GRTC PRESIDENT’S LETTER 11.1.22
The leaves have now changed to beautiful fall colors, but some great warm fall weather has also blessed us the last couple weeks. We also had some great club events in October. The CanLake50 ultra race on 10/8 came off well with 70 participants in the 50mile/50k/25K all enjoying the course around beautiful Canandaigua Lake. The RROY Scare Brain Cancer away 5K last weekend in East Rochester saw 433 finishers on a picture-perfect day. Top male honors went to Ken Goodfellow (15:34) and the top female was GRTC HOF member Melissa White-Johnson (17:59). October was a good month.
Cooler weather is just over the horizon, but there are still great running opportunities ahead. The 2022 RROY series finishes up in November with the East Avenue Grocery Run on 11/5 and the Thanksgiving Day Feast Race on 11/24. Our 2022 Ultra Race Series also finishes with the Bound for the Hounds Ultra 11/19/22. On 12/17 GRTC will also host its first Holiday Cookies and Lights Fun Run in Fairport. Full details for all these events are below. And looking forward toward 2023, the Freezeroo winter race series starting 12/10/22 is now open for sign up. Altogether, there is a distance and terrain option for everyone, so come out and enjoy.
HOLIDAY COOKIES AND LIGHTS FUN RUN: 12/17/22 Come join GRTC for an inaugural December fun run/walk to enjoy the holiday lights in Fairport village. We will meet at 4:30 PM at “My Wine and Cheese Bar Too” in Fairport (400 Packetts Landing, Fairport). Plan is to start out at 4:45 pm on a 5K course that will take us along the canal and through the village, ending at “My Wine and Cheese Bar too” for drinks (discount for first drink) and light food to purchase. We will also be hosting a holiday cookie share and exchange there, so bring your best cookies along to enjoy and trade with others. Informal free event. See you there to celebrate the holiday season.
GRTC BOUND FOR THE HOUNDS ULTRA: 11/19/22 The 4th annual GRTC Bound for the Hounds 6-hour Ultra will be on 11/19/22 at Budd Park in Shortsville. In the model of Candlelight12 and Mind the Ducks, participants will run as many 2.3 mile loops on the Manchester Gateway Trail (surface comparable to the canal path) as one can do in 6 hours. Organized by Martha Doody. Proceeds support Gordy and Friends (http://www.gordyandfriends.org/), a group of volunteers who go directly into the community and help chained and penned dogs suffering from isolation, poor shelter, and lack of food and other necessities. This beautiful course in rural Shortsville is a great way to finish up your ultra-race season. Sign up today https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Shortsville/3rdAnnualBoundfortheHounds6HourUltra
TWO RROY RACES STILL AHEAD: Though fall is upon us, there are still 2 races ahead to finish out your RROY “portfolio”. On 11/5/22 is the East Avenue Grocery Run 5K. Proceeds there go the support Rochester area food pantries to supply food for those in need. And on Thanksgiving Day, 11/24, is The Feast Thanksgiving Day race. Running a race thanksgiving morning is a time-honored tradition for many, and this race series will not disappoint. Both 5 mile and 2-mile family friendly options (and virtual) are available. Come out with everyone and burn off some of those holiday calories.
East Avenue Grocery Run: https://www.groceryrun.org/
The Feast Thanksgiving Race: https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Rochester/FeastofBurden5Miler
RROY SERIES FORMAT: GRTC works with individual race directors to promote the RROY series and provides the awards for winners. GRTC members also get a signup discount for
all the RROY races. We encourage all GRTC members therefore to take advantage of their membership value and participate in as many of these races as possible, to support both the individual races and the series. As in the past one needs to run only 4 races over the year to be eligible for RROY awards, and 6 races gives you a consistent participant award. As a GRTC member, consider these YOUR races and a great way to support running in our area. See full list of RROY races for 2022 below. Put the last two races for 2022 on your calendar today.
3/12 Running of the Green 5 mile
5/22 Highland Hospital Lilac 10K
6/10-11 Charlie McMullen Mile
6/18 Stache Dash 5K
6/19 June Jaunt 5K
8/28 Black Diamond Express 5K
9/4 Oaktree half marathon
9/10 Heritage Hero 10K
10/22 Scare Brain Cancer Away 5k
11/5/22 East Ave Grocery Run 5K
11/24 The Feast Thanksgiving Day
RROY website: https://rochesterrunneroftheyear.org.
FREEZEROO 2022-2023: REGISTRATION ACTIVE The Freezeroo series continues to be a favorite of individuals and the running community. The series and individual races have signup discounts which remain one of the long-established values of GRTC membership. The Freezeroo is definitely an important way to keep us all running together and connected through the long upstate New York winter. Be sure to sign up for all this season’s races now. Using the same venues as in the past, there are a variety of locations, distances and terrains (something for everyone).
12/10/22: Don Curran Memorial 5K race at North Star Christian Academy in Gates
1/1/23: New Year’s Resolution 7.5-mile race at Mendon Ponds Park
1/7/23: Pineway Ponds 5-mile race from Pineway Ponds Park in Spencerport
1/21/23: Hearnish 5-mile race from Victor Municipal Park
2/4/23: Valentines 8-mile race from Braddock Bay Park (9:00 am start)
2/18/22: White House 4.4-mile race from Webster Park
Signup: https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Rochester/FreezerooSeriesIndividualRace
Once again, rediscover this year the true joy of running in the upstate New York, and take advantage of the multiple GRTC membership discounts we offer. Get out and do the RROY series races (a $50 discount value for those doing all). Sign up for an ultra. Put the Freezeroo series dates on your calendar now. And as always, if you want to continue to have opportunities for running in the Rochester region, come join (or renew your membership in) GRTC. We have a place for you. A modest $20 yearly membership goes a long way to keeping our sport vibrant and maintaining running events/opportunities for all. See you out on the road. GRTC Membership: https://runsignup.com/Club/NY/Rochester/GreaterRochesterTrackClub
Doug Jones (President GRTC)