Happy spring to all our club members and their families! Days are getting longer, weather is moderating and racing schedule is heating up. 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, participating in races throughout the Delaware Valley and planning for exciting spring events. Now is the time to take advantage of the all the club benefits and activities. 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 or gender identity and of all levels of ability from beginner joggers to the highly competitive road racer to marathoners.
Membership Benefits
Please visit https://pcvrc.com/join-our-running-club/ to renew online or mail check. Only new members need to submit a member form. Only $25 per year 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 $30, eligible to participate as a member of our team in USATF events and more!
More Discount$ 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
Focus Multisports – https://www.focusmultisports.com/ 10% off all races with code PCRC22
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!
Running coach – Check out our own PCVRC board member, Alison McCann’s new coaching gig – https://www.speedsherpa.com/coaches or https://www.trainingpeaks.com/coach/alisonmccann. Alison McCann has joined Speed Sherpa Nation as a run coach and is taking on new clients.
Couch to 5K is on and it’s never too late to join!
The first of ten weekly couch to 5K sessions started last Wednesday March 30. Lee and Michelle Dresser are again hosting this excellent program at Paper Mill Park on Wednesday’s at 6:00pm at Paper Mill Park. The program is free and culminates with a goal 5K race in June. Check out the PCVRC website for training schedule and updates HERE.
PCVRC Racing Team Update
The 2022 Mid-Atlantic USATF Grand Prix and Off-Road series are off to a running start. Pike Creek Valley Running Club currently sits in second place in the Grand Prix after one event. There have been 3 events in the Off-Road series to date, however PCVRC opted not to field teams for the first 2 events out of an abundance of caution. Results for the third event are not available at this time.
On February 19, seventeen club members braved the cold and windy conditions at the Fireside Frostbite 5 Mile in Ambler, PA. Kaitlyn Kramer and Elizabeth Swierzbinski turned in outstanding performances by finishing as 1st and 3rd females overall! Congratulations to Sarah Rusk, Alison McCann, Betty Olmstead, Anthony Swierzbinski, Pete LoBianco, Dave Wiechecki, Tom Steenkamer, and Chuck Crabb for placing top 3 in age groups at this competitive event!
A small crew took on the trails on April 2 at the Tyler Arboretum 10k trail run. Team scores are not yet tabulated. Special congratulations to Jeff Painter for placing second in 60-69 and Betty Olmstead for winning the 70-79 age group. Tom Steenkamer, Bill Rose, Andrea Rubinoff, and Lynn Knothe all traversed the hilly, muddy terrain. See pictures below of some of the club’s competitors in action.
The next race in the Grand Prix is the Valley Forge Revolutionary Run 5 Miler on April 24. Please note there is no race day registration as this event takes place on National Parks property. The next event in the Off-Road series is the Coventry Woods 10k on May 22. A complete listing of Grand Prix events can be found at https://www.mausatf.com/grandprix-events/, the Off-Road events are at https://www.mausatf.com/off-road-events/. Members who compete in a minimum of 4 series races are eligible to receive a club singlet and will receive a complimentary club membership for the following year.
Photo credits to Dave Crosset, Walter Boyle and Helene Horn
Social Activities
Boston Sendoff – All members are welcome on Sunday April 10 to wish our Boston Marathon participants good luck. You don’t need to be running the Boston Marathon to join the PCVRC for a run and brunch at the Delaware Running Company on Kennett Pike in Greenville, DE. Run starts 8:30am, but you can adjust your start time depending on how many miles you want to run and at what and pace. Brunch starts at 10am.
Annual meeting – The PCVRC annual meeting was March 10 at Timothy’s in Newark. We are grateful for our elected officers volunteering their time for the upcoming year: President (Ray Christensen), Vice President (Alison McCann), Secretary (Anthony Swierzbinski) and Treasurer (Andrea Riley). Awards were given for runners of the year (Abby Dean and Allison Emmons), member of the year (Alison McCann), volunteers of the year (Lynn Knothe and Adam Shilling) and outstanding achievement (Mike Leva).
2021 Club Photos – see 100+ photos of members, races and events held in 2021. These are the photos displayed as a slideshow at our Annua Meeting: Slideshow Link
Group Runs continue every Sunday & Thursday and track workouts every Tuesday
Group 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 Brew HaHa! in the Main Street Galleria, 45 East Main St., Newark (free parking); run in White Creek Park and back anywhere from 1-14 miles or more round trip. Anyone is welcome to have coffee and breakfast afterwards at Brew HaHa!.
Thursdays 6:00 pm – meet at start/finish of Delcastle Rec Area; Run 1 or more laps of the 1.75 mile loop.
Tuesday evening track workouts update: Until end of May, track workouts will start 7:00pm St. Mark’s High School. Coach Fischer requests participants warm up off the track before 7:00pm and stay off the track, until the previous group’s practice is over. Workout will be completed by 8:00pm. Please check the PCVRC website weekly for any updates.
Quest for sub-4:00 mile in Delaware
On Saturday, April 9 at Tatnall School on the brand new track starting at 5:00pm, middle school, high school, open, and masters races will compete, then around 8:00pm, elite runners try to break the 4 minute barrier for the first time on Delaware soil.
For Your Information
April showers can deter some from heading out for a run, but there are several things you can do to make it manageable HERE. New to running or unfamiliar with the running lingo? This article defines some common phrases so you sound like a pro.
Delaware Distance Classic set for October 8, 2022!
The 39th annual DDC is locked in for Saturday October 8 at the Riverfront again this year! Registration is now open, with discounts for early registration. Please check the website for more information and race updates at https://ddc15k.org/
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 and Webmaster: Ray Christensen
Vice President and Social Media: Alison McCann
Secretary: Anthony Swierzbinski
Treasurer: Andrea Riley
Membership coordinator: Dirk Sweigart
Events coordinator: Mike Janis
USATF Team coordinator: Lynn Knothe
Sponsorship coordinator: Dwight Swaney
C25K coordinator: Lee Dresser
DDC Race Director: Alison McCann