Submit your race recaps
Race results: Please note that for shorter races like 5Ks, the bulletin is only going to include top finishing club members. For USATF races or club events everyone’s times will be included. However, if you want a time mentioned for a particular reason, such as a new PR, just send an e-mail. Some people have said they like my accounts of races. We welcome other accounts and you can surely mention your time while writing a story about a race.

Independence School 5K
Lynn Knothe, 19:41, overall female winner

Miles for Molly 5K
Mark Vilardo, 16:10, overall winner
Greg Cauller, 17:34, second overall
Lynn Knothe, 19:38, overall female winner

Announcements from the club president, Ray Christensen:

Crabowitz 5K a huge success
If you missed it, you missed it! The club again thanks Trish & Rich for the spectacular race and crab feed last Thursday. Guest of honor Jack Horowitz arrived late to make everyone wait a bit for the race to get underway. The hilly course increased the appetites of everyone. With 40 runners sitting at a long table in the driveway, neighbors were afraid to even peek out of
their windows.

See photos here

Water Table at Delcastle this Wednesday
C’mon out and socialize while we offer cold water to runners/walkers at Delcastle this Wednesday 6/23 from 530-730pm. Anytime is fine. Group run at 6pm. If you’d like, bring snacks to share with club members or passers-by.

If you’re staying for a while, bring a lawn chair. We’ll pack it in if attacked by T-storms.

YOUR INPUT NEEDED: PCVRC Summer BBQ
We’re considering holding our annual barbeque on Sat 7/17 or Sat 7/24. Club will provide beer, burgers, dogs.

Please email asap with the following:

1. Would you attend 7/17 or 7/24 at White Clay Creek park where we’d play softball or kickball ($3 park fee).

2. Would you attend same date at someone’s backyard in Pike Creek/Hockessin area instead?

3. Do you have a suitable backyard area / grill to host the club?

4. (EXTRA CREDIT) Can you recommend a particular T-shirt vendor for club to get a quote on our cotton shirts and/or tech shirts?

5. (MUCHO EXTRA CREDIT) Club needs a PR person or someone to talk to potential sponsors. Interested?

Crabowitz 5K (free) Fun Run this Thursday
Thurs June 17th 6:00 p.m. at 709 Haddon Road, Wilmington 19808
5K run followed by Crabs & Pizza! Please bring your alcoholic beverage of choice; We will provide soda and water.

RSVP: Please email ASAP if you have not yet. Let Rich know if you will run or can help on course:

Water Table at Delcastle
We’ve rescheduled to Wednesday 6/23. Come out anytime from 530-730pm to run and/or socialize. If you’d like, bring snacks to share with club members or passers-by. 6pm group run as usual!

Weekend results:
Matt Cutrona was second overall in the Arthur Turner 5K on Saturday in 17:51.

In the Outlet Liquors 5K Mark Vilardo was the overall winner in 16:10. Lynn Knothe was the female winner in 19:50.

Sex Change?
In the “it-must-be-true-because-it-says-so-on-Races2Run” category, Jack Horowitz has apparently figured out how to get as much press as wife Kelly. He is listed in the MPS Foundation 5K race results as the second overall FEMALE. Congratulations on the sex-change, Jack!

1/2 Sauer, 1/2 Kraut Marathon on a hot day!
In the 1/2 Sauer, 1/2 Kraut Marathon in Wyomissing, PA (outside of Reading), Mark Lozier ran 4:21:23 and this editor [Dave McCorquodale] ran 4:45:32, which was second 60-69. When it was mentioned to the director that Mark, at 58, would have placed second in a five year age-group, the director gave him an award anyway, which sort of looks like a cuckoo clock and works like a barometer to predict the weather. See story below.

Four weeks after the Delaware Marathon, I could not resist the lure of a race entitled the 1/2 Sauer, 1/2 Kraut Marathon (also a Half-marathon). With an entry fee of only $60, a tech shirt, a freshly cooked German meal after the run, a strudel stop and a beer stop, how could I resist a marathon that was only an hour and a half drive away? I was so enthusiastic about it that I talked Mark Lozier into joining me on the adventure as he gears up to re-qualify for Boston.

