GRTC PRESIDENT’S LETTER 6.1.23
May was a busy month for runners and for GRTC. Our region has once again proven itself a great place for running. The weather this past month has generally been ideal and I think everyone is taking advantage of it. The Mind the Ducks 12 hour ultra in webster on 5/20 took place on an admittedly rainy day. But a good time was still had by all with 129 finishers. Four of them coincidentally had their birthday that day, and a rousing chorus of “happy birthday” was sung to start them off. May 21st was the lilac 10K RROY race. This longstanding favorite was a great event this year on a beautiful sunny day with 673 runners in the 10K and 1164 runners in the 5K. It was once again a truly great way to “ring in” the summer season. And our GRTC spring running clinic continues on the track at Nazareth College with 40 participants enjoying the weekly program and getting ready for their “final exam”, the RROY McMullen mile race on 6/9/23.
June ahead is also a very busy month with THREE RROY races! We have the McMullan Mile on Friday 6/9/23, the Stache Dash 5K on 6/17/23 and the June Jaunt 5K on 6/18/23. (SEE DETAILS OF EACH BELOW). Signup for all today. Each comes with a discount for GRTC members.
And GRTC continues a great slate of running options for everyone this summer. We will again have a bus to the Utica Boilermaker race on 7/9/23. We will also have our third annual summer picnic in Durand Eastman Park on 7/29/23. And a new 7 week “westside” running clinic will start Monday 8/21/23 on the track at Roberts Wesleyan College in North Chili. GRTC truly has a great lineup of running activities for 2023 to fit our club mission of supporting running throughout the Rochester area. Take advantage yourself of all these opportunities. A modest $20 yearly membership gives you discounts on everything. It clearly pays for itself in “short order.” What can you lose?
BOILERMAKER BUS TRIP: 7/9/23. As in the past, we will again have a bus to the boilermaker race for participant convenience. If you are signed up for this great run, travel to Utica in style with a contingent of fun and enthusiastic Rochester runners on the GRTC bus. Plans are to leave at 3:45 AM from St John Fisher College and return back by 3:00 PM. Participants DO need to sign up for the race themselves. This has been a well-received and fun trip for many years. Don’t wait. Sign up today.
https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/
GRTC 9 HOURS FOR 9 LIVES ULTRA: 6/10.
Run or walk as many 1.52 mile loops as you want over 9 hours! 9 Hours for 9 Lives Ultra is happening again at Fish Farm Markets, Mt. Payne Rd, Shortsville, NY on Saturday, June 10th! You will run across farm fields and through hilly wooded areas on beautiful farmland. There will be handcrafted medals for all participants no matter how many loops you complete and awards to top performers. Raffle tickets will be on sale to win some fantastic prizes from local businesses and individuals. There will be a fully stocked aid station with the usual fare and plenty of room for you to set up your own home away from home for the day. Proceeds benefit Colony Caregivers who provide care for feral and colony cats in and around Ontario County https://runsignup.com/
CANDLELIGHT 12/24 ULTRAS: 7/15/23
And don’t forget to sign up for the third of GRTC’s long distance ultra-events for 2023. Based at the Rotary Sunshine Camp in Rush, this event gives one the option to run as many one mile loops as possible in either 12 hours (through the night) or for a full 24 hours. You can do it at your own pace, you will never be alone, and there is a fully stocked aid station every mile, guaranteed! It’s a great site, course and a great event for runners of all paces. Don’t miss out on the fun. And if you aren’t able to participate but would like to check out this event for the future, volunteers are also needed (contact egils.robs@gmail.com).
Signup: https:// runsignup.com/Race/NY/Rush/
GRTC ULTRA RACE SERIES: And with additions to our ultra series this year, we have a broad race selection for everyone’s enjoyment, including the new 24 hour option at the Candlelight event. With tremendous course support for all, join in on the fun. If you’ve never given an ultra a try, this should be your year.
GRTC SUMMER RUNNING CLINIC: A new offering from GRTC. This is a similar format to our “traditional” spring track clinic, but on the “west side” and with more of an emphasis on running in the heat. This 7-week program will run Mondays 6:00 to 7:30 pm on the track at Roberts Wesleyan College in North Chili. It will start on Monday 8/21. Coaching will be by Vickey Beaver with weekly speakers and topics to be announced. Each session will have a didactic topic, group warmups, workouts and cool down exercises. It will conclude with a 1mile race on the track on 10/6/23. Stay tuned for further details and signup data, but put it on your calendar now.
RROY CHARLIE MCMULLEN MILE: 6/9/23
St John Fisher College Track. In the mid-1970’s Charlie ran the mile in 3:56 and the marathon in 2:15. He was a national class master runner and world-class person, as well as a 1993 GRTC HOF awardee. This mile race is to honor his legacy. It is a fun event with “heats” to accommodate racers of all ages and paces. If you have never done a mile race on the track, come out, run with us, and see how much fun this can be. https://runsignup.com/
RROY STASH DASH 5K: 6/17/23: This evening race in Canandaigua on fathers day weekend to raise money for men’s health issues. All donations benefit the Blue Foundation and the families they support in the Finger Lakes region. Signup: https://runsignup.com/Race/
RROY JUNE JAUNT 5K: 6/18/23. June Jaunt is the second of two back-to-back Rochester Runner of the year races Father’s Day weekend! With a new location, Studio 22 in Hilton, it is largely the same route as last year. With a generous 1 hour, 15 minute cut-off runners and walkers of most paces will be able to finish this relatively flat 5K in the allotted time and enjoy frozen treats for most diets, including vegan. Put this on your calendar for Sunday, June 18!https://runsignup.com/Race/
ROCHESTER RUNNER OF THE YEAR SERIES: GRTC works with individual race directors to promote the RROY series and provides the awards for series winners. GRTC members also get a signup discount for all the RROY races. We therefore encourage all GRTC members to take full advantage of their membership value and participate in as many of these races as possible, to support the individual races, the series and running in our region. 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 at our Banquet. As a GRTC member, consider these YOUR races throughout the year.
RROY races for 2023:
RROY series: https://
2023 GRTC OPTIONS/VALUE: Once again for 2023 make a point to take the time to rediscover the true joy of running (and the running community) in our area. GRTC has lots to offer over the whole year. And take advantage of the multiple GRTC membership discounts we offer. Get out and do all the RROY series races (a $65 discount value for those doing all). Sign up for our ultra races this year (discounts for members). Sign up for our spring and/or summer running clinics ($20 off for members). Take advantage of the boilermaker bus on 7/9/23. And come out on 7/29 for our annual summer picnic. 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 pays for itself and goes a long way to keeping our sport vibrant and maintaining running events/opportunities for all. See you out on the road.
Join: https://runsignup.com/Club/NY/
Doug Jones (President GRTC)