The fall racing season is in full swing with many having achieved their goals and others ready to make personal history. Whatever stage you are at, the club is here to support you whether on the road, trail or indoors. PCVRC has been busy hosting social events and recently completed a very successful Delaware Distance Classic (DDC) after a one year hiatus! We welcome you to take advantage of the all the club benefits and activities and hope to see you soon. Check out our website and Facebook page to see what’s happening.
PCVRC is a social club and very supportive of all our member’s running goals. Most importantly, we have a great time running and welcome runners and walkers of all backgrounds regardless of race, nationality, religion, sexual preference and of all levels of ability from beginner joggers to the highly competitive road racer to marathoners.
Membership benefits
Only $25 per year ($26 online) for the entire family includes free T-shirt for new members, race discounts, discounted Delaware State Park Pass, weekly group runs, track workouts with Coach Fischer, fun runs, Club social events including Holiday Party, Spring Social, Delaware Distance Classic (our signature event), 20% discount at New Balance Stores in Brandywine and Christiana, 10% discount at Delaware Running Company, 20% discount at Tifosi Optics on all orders over $30, eligible to participate as a member of our team in USATF events and more!
Discounted DE State Park Passes for 2022 Members
PCVRC has again arranged for discounted Annual Parking Passes to the Delaware State Parks for club members only. For details and to place your order CLICK HERE
More Discount$ for Club Members!
Noxgear – 35% off with code PCVRC: www.noxgear.com
Tifosi – 20% off $30 or more with code PIKECREEKVALLEY: tifosioptics.com)
Picky Bars – www.pickybars.com PCVRC-TRIDAWGS-2021 30% one purchase or first month of Picky Club
Road ID – roadID.com 20% off through June with code JX0QT0JVKXRD
StretchPlex is offering a 10% discount off any service at StretchPlex (pptandfitness.com) using the code: PCVRC10. StretchPlex provides one on one wellness services that includes assisted stretching, massage therapy, personal training and compression therapy. The mission of StretchPlex is to help people feel more flexible, have less pain, and move easier in their lives so they can do all the things they love doing!
38th Delaware Distance Classic a Huge Success
The 38th Delaware Distance Classic (DDC) was back in full force after one year absence due to Covid. The race was held on October 24 and benefitted the Nemours Fund for Children’s Health, the Delaware Nature Society and the Pike Creek Valley Running Club. The weather was nearly perfect for running and a major success with 141 runners in the 15K and 44 runners in the 5K. We are grateful to the 50+ volunteers who took time out of their Sunday morning to help with parking, registration, handing out food and water and keeping runners on course and safe. Alison McCann, DDC race director, with help from Dirk Sweigart, organized a phenomenal event. Course was flat, dry, fast and cool with many of the top runners in the region participating including a number of other USATF clubs. With great support from the RDC, DEEC and our trusty volunteers, we were able to hold a great race and fund-raise for local charities and our club. Thanks to all who helped or ran (and those who did both)! A special thank you to Betty Fitzpatrick, Karen Mitchell, Clay Shaw, Alison McCann and Ray Christensen for taking photos of the race. Very likely you are in one or more of the photos so check them out: HERE.
PCVRC Racing Team Update
The USATF Grand Prix and Off-Road series have been in full swing this fall with regularly scheduled races as well as pandemic delayed events for a total of 7 races since Labor Day! PCVRC is currently in second place in the Grand Prix and fourth place in the Off-Road standings. If you are thinking about joining USATF, now is a great time! New memberships to USATF between now and the end of the year are good for all of 2022. The final events of the series are the upcoming Philadelphia Marathon weekend and the Delaware Open Cross Country Championships. We hope to see you at the races!
Allison Emmons continued her fantastic fall of racing as the overall female champion at the Main Line Run on September 12. Greg Cauller placed 3rd in the 60-69 age group and Betty Olmstead was honored as the oldest female participant. The race also served as Robert Mason’s final tune up, and confidence booster, before his state record performance at the Berlin Marathon. The Broad Street run was postponed from its usual May date to the second weekend in October. Mike DiGennaro and Allison Emmons both were overall Master’s champions, and Abby Dean was 3rd female master. Both Allison and Abby set state age group records in the process. Matthew Cutrona and Betty Olmstead both placed top 5 in their age groups and Anthony Swierzbinski continued his year of setting PRs.