Anyone who can remember back just eight days ago might recall the short spate of crisp Canadian air we experienced, which made being outside a pleasure. But as the marathon weekend approached, the forecasts became hotter and more humid. We received two e-mails from the race directors, advising us to carry water in addition to the water stops which would be available every two miles. As I found out, this was really good advice.

On race morning, the temperature was about 72 at sunrise with a dew point of 70. But before the race was over for me, the temperature officially went to 88 with a dew point of 75, meaning extremely humid conditions. Several minutes before the start, as the sun peeked out from clouds, I was already breaking into a sweat just standing there.

Mark and I spotted Zeke Zucker, who appeared to be the person who would win my 60-69 age group, by the Vermont license plate on his car. He had run a 3:34 at the Marine Corps Marathon last fall, but as a dedicated ultra trail runner, was using this race as a training run for the Vermont 100 Miler. I also introduced Mark to Francesco Criniti, a marathoning maniac from Philadelphia, who averages about a marathon a week. He won the 65-69 age group at the Delaware Marathon with a 3:58, so I was figuring on maybe squeaking out a third place finish.

When the race started (about ten minutes late), we headed off through the Park (Gring’s Mill), across a bridge at the stream and turned to run along the stream. For the first eleven and a half miles, the marathoners were running with the half-marathoners. Everyone had the option to bail on the marathon and just run the half if they couldn’t finish. I had already gone into “long run at the beach” mode as I had done many such runs in the past in hot, humid weather at the New Jersey shore. Just get through the run and drink plenty of fluids. It wasn’t a day to race. Carrying a water bottle, I was determined to drink at every mile.

At the mile six water stop (which we had hit at mile four before the mile five turnaround), there was no water and only a little Gatorade for each runner. Turns out someone had stolen 40 gallons of water that had been dropped off for the stop. I just resorted to another drink from my bottle. By this time, Mark had pulled away from me. For a while, I was running to and talking with Francesco Criniti. I fully expected him to go past me, but he kept talking about the heat and how he planned to walk. Soon he fell back. Somewhere before the turnaround I had also seen Keith Straw, who had placed 3rd in the Delaware Marathon in the 55-59 AG with a 3:21:00. Many of you have probably seen Keith, running in a pink tutu. I yelled his name as he went by, more than a mile ahead of me at that point.

At mile 11.5, where the half-marathoners turned around, I stopped at the water stop for my first bottle refill, which I would do two more times. During the second half of the race, I was walking all the water stops and taking both a cup of water and of Gatorade and making sure I drank all of both. In the twelfth and thirteenth miles, we ran on streets and over a bridge before getting on the Schuylkill River Trail. After a couple miles of shaded area, we started hitting open, sunny spots. I have rarely felt so warm. My hands, which some know I have trouble keeping warm in the winter, felt swollen and extremely hot. Occasionally, I felt a tingle in my scalp or a chill on my body. I knew they were signs of being close to overheating and knew not to push any harder than I was going which was averaging about a 11:30 pace during the second half.

As I approached mile 16, I saw a figure ahead, walking a wearing a pink tutu. It was Keith Straw, who was having a tough day. I tried to encourage him and I went on. After the turn around at eighteen miles, I saw Criniti who was about two miles behind me at that point. But he was smiling and taking walking breaks.

By mile 20 the sky had clouded up and gotten blustery. I welcomed it and commented to someone that I hoped it rained. By mile 22 it did just that – at first single heavy drops as I wound through a shaded part again. Since I was wearing sunglasses, it was feeling like sunset was near. As I approached the bridge crossing, the skies opened up for several minutes. It felt good, good enough that I could pick up the pace, because except for my hands still being hot, I felt cooler.

As I approached the bridge I saw a guy who looked like he might be in my age group. This was more incentive to pick it up. Coming of the bridge, the road was full of water. so it was obvious I couldn’t avoid the puddles and gave in to just running straight ahead. As I passed the guy, I commented that this (the flooded road) was different and didn’t let on that I figured I was racing him for an age place. (I was – he was third in the AG.)

