Pike Creek Valley Running Club / Summer Edition
Amanda Henderson – – – Pike Creek Valley Running Club in Wilmington Delaware
Summer Concert Series
The Delaware Parks summer concert series is underway! Every year during the summer you can appreciate live concerts across the Delaware State Parks. The concerts are free you just have to pay for entry to the parks as applicable. Cost for park entry is $5 for DE plates, $10 for out of state, free with annual park pass.
PCVRC will be organizing a run prior to the concert at White Clay Creek on Wednesday, July 15. Meet us at the Carpenter Recreation Area (880 New London Rd. Newark, DE 19711) at 5:30PM and join in for a 3 to 5 mile run and stay for the music by group: Petty Thieves!
You can view all the upcoming concerts and their locations here: Summer Concert Series – Delaware State Parks
Couch to 5K
Congratulations to all the Couch to 5K participants! Over twenty PCVRC members/participants attended the culminating race, 5K for Fireworks in Hockessin.
DDC
The Delaware Distance Classic is getting a new start and finish with the same quality and USATF certification we have come to know. Be on the lookout for more information.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Wed. July 15 White Clay Creek Run and Summer Concert at 5:30PM
Sun. August 02 Summer Picnic at White Clay Carpenter Rec Area
“All of us are put in boxes by our family, by our religion, by our society, our moment in history, even our own bodies. Some people have the courage to break free.”
— Geena Rocero
Member Spotlight: Rudy Antonini
This season we spotlight Rudy Antonini! Did you know Rudy has been a PCVRC member since 1983 and club president for a combined seven years?
Rudy shares, “I have developed many cherished friendships over the years as a result of my membership in the Pike Creek Valley Running Club. While also advocating a healthy lifestyle and personal satisfaction in reaching many goals in running, culminating in a qualifying time for the Boston Marathon, which I ran in April, 1992 in a time of 3:51:59.”
I first joined the PCVRC in 1983 after attending a meeting a few months prior with Doug White. Doug had been invited to give a presentation about running in general.
At the time, Doug was considered one of the top runners in the area and the information he provided proved invaluable to those in attendance.
Anyway, a few months later, Bill Schuh, Doug White and myself joined the Club. In those days, the Club began hosting meetings at the Delcastle Center, adjacent to the Golf Course in their meeting room. There wee easily 100 people in attendance at its peak.
After being a member for about a year, I was contacted by Dave Pie, who was one of the founding members of the Club, to see if I was interested in being President for the following year, 1985. I told him I would rather settle for being Vice-President and John Yasik became President. That seemed to work well and as it turned out, there were times John would be unable to attend a meeting, which were held every month, and I ran the meeting. This ended -up being my training to become President for the next two years, 1986 and 1987.
The Club held its annual awards banquet in either January or February . at the Hercules Country Club. I believe in 1986, there was probably 180 people in attendance. Numbers began to slowly dwindle after that peak year. .We then started having our annual awards banquet at Cavaliers Country Club. Even then we would have 100 members in attendance. I remained on the Executive board after my two-year run as President ended.
However, after a few more years, I was again called to return as President for 1991. This was probably my best year of running as I set personal records in the half-marathon, at Caesar Rodney and for 10 miles at the Broad Street Ten Mile Run. I had a total of 9 personal records but the highlight was at the Columbus Marathon in November where I ran 3:17:43 and qualified for the Boston Marathon the following April, 1992.
My personal records in 1991 and my position as President of the Club earned me the Runner of the Year Award at the 1992 Awards Banquet. I was inducted into the Club’s Hall of Fame in 1993 and earned Member of the Year in 1999. I remained on the Board a few more years and had a four year run as President again but then finally decided in the mid 2000’s to step aside. I also was named Runner of the Month twice, once during the month of June, 1985 when I set a personal record in the 10K at the St. Anthony’s Run and in the marathon at Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota, I also won Runner of the Month for May, 1991 after my personal record of 1:06:09 at Broad Street Ten Mile Run in Philadelphia.
In closing, I have developed many cherished friendships over the years as a result of my membership in the Pike Creek Valley Running Club. While also advocating a healthy lifestyle and personal satisfaction in reaching many goals in running, culminating in a qualifying time for the Boston Marathon, which I ran in April, 1992 in a time of 3:51:59. I only ran one more marathon after that, in November at the Philadelphia Marathon. Today, I walk more than I run but still enjoy playing tennis, cycling and trapshooting and intend to start playing golf again this summer.
