Run or volunteer at DDC
October 10, the date of the Delaware Distance Classic 15K, the signature race of Pike Creek Valley Running Club, is rapidly approaching. For years this race has been an important part of the USATF Mid-Atlantic Road Race Series because it is virtually the only 15K run in the region. Event and registration information can be found here: http://pcvrc.com/ddc.php.

If you don’t plan on running this event, but will be around that morning, please consider volunteering. It’s important to have plenty of course marshals. To volunteer, contact Dave Farren at or call 798-4179.

Wine Dinner 10/21
On Thursday, October 21 the club is holding a wine dinner at Caffe Gelato, 90 E. Main St., Newark. $22 of each persons costs will be directly to the club. In addition, for each person who signs up for the Waffle Cone 10 Miler, which will be on Sunday, October 24, at the dinner, the club will receive an additional $5.00. To reserve your spot(s), RSVP Rachel Bleacher at . Do not make reservations for this event through the Caffe Gelato website. See our Events page.

Race Results:
In reporting the Bottle & Cork Ten Miler results last week, the results from the Pump & Run competition were missed. For those not familiar with the format, competitors bench press a bar bell, weighted based on sex and age. For each repetition (50 max), 30 seconds is deducted from their running time in the ten miler for an adjusted Pump & Run time. In this competition Carole Feole was the overall female winner when an adjusted time of 48:49, having done 50 reps. Kelly Horowitz and Kristin Stump won their age groups.

Sugar Free Miles 5K
19:09 Chris James 2nd Overall

Nun Run 5K notes
Club President Ray gives

“Nun Run thanks…
With the spectacular weekend weather, Nun Run was successful and the Little Sisters were very pleased with our turnout of 225 participants. Big thanks to Karl Karlbacher, Rachel Bleacher & Dan Weintraub for volunteering at the event. Thanks also to several club members who helped us drink the beer*.

Results and many photos are posted at http://www.nunrun5k.org to encourage everyone to consider it next year. You’ll even see a pic of Tom Jermyn high-fiving the Chic-fil-A cow on his way to victory!

*Locally brewed Twin Lakes Pale Ale and Oktoberfest beers. This reporter had three of the latter in order to triple check that the experience of the excellence of the first wasn’t just an anomaly. Purely in the interests of scientific testing!

Nun Run 5K
17:37 Tom Jermyn Overall winner
18:19 Tom Steenkamer 2nd Overall

Chestertown Half Marathon
1:25:18 Epi Camacho 1st 50-54
1:43:29 Jim Steele
1:57:02 Elena Kupchik

Miles for Melanoma 5K
19:32 Lynn Knothe Overall Female Winner

Race or volunteer at Nun Run 5K
(This is not a club event, but it is receiving the special “dispensation” of a mention in the bulletin because President Ray is the race director.)
This Saturday: Runners get Twin Lakes beer, Pat’s Pizza, Chic-fil-A, chocolate milk, bananas, bagels, DJ music, goodie bag, raffle, & more!!! Race day registration starts 730am for the 9am race. Call Ray at 302-633-1482 for race details or to volunteer to help with traffic control, serving beer, and manning a PCVRC table to hand out brochures. We need help.

Register for DDC 15K
October 10, the date of the Delaware Distance Classic 15K, the signature race of Pike Creek Valley Running Club, is rapidly approaching. For years this race has been an important part of the USATF Mid-Atlantic Road Race Series because it is virtually the only 15K run in the region. Event and registration information can be found here: http://pcvrc.com/ddc.php.

If you don’t plan on running this event, but will be around that morning, please consider volunteering. It’s important to have plenty of course marshals. To volunteer, contact Dave Farren at or call 798-4179.

Make reservations for Wine Dinner
On Thursday, October 21 the club is holding a wine dinner at Caffe Gelato, 90 E. Main St., Newark. $22 of each persons costs will be directly to the club. In addition, for each person who signs up for the Waffle Cone 10 Miler, which will be on Sunday, October 24, at the dinner, the club will receive an additional $5.00. To reserve your spot(s), RSVP Rachel Bleacher at . Do not make reservations for this event through the Caffe Gelato website.

