PCVRC Newsletter – April 2025
Happy 2025! Winter is holding on tighter compared to recent years, but we’re almost done. We hope you were able to enjoy the offseason, taking a break or working on new goals. There is much to look forward to and get involved to make the club better, from the spring session of Couch to 5K, the club USATF racing team, club social events and group runs on Thursdays and Sundays as well as Tuesday track workouts with Coach Fischer. We are also planning for this year’s Delaware Distance Classic, the club’s primary event to raise money for club activities throughout the year and for our charity sponsor, Delaware Greenways. The club needs your help to plan the event and volunteer on race day so please look for notifications to sign-up to help.
The PCVRC is your club to provide and receive support and encouragement to help meet or exceed those goals and have fun doing it. 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 walkers to the highly competitive road racer to marathoners. For current and all past PCVRC Newsletters at https://pcvrc.com/pcvrc-news-bulletins-2/
PCVRC memberships for 2025
Please visit https://pcvrc.com/renew-membership/ if you have not yet renewed. Only $25 per household. Club membership includes race discounts, weekly group runs, discounted Delaware Park passes, track workouts with Coach Fischer, fun runs, Club social events including Holiday Party, Spring Social, Delaware Distance Classic (our signature event), 10% discount at Delaware Running Company, eligibility to participate as a member of our team in USATF events and more!
Discount$ for Club Members!
See all current discounts at our Member Discount page, https://pcvrc.com/pcvrc-member-discounts/ where the password is “run82”.
Club Sponsors
If you visit any of our sponsors, thank them for their support. If you know of a local business that might like to affiliate with us, have them get in touch. We currently have approximately 175 household memberships, along with 250+ participants each year in Delaware Distance Classic 15K + 5K.
Couch to 5K Spring Session is Underway
It’s not too late to join the popular Couch to 5K program, which just had the first of 10 sessions last Thursday. The Couch to 5K program is approximately 10 weeks and meets at Delcastle Park in conjunction with our Thursday 6:00pm group runs. Participants and club members started with dynamic stretching and then run/walk intervals for a full loop around DelCastle park. Caitlin Reilly once again led the program with assistance from other club members. The program is free and culminates with participating in a goal 5K race at the end of the program in June. This is a great community service of motivating and reinvigorating new and existing runners. For details are HERE.
Social Activities
Group run and social at Carousel Park – On Saturday January 11, the PCVRC hosted a 3-4 mile trail run at Carousel Park on a picturesque day in the snow. There was a great turnout and afterwards, folks warmed up with food and drink at Chuck Lagers on Limestone Road.
Annual meeting
The PCVRC annual meeting was on March 13 at Wilmington Brew Works in Wilmington. More than 40 members enjoyed food, drink, and socialization at this wonderful venue. Annual awards were given to some very deserving members: Runners of the Year, John Costello and Pete LoBianco; Member of the Year, Paula Jermyn; Volunteer of the Year, Caitlin Reilly; and Outstanding Running Achievements by Mike Brown and Sean Coleman. Many thanks to the Club’s social events coordinator, Hali Mckinley Lester, for organizing a great event. We also welcomed new members to the board to help our club become more beneficial and enjoyable to current and prospective members with group runs, socials and other activities.
Our 2025 officers are: President: Ray Christensen, Vice President: Hali Mckinley Lester, Secretary: Dwight Swaney, Treasurer: Andrea Riley.
For writeups of the award winners’ achievements and more pictures, please go to: 2024 Club Award Winners.
Boston Sendoff
On April 13, PCVRC will be hosting a fun run with brunch afterwards at the Delaware Running Company on Kennett Pike in Greenville, DE to wish our Boston Marathon participants good luck. For those who wish to run beforehand, folks will be starting from the parking lot at 8:00am and 8:30am for a distance up to 10 miles. You don’t need to be running the Boston Marathon to participate in this great social event. You may run any distance or not at all and just enjoy the brunch at 10:00am, while shopping for running gear. Info here
PCVRC Racing Team updates
The 2025 Mid-Atlantic USATF Grand Prix and Off Road series are off to a running start. Following finishing second in both of the series last year, Pike Creek is in a competitive fourth place in the road series after two events and is leading in the off road series after one scored event.
The Frostbite 5 Mile at Wissahickon High School has become the kick off event for the Grand Prix. This year the race was under new management, but maintained the same hilly course. Strong performances were turned in by Allison Emmons (1st 45-49, new DE state age group record), Jeff Painter (1st 65-69), Greg Cauller (2nd 65-69), John Costello (3rd 60-64), and Elizabeth Swierzbinski (3rd 35-39).
The Adrenaline 5k at Haddonfield High School offers one of the fastest courses in the area, along with a field of runners looking to run fast. The race did not disappoint this year, with 3 club members setting age group state records in the race! Allison Emmons again led the way, placing 3rd female master and setting a new DE state 45-49 age group record. Other outstanding performance were turned in by Robert Mason (1st 70-74, new DE state age group record), Frank McKelvey (1st 60-64, new DE state age group record), Roxanne Ramirez (3rd female 25-29), Anthony Swierzbinski (3rd male 35-39), Greg Cauller (2nd male 65-69), and JR Creekmore (3rd male 30-34).
The lone trail race scored at this point was the Looney Leprechaun 10k at Tyler State Park. Pike Creek turned in the top score of the day with Jean Western winning the female 60-69 age group.
Our racing team wants you! Any club member who joins USATF can participate and represent the club. USATF members can enjoy discounts on series races and win end of year awards. Members of the club who are members of USATF and compete in 4 races total among both series will receive a complimentary membership to PCVRC for the following year. The annual cost to join USATF is $60 at https://usatf.sport80.com/public/wizard/a/941/home, select Pike Creek Valley Running Club as your club affiliation. Please contact Lynn Knothe () for more information. For the racing calendars for the road and off-road series, please go to https://mausatf.org/grad-prix-events/ and https://mausatf.org/off-road-events/.
Group Runs continue every Sunday & Thursday, track workouts every Tuesday and Trail runs on Saturdays
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 8:00 am – meet in the parking lot behind Brew HaHa! in the Main Street Galleria, 45 East Main St., Newark (free parking) and run in White Creek Park and back anywhere from 1-14 miles; NOTE: post-run coffee and breakfast now at Cafeneo (South Main Street in Newark)
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: Workouts start at 6:00pm at St. Mark’s High School. Participants can warm up off beforehand outside of the track. Please check the PCVRC website weekly for any updates.
42nd Delaware Distance Classic Registration is open
The 42nd annual DDC will be held on Sunday October 19, 2025. This is the seminal race supporting your Pike Creek Valley Running Club as we welcome back our local charity sponsor, Delaware Greenways! Please support your club by running and/or volunteering to help with registration, handing out food and water and keeping runners on the course and safe. Course is flat and fast with many top runners in the region participating, including a number of other USATF clubs.
For details on the race and more pictures, go to the DDC website at ddc15k.org.
Your PCVRC Board
Please contact us with any questions
President and Webmaster: Ray Christensen
Vice President: Hali Mckinley Lester
Secretary: Dwight Swaney
Treasurer: Andrea Riley
Membership coordinator: Tracey Mack
Sponsor coordinator: Dwight Swaney
Events coordinator: Hali Mckinley Lester
USATF Team coordinator: Lynn Knothe; Assistant: Greg Cauller
C25K coordinator: Caitlin Reilly
Running Events Coordinator: Hali Mckinley Lester
DDC Race Director: Open; Assistant: Greg Cauller