can get a sneak peek when you go through the registration process. 
  • Hoodies are not included with the race registration cost but can be added to your order during the checkout process for $18 until December 3, 2024
  • Deadline to order: December 3, 2024
  • Must be picked up at the race; no holds. No additional hoodies will be sold at the event.

Race Day Info:

  • Registration: 8:30 AM  |  Race Start: 10:00 AM
  • Same-day registration will be available at $30 per runner (no hoodie option)
  • Leave your doggy pals at home, please. No dogs permitted at this event. 

Awards:

  • Overall: Top 2 male and female (not eligible for age group awards)
  • Age Groups: Top 3 male and female in 5-year brackets from U14 to 69, plus a 70+ category
  • Top High School Teams: Teams in Open (all male or mixed) or Female (girls only) divisions. XC scoring used (lowest point total wins).This will be the last year for the team competition due to low participation. 
  • **NEW THIS YEAR!**: Awards for the oldest male and female finisher

Weather: In case of inclement weather on race day, updates will be sent to the email address used for registration. 

Keep up with the latest updates and race fun by joining our Facebook Group: Kris Kringle 5 Mile Run

click here to register!