9/28/2024

First Energy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, And Marathon Relay

Akron, Ohio

Marathon

Maria Bossard

Finish Time:  4:31:08

Overall Place: 358th Place / 788

Division Place:  18th Place / 251

Laura Fairfax

Finish Time: 5:15:11

Overall Place:  581st Place / 788

Division Place:  28th Place / 37

Half Marathon

Kristi Quesenberry Gunyula

Finish Time:  1:35:33

Overall Place:  94th Place / 2235

Division Place:  7th Place / 143

George McFall

Finish Time:  1:40:25

Overall Place:  146th Place / 2235

Division Place:  8th Place / 101

Scott Orlando

Finish Time:  1:51:41

Overall Place:  318th Place / 2235

Division Place:  15th Place / 101

Veronica Neubert

Finish Time:  1:59:23

Overall Place:  525th Place / 2236

Division Place:  19th Place / 112

Asad Khan

Finish Time:  1:59:55

Overall Place:  543rd Place / 2235

Division Place:  27th Place / 101

Mike Williams

Finish Time: 2:23:20

Overall Place:  1292nd Place / 2235

Division Place:  6oth Place / 101

Loretta Harland

Finish Time:  2:225:58

Overall Place:  1375th Place / 2235

Division Place:  15th Place / 46

Renee Buckus

Finish Time:  2:43:50

Overall Place:  1755th Place / 2235

Division Place:  148th Place / 181

Relay

Cascade Auto Full Throttle

Christine Churpek

Finish Time:  3:34:15

Overall Place:  35th Place / 558

Division Place:  14th Place / 372 Coed Mixed

Team ER We’ve got The Runs

Josh Keane

Lisa Keane

Finish Time:  4:21:52

Overall Place:  223rd Place / 558

Division Place:  151st Place / 372 Coed Mixed

Team ER

Roy Miller

Cleopatra Sirnic Clifford

Steve Zenar

Brittany Kiehl

Nancy Wardell

Finish Time:  4:35:10

Overall Place:  302nd Place / 558

Division Place:  205th Place / 372 Coed Mixed

The Performance Collective

Stephanie Orwick

Finish Time:  4:46:04

Overall Place:  361st Place / 558

Division Place:  246th Place / 372  Coed Mixed

Volunteers

Stephanie Orwick volunteered and helped with packet pick up at the race expo

Russ Neubert was on the course taking pictures and providing support to Team ER members.

Race Recap By George McFall:

I completed another Akron Marathon race series on Saturday when I crossed the finish line on S. Main St in front of Canal Park Stadium. I ran the 1/2 marathon. My time was 1:40:25. The weather was the story. It was very humid. I knew it was going to be bad while I was doing a very easy warm up mile. I tried not to think about it. I trained for this. I am ready. The gun went off and away we went down High St. and over the Y Bridge. The course was very challenging. A lot of uphill especially on Brown St. I was never able to lock in and hit my goal paces but kept working hard. I usually feed off the energy of the spectators but not on this day. I am not sure why. As I made the right turn onto S. Main St. (after yet another climb up the exit ramp), I could see the finish line. It was time to dig deep. I said to myself, let’s finish this thing. It was great hearing my name as I approached the finish line. This is something all races should consider doing. The after race party was awesome. Great food, live music and fun!

Race Recap By Steve Zenar:

I had a wonderful time running the Akron Marathon Relay today. Thanks to my wonderful teammates for allowing me to join in and have some fun following the blue line. Great job by all the others out there crushing the course(s). Have a wonderful, relaxing, and restful remainder of the weekend!

Race Recap By Brittany Kiehl:

Race Recap By Asad Khan:

Akron was full of energy this morning for the marathon! I had a tough race.  High humidity and some annoying knee and groin issues, but finished regardless (at 1:59)! I ran with so many friends and running partners and saw so many more cheering! Thank you to all for supporting. Special thanks to coach Christine Churpek for training plans and encouragement!

Race Recap By Renee Buckus:

I ran 20 miles today with a half marathon somewhere in there. I’m in my feels so forgive the emotions but running can feel isolating at times and then I look around and see my village. I love this sport, I love the people that push me, I am so proud of myself for the times I don’t have anyone there to push me but truly, I know I’m never alone. Lastly, and yes I saved the best for last. The biggest thanks goes to @cadebuckus and it’s not even close. He holds this house down, takes care of our daughter while I run and through it all he cheers me on with every mile. I’m running a marathon because it’s on my bucket list and I want to do something challenging but I’m getting so much more out of it than I expected. @cbusmarathon , I’m ready for you!

