Meet the ERC Mother’s Day 5K T-shirt artist, Jenna and Jessica Usro. Their mother, Jill Wigham, is the daughter of Greg Wigham,  ERC Mother’s Day 5K co-race director, Teresa Wigham’s husband.

The girls and their mom will be participating in this year’s race. I’ll have a Q&A with them next week.

Race participants will also have the chance to honor a lady they love:

“In Honor of__________” and “In Memory of________” are 3 1/2 inches high and 8 1/2 inches long card stock  signs pre-printed with the line for them to write in a name.  The card stock is punched with holes at the top of both sides for easy pining to the back of the shirt. We’ll have them out so the runners can choose one or both, if they want.

Packet pick-up and late registration on Saturday, May 11, 2013 at Achilles Running Shop, 2309 W. 12 St., Erie, PA from 11 am until 3 pm.

Additional late registration and packet pickup at Beach #1 beginning at 7 am on race day. No guarantee of a race shirt.

Now, wat’cha waiting for….hurry up and register!

Check it out: The Erie Runner’s Club’s 2013 Turkey Trot shirt made it onto Shape.com’s list of 10 Hilarious Running Shirts:

By the way… the author, Charlotte Andersen, is hilarious, too. She blogs at The Great Fitness Experiment.

Saturday is the Law Day 5K and the first race in the Erie Runners Club’s 2013 Summer Triple Crown Series (other two are the K of C 4th of July Race and the Race for Recovery race in September).

The Law Day race is one of the few ERC races that is not held at Presque Isle State Park.  This race starts in front of the Erie County Courthouse on West 6th Street (registration at the Perry Square gazebo) and ends back at Perry Square near the gazebo.

COURSE: The 5k will take you from the front of the Erie County Courthouse along West 6th Street, turning on Cherry to 5th Street, west on 5th to Cranberry, back up to 6th, and return along 6th to the Courthouse.

The race benefits Attorneys & Kids Together (AKT)*, the Erie County Bar Association’s (ECBA’s)community project that offers support and assistance in many ways to students living in homeless shelters, and The Erie Runners Club Scholarship Fund.

Day of race registration is $20 and starts at the gazebo in Perry Square at  8 a.m.. Race starts at 9 a.m.

According to the race application all kids 12 and under will receive a participation prize.

More information here.

Runners participating in Saturday morning’s ERC Poker Run (5K)  honored the victims in the Boston Marathon tragedy. Sticker bibs for runners’ backs were made available by the club at the race registration table. Many thanks to Creative Imprint Systems who printed and donated the bibs.

Nearly 200 runners & walkers suffered through ANOTHER cold, windy & snowy 5K (boy, we’ve had our share this year!) at the park, but it sure didn’t slow the front runners down much.

Top 3 men: Justin Allen, Erie, 17:03; Adam Rowe, Ripley, N.Y., 18:06; and Shane Krause, Erie, 18:51

Top 3 women: Kimberly Pebley, Erie, 20;56; Lora Beeton, Washington Twp., Pa., 21:47; and Kayla Murphy, Erie, 22:14.

Complete results here.

More photos at the ERC’s Facebook page.

Well, well, well…..Erie kicks arse! Our area is nicely represented at this year’s Boston Marathon coming up on Monday, April 15.

Here are the  hometown (and near enough for us to claim them as ours) runners who’ll be going the distance in Beantown:

 The Boston Marathon, like a lot of big marathons, offers a runner alert function that sends either emails or texts regarding the progress of runners during the race.

Plenty of racing options this past weekend with two Presque Isle 5K races and another 5K and a 1/2 marathon just down I-79.

Run for Parkinson’s 5K

Nearly 150 participated in the 5K Run for Parkinson’s on Saturday with Adam Rowe, 32, (Ripley, N.Y.) taking first overall with an 18:09 (5:51 pace) and Kristen O’Brien,  23, (Westminster, M.D.) taking first female with a 22:46 (7:21 pace).

Complete 5K Run for Parkinson’s results here.

Miles for Mercy 5K

Ninety-two finishers completed the Miles for Mercy 5K on Sunday morning with warm, but windy conditions.  Top honors: Joseph Hunt, 32, Erie, with a 20:55 (6:20 pace) and Dawn Betza, 45, Erie, with a 24:27 (7:25 pace).

Complete Miles for Mercy 5K results here.

Thunder Run 5K

Just down I-79, Meadville hosted the Thunder Run 5K on Saturday morning with more than 100 finishers completing the race.

Results here.

Prep for Pittsburgh 1/2 Marathon

Dan and I drove down to Sandy Lake, Pa., to Goddard State Park (about an hour down I-79) to participate in the Prep for Pittburgh 1/2 marathon. It was a nice race and we’d definitely do it again. As I was warned (AFTER I signed up), it was far from flat. There were plenty of hills, but they weren’t as bad as I had built them up in my head (I made mountains out of rolling hills) and I found the course to be a nice change of pace and  a chance to use different muscles and challenge myself to run a 1/2 on something other than a totally flat course.  That said, I was totally cursing the race director when I came upon a fairly big hill just after the 12-mile marker.