As I got back on the trail for the last two miles, the sun came back out and it was steamy again. My pace correspondingly slowed. In a half mile, I hit the fluid station and chose the beer option. It was only a couple ounces, but it was cold and tasted great. After another mile and a half of slogging through the puddles, it was one last steep climb off the trail to the bridge and across to the finish line.

Mark was there with water. Then we went to gorge ourselves on food. Strudel and other German pastries before proceeding to the main course of brautwurst, sauerkraut and German potatoes. As I sat eating, my entire body was covered in beads of sweat. When I got up after eating, I heard water hitting something. I looked down to see a puddle of water in the plastic seat I had been sitting in and realized it had just been running down my torso and accumulating in the chair.

Later we talked to the director and told him what a great job he did. He told us that it may not be possible to have the marathon again and he might have to just have a half-marathon. The reason is the uncooperativeness of the park rangers. They would not allow the park to open before 8 A.M. and only allowed the race volunteers to have their cars in the park. Everyone else had to park across the street in the various lots of the Penn State Berks County Campus. Obviously, with the heat one could anticipate in mid-June, a 7 A.M. start would help. The rangers also were playing bureaucratic meanies, looking for people (unsuccessfully) who might be drinking beer after the race. Several of them were so heavy, they stayed in motorized jitneys and just rode around. Something tells me they resent runners. After collecting our awards, Mark and I made our way back to the campus parking lot where the rangers did not have authority if someone were drinking a beer.

I sure hope this marathon can happen again. It was a blast in spite of the heat. Even if it’s limited to the half-marathon, it is well worth the trip, but it’s sure to fill up fast as the limit is 750 runners.

BTW, this was my personal worst marathon time, but I’m not bothered It’s obvious the conditions slowed everyone. The male winner ran 2:46. After him, the next person ran 3:05. There were only seven people under 3:30. The female winner ran 3:46 and there were only 26 people under four hours. Zeke Zucker did win the 60-69 age group in 4:02, which is about 15% slower than he ran Marine Corps. So I figure my time on this course, which doesn’t have any serious hills, but does roll a bit, in good conditions would be under 4:15 (my BQ standard). Mark’s time would translate to about a 3:48 which would be only of few mintues off his BQ standard of 3:45. BTW, Keith Straw finished in 5:01:16, Criniti in 5:18:32; and Dana Casanave, the 26 year-old woman who is running a marathon every week in 2010 to raise money for south African aids orphans, ran 5:42:38.

Results from the Chestertown (Md.) 10 Miler, held on May 30:
1:08:36 Wes Stafford
1:14:40 Theresa Kauffman 3rd 45-49
1:44:42 Robert Wortz 3rd 70+
1:45:11 Ralph McKinney

Large team at Moorestown, NJ 8K
On Saturday ten Pike Creek Valley Running club members participated in the Moorestown 8K, part of the MAUSATF Grand Prix Series. The top five scoring members totaled 393.433 points, the third highest total among the club. Going into the summer hiatus, the club stands fifth among the twelve teams. While South Jersey Athletic Club has a healthy 20 point lead over second place, PCVRC is only 17 points behind the second place team. Realistically, eight of the teams still have a shot at one of the five spots that will earn a check from MAUSATF. The next race in the series will be the Delaware Distance Classic 15K on October 10.

Name – – – – Time Age Grade
JAMES DAVID NEWARK DE 49 31 21 82.616
CAMACHO EPI WILMINGTON DE 42 31 2 80.720
COMPTON DEBORAH NEWARK DE 258 40 40 77.623
JERMYN THOMAS NEWARK DE 32 30 46 76.923
SIMMONS DANIEL NEWARK DE 123 35 31 75.551
KAUFFMAN THERESA WILMINGTON DE 139 36 5 73.025
GEE AUSTIN PHILADELPHIA PA 14 29 5 72.894
CHRISTENSEN RAYMOND WILMINGTON DE 132 35 52 66.496
DURKIN JAMES ARDMORE PA 458 46 36 63.770

COFFIN DEAN WILMINGTON DE 159 36 52 63.698

Kelly Horowitz was the female winner of St. Anthony’s 5K in 20:51.

