Minutes of the October 5, 2021 membership meeting of the NVR
- Details
- Written by John Iceland John Iceland
NVRC and PSU Club Cross-Country to Host Labor Day Races
- Details
- Written by Martin Mazur Martin Mazur
NVRC Supports 2020 Unofficial "Day of Caring"
- Details
- Written by Martin Mazur Martin Mazur
The 2020 United Way Day of Caring was canceled due to COVID. But in the middle of October, a small group of volunteers, along with Joe Hughes, the Penn State Golf Courses PGA General Manager, decided not to let the PSU golf course perimeter trail go back to a state of nature. Liz & Jim Kisenwether, and Cheree Jones coordinated the project. Also involved were Tracy Hanahan and Bill Kupinski.
The crew concentrated on areas near Walker Clubhouse, hole #8, and sections of the wooded path parallel to Blue Course Drive.
The Nittany Valley Running Club, as usual, offered to chip in for food and drinks, but the crew was small enough that Cheree Jones and Joe Hughes picked up the tab. The Club will get it next year when there's a bigger crew!
Here are some photo highlights of the day.
An example before picture before brush clearing.
Jim and Liz Kisenwether, Joe Hughes, Tracy Hanahan, and Bill Kupinski in an "after" shot of a cleared area.
NTF Youth Cross Country Program
- Details
- Written by Martin Mazur Martin Mazur
Nittany Track and Field club youth cross country program will be back this fall! We will be starting practice on August 23rd, 2021. The practices will be held at Tudek Park (400 Herman Dr, State College, PA), Monday through Thursday from 5:45 to 7:15 pm (attendance flexible).The regular fall season is currently planned through November 7th.
Registration is OPEN!
This program is open to kids 8-18 and is good for all levels of experience. It is a perfect starter for younger athletes who are just making their first steps in distance running, but it also offers rigorous training and competition opportunities for more seasoned athletes. If you wonder if it is the right fit for your kids, please check out the Q&A page which may answer some of your questions.
Throughout the season, we have a lot of fun practices and events planned, including park and trail runs, hill sessions, intersquad tournament, treasure hunt, and games of various kind. Our athletes will have opportunities to race at local all-comers meets and also travel to Regional and National cross country championships at the end of the season.
More information about the program and NTF club in general is available at www.ntfxc.com or if you have any questions, please feel free to email Mark Fedkin at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
NVRC Group Run Survey
- Details
- Written by Martin Mazur Martin Mazur
June 8, 2020
The NVRC is looking to start up group runs again. We’re asking for your input now to help us to decide under what restrictions we’ll do this, whether the runs will be ‘official’, i.e. run under the aegis of the Club, listed on our web site Calendar and Facebook page, etc. The question of their ‘official’ status comes down to whether they’ll be covered under our liability policy provided by our umbrella organization, the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA). Local runners are currently free to organize group runs using our listserve, which is not an ‘official’ NVRC organ. However, if we were to advertise them on our web site or Facebook, potential liability questions could arise. In addition, many if not most of our group runs have, in the past, been led by Club officers. So, as you can see, even if we kept group runs as ‘unofficial’ meet-ups, connection to the Club and liability could come into play.
To help us make these decision, we’ve put together survey regarding starting group runs during the current Pennsylvania "green phase" of the COVID-19 pandemic response. Only the first three sections have required responses. The last section on your running personal habits is completely optional, as is the comments section.
Note that some pairs of questions are intended to cover some issues from 'both sides': e.g. Are you willing to participate in group runs if masks are required during the run? / Are you willing to participate in group runs if masks are NOT required during the run?
NOTE: We intend to have a general minimum policy for our ‘official' group runs based in part on state rules and guidelines for group activities, on the guidelines and recommendations of the RRCA, and on the responses of this survey. However, some group leaders may want to lead runs under more restrictions. If the group leader wishes more than the minimum restrictions, he or she will be asked to make them clear in the group run description.
Please take about 10 minutes to fill out the survey. And please put your ideas in the Comments section.
Course Map: The Nittany Valley Marathon (1972-84)
- Details
- Written by Martin Mazur Martin Mazur
Many of you remember the Mount Nittany Marathon, which was run in our area from 2013 to 2015. The Mount Nittany Conservancy put on the race, and the Nittany Valley Running Club provided advice and support. Marathons are hard to put on (and expensive) because of the logistics of setting up a course, providing directions, and adequate water stops, especially if the race is run in the summer as the Mt. Nittany was. Those were among the reasons that the race was only put on for 3 years.
What you may not know is that a long time ago, the area regularly held another marathon, the Nittany Valley Marathon. That race was run from about 1972 through 1984. The Nittany Valley Marathon was put on by the Nittany Valley Track Club, which is what the NVRC was called back then. The last running of the marathon in 1984 corresponded with the first running of the Nittany Valley Half-Marathon, which is still with us (and is one of the Club’s most successful races).
Read more: Course Map: The Nittany Valley Marathon (1972-84)
2020 Winter Blood Drive Is A Success
- Details
- Written by Mike Casper Mike Casper
THANK YOU!
A hearty thanks to everyone who came out to donate, invited someone to donate, or helped someone get to the Nittany Valley Running Club’s Winter Blood Drive! The NVRC’s reason for hosting blood drives is to encourage healthy, able donors to come out and donate, because just 4% of the population is providing blood for the nation’s emergency needs, so you generous donors are invaluable. With your generosity, we collected 12 units of whole blood at this drive. That translates to saving up to 36 lives – which is no small achievement. Thank you!
Our presenting donors were treated to fresh Pizza Hut pizza, running films, and recent Trail Runner and Ultrarunning magazines. Whether you were able or unable to participate in this drive, we encourage you to take a moment to put the NVRC’s Fall Blood Drive, set for Thursday, Sept. 10, on your calendar now – it’s likely to creep up on us before we know it!
The presenting blood donors, volunteers, and those whose lives may be saved by those donations were the drive’s many winners. Drawing prizes went to:
Jim M. – The NVRC Rodney Myers Memorial 17th Annual Egg Hill 10 Miler and Relay entry (May 5). Link: http://nvrun.com/index.php/racing/club-sponsored/run-around-egg-hill
Suzanne W. – Crack O’ Dawn 5K Run/Walk & Pancake Breakfast entry (June 6). Link: http://nvrun.com/index.php/racing
Erin Y. – 45th Annual Sue Crowe Memorial NVRC Arts Festival 5K and 10K Races (5K-10K) entry (July 12). Link: http://nvrun.com/index.php/racing/club-sponsored/arts-festival-races
Kathryn H. – $100 credit toward an individual or team entry in the Tussey mOUnTaiNBACK 50 Mile Relay and Ultramarathon (Oct. 11). Link: http://www.tusseymountainback.com/
WHEN AM I ELIGIBLE TO GIVE AGAIN?
If you donated at this drive, you’ll be eligible again on March 13. If you didn’t donate at this drive, we encourage you to seek out a blood drive near you anytime!
Thanks for supporting the American Red Cross and the NVRC!