There were less than 100 participants, so Dan & I did well.  Dan was 13th overall and took 2nd in his age group with a 1:34 (7:13 pace). I was 20 minutes behind him, finishing with a 1:55:11, but got 1st place in my age group. Sucks to be a guy, eh?

We didn’t see anyone else from Erie there, but here are complete results. 

By the way…. the Prep for Pittsburgh course has permanent wood mile markers that say HM (see photo below)…and you can see the course here…so you could drive down and run it anytime. There’s a prologue at the beginning to make up the extra mile. But…you could skip it and just run around the lake for a nice 12 miler.

It’s a nice paved trail that would also be fun to bike. There are restroom facilities with running water and dogs are welcome (on a leash…pick up after them).  It’s much like Presque isle’s Multipurpose trail, but with more hills…and, it would seem, less traffic. But, I can’t say that for sure because I’ve never been there in the summer.  It’s also mostly shaded by trees.

The ERC’s Poker Run 5K — a low-key fun run/walk to start out the summer racing season.

Each finisher gets a poker hand and the best hand can earn you some nice prizes. Jokers earn you an instant prize. You’ll get your poker hand when you cross the finish line.

Word to the wise Poker Runner: Get there early for the best swag. This is a race in which there is no set premium…the silkscreener is simply instructed to “clean out his cupboard” and put the Poker Run race logo on whatever they have to get rid of.

It’s first-come, first-serve….so if get there early, you could score some really cool stuff — like a jacket or windbreaker.

If you get there late, you’re probably going to be stuck with size XL cotton gym shorts or a woman’s “tiny tee” that might fit your 6-year-old.

(It’s like a 2-for-1 race. Consider the race to the registration table a warm-up).

Race starts at 9 a.m. at Presque Isle Beach #1 (NOTE: Beach #1…not Rotary!).

Race application here.

Breaking news….

Barber Beast on the Bay Trial Run-Thru

The Barber Beast on the Bay would like to 50 to 75 runners  to participate in a trial run of the event.  The main event will be September 7, 2013 with a 12+ mile obstacle course.  This trial will be a mini-version of the big event, allowing us to test communication systems, logistical processes and to get feedback from YOU about your experience!

We are looking for 50 – 75 participants to register and run a 3-mile course (with 4 sample obstacles) at Presque Isle State Park.

Start/Finish:  Waldameer Picnic Pavilions

When:  Sunday  – April 21, 2013

Event begins: 10:00 am

How:  Register now via Active.com .

By participating in this event, you will receive a $50 discount  for the Sept. 7 event  at registration on April 21.  You will also be asked to share your opinions and suggestions in a survey to help us make Barber Beast on the Bay the best event ever!

If you’re interested, register now, there are already 44 signed up including the Mr. & I.

See you there fellow beast slayers!

Ever consider putting on your own race? Ever wonder what it takes to put on a race, or where to start?

Erie Runners Club board member, Suzy Carstarter made up this great checklist for race directors that spells it all out in black and white.

Having served as race director for the Her Times women’s 5K for 7 years now, I can tell you that it takes a village of runners/friends/family/volunteers to put on a race, but once you have your key people in place (course set up, timing, finish line/registration, etc.), the race pretty much runs itself (pun intended).

Truth be told, the biggest hassle(s), for me in directing a race is: 1.) Answering emails/questions/phone calls, and 2.) Entering applications into the computer. The applications come in wads…at the last minute, of course, and it’s tedious & time consuming to enter them all.  Other than that, it’s really only the two or three days before the race that are rip-your-hair-out crazy, and if you’re an organization freak like me, you’ve even got that down to a science after a couple years.

You often hear that race directing is a thankless job and it can be, particularly for those who manage the really large races, which is unfortunate because, truly, they are the ones putting the most blood, sweat, and tears into the race. But, I can tell you that, for me, it’s always been a gratifying, satisfying and really rewarding experience. The women who do my race are excited, gracious, kind, supportive, and appreciative.  In all the years I’ve directed the race, I’ve probably only gotten a dozen complaints, and only one or two that were nasty.

If you’re not up for directing a race, consider volunteering for one. Just one. Get a look at what it takes to put one on and you might decide it’s something you, too, want to “give back” to your running community.

The ERC’s Winter Series (Turkey Trot, New Year’s Day 5-Miler & St. Patrick’s Day) results are up now:

28K (10K, 5M, 10K) here.

Top Male Overall – Josh Sibbald

Top Male Master Overall – Mike Lawrence

Top Female Overall – Shannon Henley

Top Female Master Overall – Heather Cass

18K (5K, 5M, 5K) here.

Top Male Overall -  John Trucilla

Top Male Master Overall – Gregory Schiller

Top Female Overall – Jenny Turak

Top Female Master Overall – Liz Rinderle