Nittany Valley Running Club!

Nittany Track and Field Summer Program Sign-ups!

Details: Written by Mark Fedkin Mark Fedkin

The Nittany Track and Field (NTF) youth club starts its 11th track season this May and invites youth athletes from 8 to 18 years old to join. We create training opportunities 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 Tuesday May 5th at the State College High School Track. The season will go until July 17th. Practices are scheduled for Monday through Thursday from 6:15 to 7:45 pm. Registration is now open - please visit our Registration page for sign-up forms and other details.

We have a great group of coaches coming back this summer, and we plan a lot of different activities and events this season. New this year, NTF Club will host a youth invitational meet on June 6th - Central PA Youth Track Meet, which will hopefully provide a new competitive opportunity youth in Central PA. We are looking for volunteers for both club practices and the track meet mentioned above.

Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you would like to help or have any questions about the program. Please spread this info to anyone you think could be interested.

For more information about the NTF club and updates, please visit our website www.ntfxc.com.

NVRC Winter Blood Drive Results

Details: Written by Mike Casper Mike Casper

Thanks to all who braved the wild winter weather, baked, volunteered, and came out to donate at yesterday’s NVRC blood drive. The drive collected 15 units, and we had two first-time donors! That and the unbeatable NVRC energy made the day enjoyable. If you weren’t able to donate at this drive, we hope to see you at the next one!

Special thanks to Bob and Kathleen Crowe for volunteering, Sarah Clements for child care and homemade treats (she took care of the Clements’ two children while Jake donated), and Jaimie Wright and Meira Minard for more delicious treats.

Winners of the prizes drawn at the drive were:

Rebecca Stewart – free entry to Arts Fest Races (5K, 10K, or 10 Mile)(7/12/15)

George Lesieutre – free entry to Crack O’ Dawn 5K (6/28/15)

Chris Menseck – free entry to Beidleheimer Sidewinder 10K (5/9/15)

Kassidy Colton – free entry to Linden Loop 5 Miler (5/3/15)

George Conrad – free entry to Allegheny Front Trail Run (20K or 50K)(7/25/15)

Kathy Moir – winter fleece or cap

Jake Clements – winter fleece or cap

It’s never too early to put the next installment of this unique drive on your calendar. The next drive will be on Thursday, Sept. 10, a few days after the 2015 Mount Nittany Marathon (Sept. 6).

Thanks for supporting the NVRC and the American Red Cross!

Marathoners For Medicine Team Surpasses $500,000 In Donations for CVIM

Details: Written by Jaimie Wright Jaimie Wright

The Marathoners for Medicine team raised over $50,000 in 2014 in donations for Centre Volunteers in Medicine (CVIM), a local organization that serves and advocates for medically underserved residents. The 2014 tally brought the grand total to over $500,000 since the team began fundraising. John Domico started the Marathoners for Medicine team in 2003 when he ran the Boston Marathon and raised $1,500 for CVIM. The next year, he asked a few friends from the Nittany Valley Running Club to join him, and the Marathoners for Medicine team was born.

Twenty-six runners participated on this year’s team by competing in a spring marathon or half-marathon. Tom Cali led fundraising efforts with $7,500.00 raised for CVIM.

The Penn State Cross Country Club also joined this year’s team, with six club members raising $1,620.00. Other team members included graduate students, Penn State faculty and staff and other Centre County residents. Sue Paterno, PSU Track and Field Olympian Greg Fredericks, and Penn State Women’s Volleyball Coach Russ Rose served as honorary coaches this year.

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The Musser Gap Greenway Trail - A Great Collaboration

Details: Written by Amy Blake Amy Blake

October 17, 2014

I just returned from the ribbon cutting ceremony of the Musser Gap Greenway. The Musser Gap Greenway is the result of a collaboration between the ClearWater Conservancy, Penn State University, local government bodies, and many other local organizations. The Greenway connects downtown State College (via Whitehall Road) to the Rothrock State Forest at Musser Gap. It was very exciting to hear about the collaboration of all the different groups that brought this project to fruition. Speakers at the ribbon cutting ceremony included Katie Ombalski of the ClearWater Conservancy, Representative Scott Conklin, Jim Steph (Centre Region Council of Government), Jason Albright (DCNR Bureau of Forestry) and Nick Jones (Penn State Provost). It was great to hear them all speak and you could tell that they were all passionate about the project and what it brings to the community. The Nittany Valley Running Club organized a group to meet up and attend the ceremony. When it concluded, we provided instant gratification for the project organizers by running back to town via the Greenway! An exciting and beautiful addition to the community and an exciting event to a be part of.

Photo from ClearWater Conservancy Facebook page.

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NVRC runners break in the Musser Gap Greenway Trail

Treasurer's Report - May 2014

Details: Written by Dave Eggler Dave Eggler

Download the May 2014 Treasurer's Report here. This report contains information for 2003 through 2013 inclusive.

NVRC Supports 2014 United Way Day of Caring

Details: Written by Martin Mazur Martin Mazur

For the 2014 United Way Day of Caring, Cheree Jones and Sheryl Balkey organized a crew of bushwackers for the fourth year in a row. The project was again the golf course perimeter bike path/jogging path, this time along the northwest side of the Penn State Blue Golf Course. There were saplings, bushes, brush, assorted shrubs, and unruly tree branches that were clogging and cluttering the path. The volunteers were: SF& Company (12 volunteers), Joe Hughes--Penn State Golf Courses PGA General Manager/Head Golf Professional, Sheryl & Seth Balkey and Cheree Jones. The crew cleared the way so that runners have a clear treadway and golfers can see runners so they can yell "fore!". The NVRC chipped in to pay for some food and refreshment. Here are a few pictures.

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The clean-up crew.

A Women's Running Blog With Added Spice

Details: Written by Marty Mazur Marty Mazur

As one of the webmasters of the NVRC site, my name is plastered all over it. And because of this, I get emails several times a year from out-of-towners looking to join one of our Weekend Group Runs. Recently, we hosted a couple of ladies on a 10 mile run through Spring Creek Canyon. The two sisters, 'Salty' and 'Cinnamon' are among the authors of a group blog, Salty Running. By my count, there are ten authors, each with a "spicy" handle. (In keeping with their blog style, they'll remain anonymous here, too). They're all women, and the writing tends to center on women's running, but I'm sure there's something of interest to everyone. Recent topics include some of the usual runner talk: training, olympic predictions, marathons, ultras; but also some spicier topics: running and pregnancy, a runner's guide to bouncing boobs, pre-race sex, and recently, 5 Types of Running Guys. In that last post, Salty talks about the kinds of guys women have to put up with, especially since the ladies are usually outnumbered on group runs. The thing is that Salty ends the article with a really nice shout-out to the NVRC and her experience on our group run. It seems we "flunked" all the tests! Give the blog a visit.