Greater Rochester Running Club President’s Letter
Dear Members and GRRC Supporters:
Before I get into the normal stuff I put in my letter, I want to welcome all the new members who have joined in recent weeks. Every month, I aim to get a newsletter out telling all about what the board and club have done and spotlight events that are upcoming. This letter contains the February club recap, upcoming events, and some club highlights, including election information.
February Club Recap
- At the February board meeting, we did a bit of getting to know you with the new directors who were able to make it. We also discussed some proposed changes to how we handle some of the programming to align our financial decisions with standard and best practices of non-profit organizations.
- Freezeroo wrapped up with some seriously close standings for multiple age group awards. Thanks to all the individual race directors, Doug Jones for one last season at the helm as the Series Chair, the many, many volunteers who worked in various capacities, and those of you who raced. We’re already getting reservations and such underway for the 2026-2027 season. Be sure to keep an eye on the registration opening in November when we get to do it all over again!
- The 2026 Rochester Runner of the Year Series is set! Your RROY Committed is Vice President Jennifer Gaudino (Series Chair), Director Kelly Nash, Director Alex Croll, and Member Cathie Trabucco. They have created a great new lineup with recurring races and new ones, too. The series does not have any separate registration. Gil Robbs compiles the results from the various races and when you’ve got six of them, you’ve got enough to be in the standings. From that point, your top six scores count while lower ones fall off. Awardees are honored at the annual GRRC Banquet (link to that shortly). See the list and links at https://rochesterrunneroftheyear.org.
- The Try-A-Tri went off well and we were proud to once again sponsor the event. From it, we gained nearly 20 new members.
Coming Events (See Club RSU page for any unlinked events)
March
7 – Annual GRRC Banquet: This year we’re doing a brunch! Late enough the snowplows will have come through and early enough that you get home in the light. Raffles, RROY awards & announcements, MILEStone patches and awards, club highlights, and inducting Mark Andrews and Bill Murphy into the GRRC Hall of Fame! Space is limited. Register now at https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Rochester/GRTCAnnualAwardsBanquet. There are limited seats left and registration closes soon. Also, if you have a business or side gig you’d like to donate a raffle item from, please let me know by replying to this message by 3/5.
14 – Runnn’ of the Green: This is the kickoff Rochester Runner of the Year Series race! Live music, festive atmosphere, and an easy-to-follow out-and-back course featuring the Genessee River Trail. Register at https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Rochester/RunninoftheGreenpresentedbytheYMCA and get a club discount!
April
23 – Spring Track Clinic Kicks off; due to a scheduling conflict at our host site, Nazareth University, the initial meeting is on Thursday, but all others will be on Wednesdays. The McMullen Mile, a RROY race, immediately follows the clinic, a perfect way to test all you work on in the clinic. Participants who register with the code provided during the clinic get the race for free. https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Rochester/GreaterRochesterTrackClubSpringClinicsandTrackWorkouts
May
3 – Medved Madness Short Course on Trails! (RROY Race), 5 Miles, https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/HoneoyeFalls/MedvedMadnessTrailRace
3 – Duvall Goat Run, not RROY, but giving members a great discount, 4 Miles, https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Bloomfield/DuvallFarmsGoatRun4MileRun
17 – Lilac 10K (RROY Race), the last weekend of the Lilac Festival; the 5K happens the same day, but does not count as a RROY race. Many people enjoy the chance to do both as they are spaced out apart long enough for a lot of folks to do just that. 10K, https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Rochester/RocLilacRun
23 – Sunset House 5K (RROY Race), traditionally with a great soup selection among the post-race refreshments, this is a fundraiser as well as fun, 5K, https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Irondequoit/SunsetHouse5KRunandWalk
MILEStone Patch Challenge
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.
Patches from 2025 will be available at the banquet on 3/7/2026. Folks attending the banquet are eligible for Highlight Awards designated by MILEStone Challenge Chair Tina Ruhland. Any remaining patches will be mailed afterwards.
Discounts
See member discounts at https://runsignup.com/GreaterRochesterRunningClub. They are updated as race directors extend the discount to our members.
Volunteerism
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/GreaterRochesterRunningClub.
See you out there!
Vickey Beaver