Greg Cauller was second overall at the Girls on the Run 5K in 17:29.

The Howard M. Laws Summer Cross Country Series at Bellevue State Park begins Tuesday, June 8 with the first of six races, occurring every other Tuesday through the summer. It’s a great way to get in some speedwork at a cheap price – $25 for the series, inc. shirt or $5 per race. Sign up at the pavilion across the lake from the parking lot and restrooms by 6:30.

Becky Yencharis‘ 94th birthday will be celebrated with a dinner at Casablanca Restaurant, 4010 n. DuPont Hghwy., New Castle (actually just outside the Wilmington city limits) on July 17 at 6:30 p.m. If interested call Ralph McKinney at 652-8323. For those interested in sending a card or calling Becky, her actual birthday is July 20.

Wissahickon 10K Trail Classic race
Below are the results of the Wissahickon 10K Trail Classic race, part of the MAUSATF Off Road Series.
Race coordinator Rich Szymanski did an excellent job juggling the line-ups of this race against the Moorestown 8K, which was occurring at the same time on Saturday. Some runners who would normally be running the trail race did the road race. In spite of that, the club scored 319.55 points to hold on to second place in the series. Josh Loren was the overall race winner.

– Time – Name – – – Age grade
210 1: 03:28 FENCER LORRI F 49 53.466

29 46:56 CRISPIN KEITH M 43 61.193
21 45:03 CUTRONA MATT M 40 70.952
43 49:05 JAMES CHRISTOPHER M 35 55.891
1 38:37 LOREN JOSH M 29 69.572

25 46:14 MUQARIBU MUDLILLUN M 30 58.219
37 48:05 STEENKAMER TOM M 51 64.367

219 1: 04:42 SZYMANSKI RICHARD M 45 45.620
Total points: 319.550

Pike Creek- The Next Generation:
Last summer Dave and Kathy Farren‘s son DJ participated in some of the Howard Laws races – the shorter version usually for junior high school students. Already this year DJ run the Masser’s Five Miler on Memorial Day weekend and at the age of seven was second 0-9 in 49:33.

MAUSATF Events on Saturday:
Wissahickon 10K Trail Classic (://wissahickonrestorationvolunteers.org/index.php/wtc_site/wtc/wissahickon_trail_classic/) and the Scott Coffee Moorestown Rotary Run 5 Miler (http://www.runningintheusa.com/moorestown/). The coordinators haven’t put out any desperate calls for runners, so perhaps the club has a full complement for each race, but consider doing one.

Upcoming Club 5K Fun Runs
(see www.PCVRC.com for details and additional info on contacting club officers):

Fri 6/4 6pm (for 6:15 start) – Newark Reservoir 5k, just like our previous one.
Location: Newark Reservoir on Old Paper Mill Rd.
Up the hill, 2 loops around and back down to the finish of our 2nd 5K fun
run at the reservoir. This is a PCVRC event. No cost to members or guests.
Non-members will be asked to sign an insurance waiver.
If you’re racing the USATF trail or road race on Saturday, come anyway to jog or help on the course!

After the race, all are invited to socialize just steps away at Timothy’s. Contact Kate if you expect to be there or can assist in some way:
—————–
Wed 6/16 530-730pm – Water table at Delcastle Park
We’ll be handing out free water to runners and walkers to publicize PCVRC.
Come early for the 6pm Group Run or stay afterwards. Feel free to bring
snacks to share with club members or the general public.
Contact Ray if you can commit to at least an hour:
—————–
Thurs 6/17 – Crabowitz 5K
Date: June 17th
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Where: 709 Haddon Road, Wilmington 19808
What: 5K run followed by Crabs & Pizza! Please bring your alcoholic
beverage of choice; We will provide soda and water.
RSVP: We need a head count so please let us know if you can join us! AND let us know if you will eat crabs or pizza (or both) so we can be sure and have enough! Contact Rich at

Help wanted:
Volunteers are urgently needed to help improve the club. Contact Ray for info on the following positions:
Public Relations Coordinator – establish & maintain contact with local press, blogs, fitness centers and other organizations. Promote sponsorship opportunities with the club.