Additional information about all the events mentioned above are available at: http://pcvrc.com/eventlist.php.

Race results
Editor’s Note: From time to time I mention for newer members my informal guidelines for printing race results. Years ago it got to be too much to print the results of every club finisher in every 5K. So, in general, the mention of results in shorter races in confined to top three male and female finishers and the top masters finisher (male and female). I do try to cover all the club results in USATF races and the bigger events in the area. I try to cover all half and full marathon results. But I will always mention the result of any race that is important to a particular runner – a new PR or 34th consecutive running of a race, for instance. Just let me know. The results on the Bottle and Corks races are covered in full because they have a history for Delaware runners.)

2nd Cindy Foundation 5k for Ovarian Cancer
Matt Cutrona, 2nd Overall, 19:10

Bottle & Cork Ten Miler
:55:22 Mark Vilardo, Overall Winner
:59:35 Austin Gee, 3rd 25-29
1:07:40 Epi Camacho, 2nd 50-54
1:09:26 Kelly Horowitz, 1st 35-39
1:10:15 Ivan Avendano, 1st 60-64
1:12:49 Dan Simmons, 2nd 60-64
1:13:15 Sheila Vilardo, 2nd 35-39
1:13:50 Carole Feole, 1st 50-54, PR!
1:14:00 Kristin Stump, 1st 19-29. PR
1:14:20 Michael Peyton
J1:16:00 Jack Horowitz
1:21:55 Paul Schweitzer
1:30:36 Rich Szymanski
1:32:44 Jen Epler
1:48:19 Rachel Bleacher
1:48:58 Rudy Antonini
1:50:56 Tricia Szymanski

Bottle & Cork 5K
June Lovensheimer, 46:42, 1st 70+ Mother of Kelly Horowitz

McCorq’s Fun Run Handicap Challenge Recap & Results
Name – Best time – Handicap Start – Finish – # Net Time
Sue Simmons 35.01 17.42
42.14 28 42.14

Tara Huang 35.01 17.42
42.16 29 42.16
Sharon Miner 34.09 16.51 0.51 37.11 23 36.21

Steve Thorpe 32.53 15.35 2.07 34.46 3 32.39
Leonora Wagner 30.01 12.43 4.59 35.32 7 30.32
Rachel Bleacher 30.01 12.43 4.59 32.48 1 27.48
John Schultz 29.12 11.54 5.47 39.16 26 33.28
Ralph McKinney 28.46 11.28 6.14 36.43 20 30.29
Lori Culnane 28.31 11.13 6.29 42.58 31 36.28
Paula Jermyn 28.15 10.57 6.45 34.59 4 28.14
Jerry Herman 28.01 10.43 6.59 36.35 18 29.42
Jordan Fridman 27.43 10.25 7.17 36.25 16 28.25
John Culnane 27.01 9.43 7.59 36.31 17 28.31
Jim Bray 26.03 8.45 8.56 36.41 19 27.43
Claire Neilan 23.05 5.47 11.55 42.49 30 31.04

Rich Syzmanski 22.31 5.12 12.31 38.52 25 26.22
Glen Beringer 22.09 4.51 12.51 34.26 2 21.35
Megan Hain 22.01 4.42 12.59 36.11 14 23.11
Jack Horowitz 21.41 4.23 13.19 35.33 8 22.14
Kristen Stump 21.38 4.19 13.22 35.43 11 22.21
Jim Steele 21.01 3.43 13.59 36.51 22 22.51
Ray Christensen 20.31 3.13 14.29 36.21 15 21.51

Dan Simmons 20.27 3.09 14.33 36.45 21 22.12
Kelly Horowitz 19.58 2.39 15.02 36.02 13 21.01
Dirk Sweigart 19.55 2.37 15.05 35.56 12 20.51
Karl Kalbacher 19.51 2.33 15.09 35.38 9 20.29
Chris James 18.57 1.39 16.03 35.21 5 19.17
Epi Camacho 18.41 1.22 16.21 35.23 6 19.03
Tom Steenkamer 18.23 1.05 16.37 40.51 27 (22.09) 24.13
Andy Jakubowich 17.55 0.37 17.05 35.41 10 18.36
Tom Jermyn 17.18 17.42 37.34 24 19.42

Above is the database from McCorq’s Fun Run Handicap Challenge. It is sorted according to the amount of handicap people received.

