Happy Holidays! The time for Christmas and holiday celebration is here, but COVID continues its grip on our community and socialization. With a continuing nationwide and NY state flare of COVID, the city of Rochester was just moved this week into the “orange zone” with caps of 10 people total for any mass event. Mendon, in the yellow zone, is capped at 25 people total for any mass event. At this level of restriction, we have decided that we cannot go ahead with the New Year’s Resolution Race in Mendon Ponds on 1/1/21. It looks like proceeding with any in-person racing may have to wait until there is improvement again in our local numbers. Things ARE changing week by week and it is still possible that some of the later races in our winter series could go forward with wave starts and COVID precautions. We will however just have to let people know about each race individually when WE know that it can proceed, contingent on Dept of Health approval. We do though feel we need to be within COVID guidelines and go forward only when we can be sure it is safe for our runners and community.
In the meantime, we hope you ARE all still out there on the road. Running (avoiding “mass” events) remains one sport that CAN be done outside in any season with adequate COVID precautions. Solo running or running with those in your personal “bubble” can be a way to mentally and physically survive these unprecedented times. There are still virtual events ongoing and each of the running stores are still trying to allow small groups that fall within guidelines. Rochester Running Company at this point is still hosting their small group weeknight runs and Saturday morning small pace groups capped at 10 people. Fleet Feet has suspended their Saturday paced runs but still have some in-person events planned on their website, including their weekly “Trails and Ales” event on Thursdays, capped at 20 people. Medved just hosted the Virtual Feast Thanksgiving Run/Walk. All the stores remain open for all your holiday purchases and running needs. With all however, check their websites and Facebook pages often about their active offerings, as the COVID guidelines situation are in daily flux.
On a positive note, the club has redesigned its long standing GRTC logo to bring it “up to date”. The new logo comes in two versions, one of which incorporates the Rochester Skyline! Both are now available on shirts, tank tops, hoodies, masks and other articles for purchase from Threadless.com. This site allows you to select your size, color and logo in a variety of apparel shipped directly to your home at a reasonable and competitive price. We have tried the site out ourselves and are happy with the quality and the process. Items with the traditional logo are also available as well. Please log in and check out what we have at https://grtc.threadless.com. We think you will be pleased with this new addition GRTC offerings.
As I have said before, 2020 has been an “interesting” year, and one that none of us want to repeat. Our region in general has still NOT done badly with COVID compared to other areas of the nation because of our collective diligence with group sizes, social distance, mask use, COVID precautions and common sense. Even though we are limited in races now, keeping up compulsively with these approaches remains our best strategy for coming out of the pandemic and returning to some semblance of normal. And there WILL be vaccines coming. The running community still has challenges ahead of it but we WILL eventually come out of this, stronger as individuals and runners. As always, come join (or renew your membership in) GRTC. A modest $20 yearly membership goes a long way to keeping our sport vibrant and maintaining running events and opportunities for all. In the meantime, keep running. See you out on the road (6 feet apart).
Doug Jones (President GRTC)
GRTC Membership: https://runsignup.com/Club/NY/Rochester/GreaterRochesterTrackClub
GRTC purchases: https://grtc.threadless.com