Nittany Valley Running Club!

NVRC Joins Clearwater Conservancy For Group Run For Slab Cabin Run Initiative

Details: Written by Martin Mazur Martin Mazur

The Clearwater Conservancy and the NVRC will join in a group run on Saturday, August 19 that will help inform participants about Clearwater’s Slab Cabin Run Initiative. The Clearwater Conservancy is a nationally accredited land trust serving Centre and surrounding counties. The Slab Cabin Run Initiative is a plan by Clearwater to permanently conserve 300 acres of agricultural land owned by the Meyer and Everhart Families of State College. Located next to densely populated neighborhoods—across the street from the State College Friends School and Foxdale Village along University Drive—the property lies in a vital portion of the Spring Creek Watershed, within the Source Water Protection Area for the Harter-Thomas wells which supply the majority of the drinking water to Centre Region residents. Clearwater has raised 88% of the 2.75 million dollars needed to fully fund a land conservation easement on the property. More information on the Slab Cabin Run Initiative can be found at http://www.slabcabinrun.org and in this press release:

http://www.clearwaterconservancy.org/clearwater-conservancy-comes-home-stretch-effort-protect-local-water-suppy-permanently-conserving-300-acres-farmland/

The group run will start at the Friends School on University Drive at 8:30 AM with a brief overview of the initiative. Runners will then proceed on the bike path along University Drive past the Toll Brothers development site to the Musser Greenway, through the Greenway and on to the Musser Gap parking on Shingletown Rd. There will be a brief stop along the way to explain the Musser Gap connection to the Slab Cabin Initiative. Then runners will return to the Friends School. All are welcome. The full run out to Musser Gap and back is about 6 miles. Since the route is out-and-back, runners can take in as much or little of the full run as their time allows.

All participants and their families are also invited to return later in the day, at 4:30 PM, for a social at the Cobble Creek Clubhouse where there will be snacks and refreshments and a presentation by the Clearwater Conservancy of a broader overview of the Slab Cabin Initiative. The Cobble Creek Clubhouse is at 3296 Shellers Bend. (Turn onto the northernmost entrance to Shellers Bend from Blue Course Dr. Look for the Cobble Creek sign on your left. Make a left into Cobble Creek, then take a left and follow the driveway until you come to the clubhouse on the right.)

Nittany Track and Field Youth Club Announces Fall 2017 Program

Details: Written by Martin Mazur Martin Mazur

Nittany Track and Field (NTF) youth club starts its summer track season the first week of May and invites youth athletes from 7 to 18 years old to join. We create training opportunities in track and field events for both beginners and experienced athletes. Whether the kids have competitive goals or simply want to work on technique, strength, endurance, or just learn new things, NTF is a great place to spend some time during the summer. Practice starts May 2nd at the State College High School Track. The season will go through July 21st. Practices are scheduled from 6:15 to 7:45 pm Monday through Thursday each week! . Registration is open - here is the link to our Registration page with both paper and online forms.

We have a great group of coaches coming back to work with kids this summer, and we plan a lot of different activities and events this season. Again this year, NTF Club will host the USATF-sanctioned Central Pennsylvania Youth Track Meet on June 3rd, which will provide a great competitive opportunity for all our athletes.

The orientation meeting for the summer season will be on April 30th (Sunday evening) at 6.30 pm at the High School Track. Please feel free to contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions and also spread the word to anyone who you think may be interested.

For more information about the NTF club, practice schedule, meets, and other details, please visit our website www.ntfxc.com.

Join the 2017 Marathoners For Medicine (M4M) Team

Details: Written by Jaimie Wright Jaimie Wright

Are You Running a Spring Marathon, Half-Marathon or Long Trail Race?

Make your race extra meaningful! Join the Centre Volunteers in Medicine Marathoners for Medicine (M4M) Challenge Team. Combine your love for running with fundraising for Centre Volunteers in Medicine and help your neighbors without health insurance receive affordable medical and dental care.

For more information on Marathoners For Medicine, see the M4M information page. To join the team, contact Tara Murray at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Jaimie Wright at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

We will hold a kick-off dinner on February 16 at 6 PM at John Domico's house. If you need John's address, contact Jaimie above. Hope you join us!

Follow the Nittany Valley Running Club on Twitter

Details: Written by Martin Mazur Martin Mazur

The Nittany Valley Running Club is now on Twitter. We plan to post links to articles on our own web site and on other sites with running-related content, links to podcasts of interest, and more. Follow us. Our handle is @nittanyrunning.

The NVRC Winter Blood Drive A Big Success

Details: Written by Mike Casper Mike Casper

Winter is a vital time for collecting blood for area hospitals, so kudos go to the NVRC and supporters who turned out on Thursday for the NVRC’s Winter Blood Drive. With your generosity, we collected 30 units! Donors were treated to fresh Pizza Mia pizza, tasty cookies, movies and friendly conversation. Whether you gave or not at this drive, be sure to put the NVRC’s Fall 2017 Blood Drive, set for Thursday, Sept. 7, on your calendar.

Special thanks to Meira Minard, George Conrad, and Jake Clements for donating of their time to help staff the drive! The presenting blood donors, volunteers, and those whose lives may be saved by those donations were all winners from this drive.

Drawing prize winners are:

Jim Sellmer – Beidleheimer Sidewinder 10K entry (May 13)

Tricia Farrell – Crack O’ Dawn 5K Run/Walk & Pancake Breakfast entry (June 24)

Jim Maras – Nittany Valley Arts Festival Races (5K-10K-10M) entry (July 16)

Lincoln Kennedy – Allegheny Front Trail Run (50K or 13.1M) entry (Aug. 5)

Margie Costello – Tussey mOUnTaiNBACK 50M mug

When can you give? As often as every 56 days: If you didn’t donate on 1/19, we encourage you to donate now at a drive that’s convenient for you. We hope to see you at the Sept. 7 NVRC drive.

Thanks for supporting the American Red Cross and the NVRC!

Run For God 5K Challenge Class

Details: Written by Tim Scitti Tim Scitti

Tim Scitti will be leading a Run For God 5K class that will be starting in a few weeks.

The Run For God class is designed for runners of all levels and is focused on developing a spiritual walk along with fitness with the goal being to run a 5K race. There is particular emphasis on those who have never run, or it's been a while. The running portion will be similar to a "Couch to 5K" program.

We will meet weekly with a short devotion, some running education, and then go for a group run. The class will run for 12 weeks with a goal race the end of May. All are welcome.

If you, or someone you know might be interested, a sign up sheet can be found here - http://www.runforgod.com/class/state-college-access-church-run-for-god, or please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

Running Club Coach Needed At Friends School

Details: Written by Martin Mazur Martin Mazur

The State College Friends School is seeking a coach for Running Club on Mondays and Wednesdays, starting in March. Running Club occurs from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Prior coaching experience is required. Running Club is open to children in grades K-8. The winter season starts in early March. In general, we pay $20.50 an hour to club leaders. This depends on the experience of the coach. We ask coaches to teach in accordance with Quaker values, including peacemaking, respect for the child, and appropriate choices and consequences. For more information about Friends School, please visit our web site at scfriends.org

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to Johanna Jackson, Extended Care Director, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.