This year we had 31 participants, the largest group yet for the Fun Run. Thanks to all those who contributed prizes as there were extras for the taking after everyone had one selection. Thanks to Margie Hughes and her daughter Jenny and to Adrienne Kalbacher, Tricia Szymanski and Dan Weintraub for volunteering to make sure the runners followed the course, were safe at the major intersections, and took a finishing number.

Taking a finishing number was very important as was the fact that a few people kept their own time. That is because McCorq again had problems using a watch for the finishing times. A few of the splits weren’t recorded. Consequently, using the times of people who recorded their own, McCorq was able to reconstruct the finishing order as best as possible with times close to the actual time – in all cases probably within 10 seconds of the actual time. The problems came when several people finished together in the middle and latter stages of the finishing. (Note that no times end in zeros because the format I was in would change those times into something else and I was too lazy to correct the formatting. All those times were changed to end in “1” or “9”.)

Congratulations to Rachel Bleacher, this year’s winner of the McCorq’s Fun Run terrible tee shirt. Now she’s obligated to bring it back next year to pass on to the next winner. Rachel ran more than two minutes faster than she predicted. Only three other people got under their best time/predicted time for the last twelve months.

Not including the handicap, the fastest runners were Andy Jakubowich for men and Kelly Horowitz for women. Tom Steenkamer managed to be this year’s late arrival at the start line as he was warming up and showed up almost two minutes later than his handicapped start should have been. His actual running time is noted in parentheses.

Race Results:
Rock and Roll Half-Marathon. Virginia Beach
1:30:59 Chris James
1:35:12 Ray Christensen
1:45:52 Rich Szymanski
2:06:12 Tricia Szymanski
2:27:07 Gelsomnia Paolini

President Ray says: “We all enjoyed the spectacular weather as well as headliner concerts by Chicago, Pat Benatar & REO Speedwagon. I’m all rocked out!”

Lions Club Dewey Beach 5K
15:35 Mark Vilardo, Overall winner

North Central Railroad Trail 20 Miler, Freeland, MD
2:36:24 Theresa Kauffman, 3rd 45-49 -training for Marine Corps Marathon
3:08:08 Dave McCorquodale, 1st 65-69

Labor Tain Endurance Trail Run 50K, Reading, PA
10:11:12 John Schultz

Radnor Run Steeplechase 5K results
Pike Creek Valley Running Club had a great individual showing at the Radnor Run Steeplechase 5K on Aug. 22, the sixth event in the MA-USATF Off-Road Series. Josh Loren won the race and Austin Gee was third overall. The club had the second highest age-grade total and maintains its second place overall in the series. The final event in this series is the Delaware Cross Country Championships on November 27 at Brandywine Creek State Park. In the individual standings, Josh Loren leads the Open Male category by one point, Tom Jermyn is second male master behind by one point and Fred Shufflebarger leads the Senior Male category by three points.

Place Time Name Age Grade
1 18:09 Josh Loren 71.258
3 19:10 Austin Gee 67.304
21 20:57 Tom Jermyn 68.275
22 21:02 Tom Steenkamer 70.681
27 21:40 Chris James 60.846
38 22:38 Bob Kleszics 66.200
102 26:11 Rich Syzmanski 54.169
142 28:43 Lorri Fencer 57.690
224 32:43 Jim Durkin 55.272
333 42:18 John Schultz 47.478

NUN RUN 5K VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:
Ray is race director for http://www.NunRun5K.org. The race is Saturday 9/18 (day before RNR Philly Half). In return for providing volunteers, we’ll have a PCVRC table and our banner. If you won’t be running, please contact to volunteer – probably for traffic control or serving Twin Lakes beer from a keg! Any help is appreciated.

Northern Delaware Greenway Trail completed
For those who haven’t seen the article in last week’s News Journal:
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2010308270016

Race Results:
Congrats to Andy Jakubowitch, who completed Ironman Louisville in a total time of 10:20:43 (including a 3:38:40 marathon).

