Greetings, runners! We have results to share from Forest Frolic, Forge the Gorgeous, the August track meet, and upcoming races include the Monster Marathon and Danby Down & Dirty! But first, here’s what’s happening with the club.
CLUB NEWS
Want to run cross country? Join our teams for the PGXC series!
We are once again fielding men’s and women’s teams to run in the five-race Pete Glavin Cross Country Series against teams from Auburn, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and more. It’s just like high school cross country, but with better food and beer and chocolate for prizes. Although the competition can be pretty stiff, everyone is welcome to run, regardless of age or ability. We already have some 19-and-under runners signed up, and there is even an Ultra Vet category if we can find at least three 70+ runners. For full details and signup links, read all the introductory posts on the PGXC forum.
FLRC photo library continues to collect race photos—please upload yours!
The new FLRC photo library continues to expand, thanks to extensive uploads from Pete Kresock, Steve Shaum, and Lorrie Tily. We now have 50 albums available, with some photos dating as far back as 2008. For shots from recent races, it’s easy to upload from your phone or computer—no account needed. In particular, we could still use some photos from the August track meet. And if you have a bunch of old pictures from FLRC events, let Adam Engst know, and we’ll figure out the best way to get them uploaded.
MITHACAL MILERS workouts restart on Tuesdays at 6 PM
As summer winds down, it’s time to start thinking about cross country season. To help anyone planning to race in the PGXC series this fall, or anyone who would like a structured weekly workout, Adam Engst has restarted the MITHACAL MILERS workouts. Join the group on Tuesday nights at 6 PM, currently meeting at the Cornell Botanic Gardens (the parking lot north of the ponds). The workouts are free and open to all FLRC members, but everyone must sign an online waiver once for 2021. It’s the same as for the FLRC group runs, so if you’ve signed that one this year, no need to do so again. Please bring a mask, and if you aren’t fully vaccinated, wear it whenever you aren’t running. Learn more and follow the Group Runs & Workouts forum for each week’s workout.
Saturday group runs continue to focus on FLRC Challenge courses
Heather Cobb continues to lead companionable group runs on FLRC Challenge courses, generally on the first and third Saturday mornings of every month. It’s a great way to explore the FLRC Challenge courses and some of the area’s most gorgeous trails. Check the Group Runs & Workouts forum for details about the next group run.
RACE RESULTS
Forest Frolic brings 119 runners back to Kennedy State Forest in Virgil
With just a few weeks off after directing Finger Lakes 50s, race directors Pete Dady and Mike Stone did a bang-up job with the Forest Frolic 7K and 15K trail races. 48-year-old Dan Augustyn won the 7K overall in 35:10, and Margo Lee took first for the women and third overall in 40:28. 55-year-old Steve Shaum snagged the men’s masters title in 44:21, and 57-year-old Louise Mahar was first for masters women in 46:32. The 15K came down a sprint, with 33-year-old Kristofor Norberg holding off 15-year-old Crosby Woods by 1 second to record the win in 1:07:34. Margaret Frank was the first woman by a lot in 1:18:09. On the masters side, 48-year-old Brian Lee was the top man in 1:10:51, and 61-year-old Nancy Kleinrock took the women’s crown in 1:29:50.
Forge the Gorgeous returns to its Thursday night time slot and pizza party
Race directors Lorrie Tily and Chris Irving brought Moravia’s Forge the Gorgeous trail race back to its traditional Thursday night slot for 68 runners, with lots of no-shows due to hot weather and thunderstorm threats. That didn’t stop Kristofor Norberg from notching another win in the 7-mile race in 55:17, followed by first masters runner Brian Lee in 56:48. Margaret Frank also repeated her win from Frolic in 1:07:42, with Yvette de Boer placing second for women and first for masters women in 1:11:16. Teenagers ruled the 3.5-mile race, with 19-year-old Thomas Hicks recording a 33:30 to win the men’s title and 14-year-old Lauren Augustyn running 35:43 as the first woman. Aaron Hicks won the men’s masters title in 35:18 for a father/son double, and Sandy Gregorich was the first masters woman in 38:26.
August track meet sets record for the fastest completion in memory
Thanks to heavy rain earlier in the day and the threat of thunderstorms, attendance was low again at meet director Adam Engst’s August track meet, with 38 finishers matching the July meet’s numbers. With FLRC’s estimable track volunteers firing on all cylinders, however, we completed a four-event meet in just 37 minutes, fast enough to avoid getting wet. In the 100m, the most popular event with 24 runners across five heats, Anthony Smith took the win in 11.49 seconds, with Kiara Tornusciolo first for the women in a speedy 13.92. In the 1-mile race, Alex Simpson pulled away from Scott Weeks and Adam Berkowitz to win in 4:35, while Liz Hartman took the women’s crown in 5:59. The 400m shrank to only two heats, with Keshawn Jones running the single lap in 55:59 seconds and 6-year-old Kaarina Granroth posting a 1:47.48 to win the kids’ heat. The night’s final event was the 800m, where William Hartnett ran alone to win in 2:09, with Liz Hartman doubling her distance wins to come in second overall and first for the women in 2:50.
Thirty-one runners have now completed the FLRC Challenge—when will you?
Despite being 28 weeks in, the FLRC Challenge continues to pick up new registrants, now up to 182 participants, 31 of whom have completed all ten courses at least once. FLRC 100K Ultra Challenge finisher Pete Kresock has done better than that, finishing all ten courses an impressive four times, with Gabrielle Woo completing them all three times. Total mileage will likely exceed 13,000 miles by the end of the week, and we’ve collectively logged nearly 2800 runs. It’s not too late to sign up—surely you can run ten courses by the end of the year!
Overall standings haven’t changed much since last month. In Most Points, Adam Pacheck retains the lead with 959 out of 1000 points to lead 15-year-old Crosby Woods by 96 points, whereas Jullien Flynn’s 968 points put her 28 points ahead of Gabrielle Woo in the women’s standings. Most Miles keeps seeing lead changes, with 62-year-old Bob Walters (694 miles) roaring ahead of Pete Kresock (580 miles) with Heather Cobb (533 miles) reclaiming third place. In the Age Grade competition, 55-year-old Caitlin Loehr continues to hold on to first, with 54-year-old Jean-Luc Jannink in second and 29-year-old Adam Pacheck in third. Finally, in the team competition, the Thundering 30s have led the entire year and now have just 30 points, but the Fabulous 50s have recently closed the gap, dropping their point total to 36.
UPCOMING RACES
Monster Marathon and Half Marathon next up on September 18th
Race directors Dave Kania, Mik Kern, and Cat Massa have been prepping FLRC’s return to the Monster Marathon and Half Marathon trail course in Treman State Park. Remember that these races feature age- and sex-based early starts for women and for men 38 and older, leveling the playing field, if not the steep trails that wind up and down through Treman and the Finger Lakes Trail. Register soon so we can be sure to have enough food for all finishers in the included post-race lunch!
Danby Down & Dirty to finish off the Trail Circuit on October 2nd
The Danby Down & Dirty, FLRC’s final trail race of the year, lets you choose between 10K and 20K on the gorgeous trails of the Danby State Forest. It takes place in October but is still barely more than a month away. Race director Pete Kresock has opened registration, so sign up soon. For those participating in the FLRC Challenge, its Danby Down & Dirty course is nearly the same as this in-person race’s first loop. As such, you can clock your split to the final road crossing and submit your time for the FLRC Challenge.
Until next time, see you on the roads, trails, and tracks of the Finger Lakes!
—Adam Engst, FLRC President and VP of Track