Charity Coordinator – act as liaison with The Wellness Community by
maintaining monthly contact and promoting each other’s events
(Contact Ray or Claire for either)

Local Race Results
Club member Mark Vilardo set a new stte 35-39 age group record for 10K at the Helathy Kidney 10K in New York City on May 15 with a time of 32:34. He bested the time of former club member Bob Hempton, whose 32:43 had stood since 1984.

Lynn Knothe was overall female winner of the Kid Kickin’ Cancer 5K with a time of 20:16 on a humid, 86 degree evening. Kelly Horowitz was second female with 20:39.

At the Cougar Classic 5K for Blue Gold at Delcastle High School Dirk Sweigart was 3rd overall male with a time of 19:48 and Theresa Kauffman was overall female winner in 20:55. On a certified course Dirk would have had a PR and Theresa might have run her best time in her current age-group.

But resident club metronome Ralph McKinney suspected a short course when he ran a faster time on this somewhat rolling course than he had run recently on the Christina Riverfront. Discussion ensued between director Chip Bixler and the principal who had measured the course. It appears the course was only a tad over three miles long.

Kelly Horowitz was second overall female at the Kay’s Kamp 5K in 20:20.

Chris James was second overall male at the Run for the Ages 5K in 19:28.

At the Rusty Rudder 5K, the following club members were top placers:
Mark Vilardo, overall winner, 16:07; Greg Cauller, 3rd overall and 1st 50-54, 17:31; and Lynn Knothe, second overall female and 1st 30-34, 19:45.

Club Members participate in 3 races
Quite a few club members jumped into a 5K race (or two) over the weekend. At the Hockessin Rotary 5K there were 13 club members, including three of the top six males (Epi Camacho, 2nd, Chris James, 4th, and Ryan German, 6th) and the second and third females (Kelly Horowitz and Shannon German).

Meanwhile at the Stroll for Epilepsy at Brandywine Park, five club members took four age group awards.

The next day five club members participated in the Race for a Better Delaware 5K at the Wilmington Riverfront, including overall female winner, Lynn Knothe in 19:11 and third overall male Greg Cauller in 17:23.

Upcoming Club 5K Fun Runs
Fri 6/4 – Newark Reservoir 5k, just like our previous one. Contact Kate if you expect to be there or can assist in some way:

Thurs 6/17…
The following is from Rich Szymanski. Reply to him at

Warning
The contents in this message are not to be taken seriously! For some reason you do not understand this is only in fun, please see DR. Dan for referrals.

Tricia and I are having our second annual crab feast with a little twist. This year we will be adding a 5k hate run. That’s right! A hate run! It will be named after Philadelphia sports fans most hated person – Jack Horowitz. The “I hate Jack 5k” will be combined with the crab feast and will be known as the “Crabowitz 5k”.

Jack has insulted all Philadelphia sports teams for years and we are not going to take it any more. So all you closet haters come on out and show your true colors by booooing him into submission. This will be the perfect day of the year to let loose on all life’s frustrations by boooing the heck out of Jack.

If by chance you are a Mets fan (Ray) or fan of any other team, please wear something, (hat,shirt,shock) that will identify you as a traitor and we will save some hate for you as well.

“My name is Jack Horowitz and I approve this message.”

Date: June 17th
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Where: 709 Haddon Road, Wilmington 19808
What: 5K run followed by Crabs & Pizza!
RSVP: We need a head count so please let us know if you can join us! AND let us know if you will eat crabs or pizza (or both) so we can be sure and have enough!

Please bring your alcoholic beverage of choice; We will provide soda and water.