Tom Jermyn was second overall and first master in the Glasgow Fiasco 5K on Aug. 21 in a time of 18:04.

Pike Creekers comprised four of the top twelve finishers in the sparsely attended Judy Johnson 5K on Aug. 25. Chris James was second overall in 18:57.

In the Tim Russell Memorial 5K, an event timed by Races2Run in Hershey, PA, Lynn Knothe ran 18:42, a time which would win her many races around here. However, this event had money prizes five deep and drew a strong field. The female winner ran 16:43 and the male winner ran 14:37.

McCorq’s Fun Run is this Thursday.
McCorq’s Fun Run is rapidly approaching. Details are available at: http://www.pcvrc.com/eventlistitem.php?id=20. The more people who are here at six, the easier it will be to handicap the race and have a count for ordering food. Please park in the parking lot off of Milltown Road, in back of our house. There will be a sign near the entrance and more signs directing you to the back gate of our property. Do not park on Ipswich Drive because that’s where we will be running.

ONE LAST THING: We are in the midst of one more summer heat wave. It’s forecast to be 92 on Thursday and it won’t be far off the high of the day at 6:30 p.m. Be sure to drink plenty of water leading up to the run. Although this is a competitive event, it’s more important to have fun and have everyone finish the run safely. Everyone is a winner at McCorq’s. You don’t have to race if the heat is too much.

PCVRC Seeks Sponsors
To help put the club in a better financial position to offer more to members and prospective members, our Board has approved a Sponsorship program. As you’ll read on the website “Sponsor” page, there are multiple levels to allow businesses to select their degree of support. We feel that we provide valuable recognition, including the new “sponsor area” on most pages of our website. Please read through it and contact Ray or another board member if
you know of a business which may be interested (especially if operated by a club member or related to running or fitness).

Feel free to forward the sponsorship info. Any sponsor who commits to Gold or Silver levels within the next 2 weeks can have their logo included on this year’s DDC high quality race shirt.

Can your business (or one you know of) become a club sponsor?

Past week race results:
In the Eighth Highway One Group 10K in Dewey Beach, Mark Vilardo was second overall in 33:52. In the accompanying 5K Sheila Vilardo was the female winner in 21:15.

In the Olde New Castle Five Miler, Kelly Horowitz was the female winner in 33:05. Twelve other Pike Creekers won age group awards. The club has a couple of connections to the race as Rudy Antonini has been a long-time member of the race committee and race director Jim Steele joined PCVRC the evening before the race at the club’s fun run at Glasgow Park. Not coincidentally, Rudy wore race number 1. It is not clear to me, why I was given race number 2. Results can be seen at: http://www.trisportsevents.com/pdfs/Results_10_Old_New_Castle_5_Mile_Run2.pdf.

From Dirk Sweigart:
You’re all invited to Happy Hours with me at Catherine Rooney’s Thursday night 8/19. I “won” this somehow so what the heck. Here’s the scoop. Time is 6 PM to 8 PM Thursday August 19th. For those who are “in the party”, beer is $2, rail drinks $2 and house wine $4. They will give us an appetizer for every 5 people. In the interest of full disclosure, I get a $10 gift card for every 10 people but…just so you know I mean the best, the first drink is on me for every single person providing you introduce yourself and are a friend of a Rebel or a Pike Creeker.

I am also trying to put together a run for 5 PM so if you prefer to run first then party (like me).

Also, I know many of you run at Delcastle Thursday night…so go ahead and then come down afterwards. You can surely get there by 7:59 and the deal is still good right up until the clock strikes!

An RSVP would be nice as CR’s would like a count….but not required. Or call me at 302-545-7047. Hope you can drop in!

McCorq’s Fun Run: send your recent 5K best time
McCorq’s Fun Run is rapidly approaching. All the details are available on events page.
However, I’m still waiting for people to start sending me their best 5K times of the previous 12 months. I also want to remind people that the motto of the run is “Everbody’s a winner!” That has literally been true because the participants are willing to bring running related prizes, including things they’ve won at races, but can’t use themselves. Everyone wins something. So let me know if you have items to contribute before I panic and go to a dollar store!