PDF of April 2025 President’s Letter
Dear Members and GRRC Followers:
Yay! It’s spring! This letter recaps April club activity, highlights upcoming GRRC-related races, events, and volunteer opportunities, and provides new information.
April Club Recap
- The board has approved amendments to the club bylaws reducing the maximum number of directors from 23 to 13. It brings us in line with what our membership is from where it was in our heyday decades ago. With the number of running stores, clubs, groups, and coaches Greater Rochester now enjoys, GRRC doesn’t have the number of official members or events that warrant such a large number of people on the board.
- The board also has established a special project group to analyze our financial health, establish a policy for annual budget creation, and update our process for treasury requests. Gil Robs, Tina Ruhland, and I bring our experiences with budgets outside the club and Treasurer Marilee Pryor as well as Secretary (and Past Treasurer) Jennifer Gaudino bring their experiences with the club treasury to the group.
- The board is in recess for May, although non-board meeting activities will continue as needed.
Current/Coming Events
April
4/23 – GRRC Annual Spring Clinic, coached by GRRC Hall of Fame Honorees Coaches Mike Reif and Carolyn Smith-Hannah; Wednesdays from April 23 to June 4; Goal race two days after the final clinic session: McMullen Mile, a RROY race. Register for this all skill level clinic to enjoy a different kind of challenge than your everyday workout experience by going to https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Rochester/GreaterRochesterTrackClubSpringClinicsandTrackWorkouts. Registration will stay open for the time being.
4/26 – Wild Water Derby 5K, directed by GRRC VP Martha Doody; this second-year race is a first-time participant in Rochester Runner of the Year; taking place in Shortsville, it’s part of a bigger event so there is more to see and do before and after you’re done with your 5K. Register at https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Shortsville/WildWaterDerby5k.
May
5/10 – Mind the Ducks, directed by GRRC Board Member Gil Robbs, is an opportunity to challenge yourself with up to 12 hours of going in circles in Webster. Okay, it’s a little more oval-y than circle-y, but you get the idea. The slightly more than 1-mile paved course means you have ample opportunity to stop at the communal aid station, your own personal (optional) aid station, and restrooms. Check out the details and register at https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Webster/MTD12
5/18 – Lilac 10K, during the Rochester Lilac Festival, offers a festive atmosphere for those looking to add another race to their RROY checklist. GRRC hosts the 10K water stop, so we’ll be there to cheer you on. More on that later. Register at https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Rochester/RocLilacRun.
5/24 – Sunset House 5K, supporting Sunset House Hospice, takes place in Irondequoit. Always a welcoming race, the volunteers put on quite the after-race table. This is a RROY race. Register at https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Irondequoit/SunsetHouse5KRunandWalk.
Boilermaker Bus
Thanks to Wilt Alston, the GRRC bus to Boilermaker 15K Start Line is back! Registration is now open. Members get a $20 discount. Don’t sign up for the bus if you’re doing the 5K. It won’t get you where you need to be. Registration for the race is not part of the bus registration. That must be done at the Boilermaker signup page. Go to https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/EastRochester/GRTCBoilermakerBusTrip to register for the bus. We’ve included the race link there for your convenience.
MILEStone Patch Challenge Open
Register now at https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Rochester/GreaterRochesterRunningClubMILEStonePatchChallenge to start tracking your mileage. Even if you’re not sure how to do the data entry, if you want to be in the MILEStone Challenge, free registration is required. If needed, we’ll help you out with the data entry. Questions? Just email us at milestone@grtconline.org.
Discounts
See member discounts at https://runsignup.com/Club/NY/Rochester/GreaterRochesterTrackClub. There are some new ones there! RROY races will show discounts at they open.
Volunteerism
5/18 – Lilac Water Stop
Contact Tina Ruhland at clruhland016@gmail.com to sign up to help with the GRRC water stop for the Lilac 10K.
GRRC – Want to help and don’t know how? Contact me at president@grtconline.org and let’s talk!
Thank you for being a member or being interested enough to follow us in email and social media. Members can renew before their membership lapses and followers can become members by registering at https://runsignup.com/Club/NY/Rochester/GreaterRochesterTrackClub.
See you out there!
Vickey Beaver