PCVRC Newsletter – September 2025
Fall Racing Season is almost here! Delaware Distance Classic 15K is almost here (Oct 19). It is the club’s primary event to raise money for club activities throughout the year and for our charity sponsor, Delaware Greenways. We don’t have a 5K this year, so if you aren’t running the 15K, please contact us to volunteer on race day. Read below or email Jon at .
For current and all past PCVRC Newsletters at https://pcvrc.com/pcvrc-news-bulletins-2/
PCVRC memberships for 2025/2026
If you know a runner who should join our club, tell them to wait until after Oct 1 since for $26, they will be a member for the remainder of 2025 and all of 2026. 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!
42nd Delaware Distance Classic is weeks away
Unfortunately, our DDC 5K race has been cancelled due to space limitations (building construction on Riverfront at start/finish area).
Club Members Only: Register thru Sept 21 for 15% Discount
Enter discount code sepddc when registering thru Sunday morning 9/21 at https://runsignup.com/Race/DE/Wilmington/DelawareDistanceClassic15K5K
Contact Us To Volunteer
Race day volunteers are needed, especially as Course Marshals. Feel the excitement as you keep the runners headed in the right direction! Then come to the after-party to get your official race shirt and enjoy refreshments. Email Jon at and let him know where you may have been stationed in the past.
For details on the race and plenty of photos, go to the DDC website at ddc15k.org.
DDC 15K Course Preview Group Run – 9/28
Sunday Sept 28 8am: Course Preview at Riverfront Wilmington – any pace and distance welcome! We will start near Timothys / Planet Fitness for ease of parking, run to the start/end of the DDC race (Hare’s Pavilion) and go from there. The course is 15k, feel free to choose longer or shorter distances and align to different pace groups.
Come join us for a run along the Wilmington Riverfront and up the JAM trail as we preview the Delaware Distance Classic route. All paces and distances welcome.
After run, feel free to relax with us at Riverfront Bakery.
PCVRC Discount for Faithful Friends 5K 9/28
Club members get $5 off with the code PikeCreekRC so Register Here. Faithful Friends Animal Society’s 15TH ANNUAL 5K & Mutt Mile on Sunday, September 28th, at Bellevue State Park. Dwight will be doing the Mutt Mile with Jack and hopes to see you out there for a great cause!
Couch To 5K Graduation Race
Posted by our Couch To 5K Coordinator Caitlin Reilly after June 5K:
Congratulations to our 2025 Couch to 5k runners! Yesterday we ran the Freedom from Seizures race at Glasgow Park. It was a bit rainy and humid, but our team brought terrific energy and enthusiasm. Many people in our team placed within their age groups, the youngest of which were 14 and 10!
I’m very grateful for the time and energy that our participants and volunteers gave to this program this season. A special thanks to members Tracey Mack and Ray Christensen for your help organizing communication and promoting details, to John Abbott for indulging my request for a delightful intro to juggling workshop at the last practice, and to Zoé Schyns for her collaboration on the Couch Potato design, and to she and Lewis Bundy-Davies for pacing on race day. I appreciate all PCVRC members who showed up any of the Thursday nights we trained. Every bit of support helped and I appreciate you!
The world at large may be chaotic and overwhelming now, but there’s a lot of positive change right here in our community.
Happy running and have a great summer!
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 200+ participants each year in Delaware Distance Classic 15K.
Social Activities
Summer Picnic was held at Bellevue Park on September 27. The rain made it even more festive! As Paula Jermyn noted in a comment, “It was great fun you guys thank you for all the work that went into putting this event on this year. Great turnout even in the monsoon it made it memorable. Thank you!”
Mucho fun for close to 40 of us who ignored the weather forecast to enjoy food, drink, and fellowship! We hope to see more members at upcoming group runs and events.
FairHill Group Run + Cider on May 30 was a fun run followed by social at Old Stone Cider in Maryland.
PCVRC Racing Team updates
The 2025 Mid-Atlantic USATF Grand Prix and Off Road series continue. Following finishing second in both of the series last year, Pike Creek continues to be competitive.
The Double Trouble trail race on July 27 was the 6th race in the off-road series. Pike Creek fielded an incomplete team of Dave Wiechecki, Pete LoBianco, and Kwok-Ming Cheng as many club regulars were out of town. Dave Wiechecki placed 3rd in 60-69 while Pete LoBianco continued on to do a second loop and place 4th overall/1st 40-49. Pike Creek is currently 3rd in the off-road series.
The next race in the Grand Prix is the Main Line run 5k on September 14. The next race in the trail series is the Camp Innabah 5 mile on October 4.
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
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.
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
Running Events Coordinator: Hali Mckinley Lester
DDC Race Director: Open