Our Delaware Distance Classic is also part of the series, and serves as the Mid-Atlantic 15k Championship. Our own Abby Dean was overall female champion, breaking her own state record in the process. Her husband, Matthew Cutrona, won the accompanying 5k, which is not part of the Grand Prix. Mark Hannagan, Anthony Swierzbinski, Pete LoBianco, Greg Cauller, Bill Rose, Rob Mason, Angelina Spadaccini, Katrina Holloway, and Betty Olmstead all placed top 3 in age group for a large Pike Creek contingent! Rob Mason put his name on the state records for the second time this fall. The penultimate race weekend of the Grand Prix was the Cooper Norcross Run the Bridge over the Ben Franklin Bridge in Camden. All three Pike Creek ladies who competed set state age group records! Congratulations Allison Emmons, Abby Dean, and Betty Olmstead! Allison was 4th female overall and 1st master and Abby Dean was 3rd female Master. Greg Cauller and Matthew Cutrona both placed second in age group.
It has been more difficult to field teams this fall in the Off Road series due to scheduling conflicts. Lynn Knothe was the only member to compete at the Camp Innabah Fall Classic. No club members were able to attend the Evansburg 10 Mile due to conflicts. A full squad did participate at the Tyler Arboretum 10k. Luke Nigro, David Long, Carol Giampietro, Andrea Rubinoff, and Lynn Knothe all navigated the very muddy trails and higher than usual stream crossings after a day of heavy rains.
There were also some amazing accomplishments at non-USATF team events worth mentioning. PCVRC represented at the Boston Marathon with finishers including Alison McCann, Greg Cauller, Natalie Lutz, Mike Brown, Kristen Henry, Andy Jakubowitch, Erin Jakubowitch, Laura Anne, Jenifer Evans Besten, Mardiny Ung, Steve Sinko and Kelly Horowitz. Mike Janis ran a personal best 3:14 at the Chicago marathon, which was also a hot one. Randy Jones set a 100-mile course record of 22 hours and 46 minutes at the Mountaineer Rumble on November 5!
Social Activities
Boston Sendoff – PCVRC hosted a Boston sendoff social on October 6 at Grain on Main in Newark. Approximately 30 members enjoyed food and drink to socialize and wish our Boston qualifiers as well as those running Chicago Marathon and Broad Street Run good luck in their upcoming races.
Holiday Social scheduled for December 15 – The annual PCVRC holiday party will be held on Wednesday December 15 at Klondike Kates on Main Street in Newark, DE from 6:00-9:00pm. There will be food and cash bar with raffles and giveaways. Always a good time, this is an excellent opportunity to catch up with friends and reminisce from the past year. This is also the time the renew annual membership dues for 2022 for just $25.
Check the website for updates on these and other upcoming events: PCVRC Events Calendar
Group Runs continue every Sunday & Thursday and track workouts every Tuesday
Socially distanced runs continue at their usual places and times and a great way to interact with your fellow runners while working out. Click here for details
Sundays 8:00am – meet in the parking lot behind the former Panera Bread on Main St., Newark (free parking); run in White Creek Park and back anywhere from 1-14 miles or more round trip. There are always folks hanging around afterwards to catch up over takeout coffee and breakfast.
Thursdays 6:00 pm – meet at start/finish of Delcastle Rec Area; Run 1 or more laps of the 1.75 mile loop
Tuesday evenings at 6:00 pm – track workouts with a Delaware Hall of Fame running coach, Jim Fischer, are at St. Marks High School.
Your PCVRC Board needs you!
Please consider joining the board to help our club become more beneficial and enjoyable to current and prospective members with group runs, socials and other activities. Board meetings are typically every other month. You’ll have plenty of support and get to help shape the club. For more details, click HERE.
President: Wes Stafford
Vice President: Adam Shilling
Secretary: Alison McCann
Treasurer: Andrea Riley
Membership coordinator: Christina Xia
Events coordinator: Dirk Sweigart
USATF Team coordinator: Lynn Knothe
Sponsorship coordinator: Open
Webmaster: Ray Christensen
C25K coordinator: Lee Dresser
DDC Race Director: Alison McCann
Social Media: Alison McCann
Communications/marketing: Open