Race Recap By Scott Orlando:

I have competed in the First Energy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon, And Relay many times.  Each experience has been unique for various reasons.   This year I competed in the half marathon and for me the race boiled down to 4 things, injuries, humidity, hills, and friends.  Heading into the race I had been plagued by a series of nagging injuries that won’t seem to go away.  A torn plantar fasciitis on one foot, metatarsalgia on the other foot, a damaged shoulder from a bike spill and extremely tight hips and glutes are all injuries I have been dealing with in training and at the race.  I knew I was prepared enough to complete the 13.1 miles but also knew that my body just wasn’t ready to do it at the pace I usually compete at.   My start line goals where to have fun, run at a comfortable pace, and make it to the finish line in one piece.

The race day temperatures were in the low 70’s with extremely high humidity.  The humidity would become a serious factor in the race.  I was prepared with my SPI Belt filled with Carb Boom Energy Gel and SaltStick FastChews.  In past races I had experienced some calf cramping in the later miles of the race.  Even with the high humidity this year the Carb Boom Energy Gel and SaltStick FastChews did the trick of preventing any cramping.

The race field appeared larger in size than the previous few years.  The start of the race is an epic experience with well choreographed music, countdowns, and announcers sending runners off in the dark down the streets of Akron lined with cheering fans.   I was in the first coral so it was nice to get on the course without too much congestion.   I got off to a good start for the first few miles and felt strong.  Soon the humidity started to make its presence known so I decided to slow my pace.  I settled into my goal pace of 8:15 – 8:30 per mile.  Normally I would be at a 7:35- 7:45 mile pace but not this year.   Around miles 5-7 I found myself mentally not as focused as I would have liked to have been.  This concerned me so early in the race.  I kept telling myself to trust my training and run the mile that I was in.   I finally settled down and felt a little better after the Carb Boom Energy Gel and a few SaltStick FastChews kicked in.  The course was a little different than previous years but that didn’t seem to erase the hills.  Once I got to the 10 mile mark I started feeling better mentally.  Running back into downtown and feeding off of the energy of the crowds really helped motivate me.  I made it to the finish in a time of 1:51:41 which was about 8-10 minutes slower than my typical finish time at this race.  I was surprised that I managed 15th place in my division out of 101 runners.

The finisher festival was a little nicer than last year, but still challenged for space in the parking lots above the stadium.  More parking lots were used this year to create a larger area than last year but it was still very crowded and hard to find people.  With the stadium now off the table and Lock 3 Park still under construction I think they did a nice job to use what space they had available.   At the finisher festival runners received a bag of food from Acme, two beers, and choice of a food item from several food trucks.  A Galley Boy from Swenson’s was an easy choice for me.   The finisher medals this year were very nice.  I liked the design of this year’s shirts but wish that they were a tech material instead of t-shirts.  Relay runner received short sleeve t-shirts, half marathon runners received long sleeve t-shirts, and full marathon runners received 1/4 zip shirts.  I would love to see them bring back the jackets for the full marathon and the stadium finish.  The Akron Marathon Race Series finishers who completed all three races also received an additional medal and medal display.   The Akron Marathon Race Series Races are some of the best organized and well attended races in the area.

It was great seeing so many Team ER members compete in the race and to see so many running friends out there on the course.  Thank you to the Akron Marathon, the army of volunteers and to all of the spectators who got up early to cheer us all through the finish line!

9/21/2024

Hocking Hills Trail Run Race

Logan, Ohio

40K Race

Josh Keane

Finish Time:  5:22:09

Overall Place:  8th Place / 17

Division Place:  2nd Place

20K Race

Lisa Keane

Finish Time:  2:28:55

Overall Place:  50th Place / 84

Division Place:  2nd Place

Race Recap By Josh Keane:

Lisa Keane and I had a blast running the Hocking Hills Trail Race 2024! There was significantly more road than anticipated, but it transitioned to chip and seal roads then nicely into a mix of grass covered trails and technical trails. This was a beautiful course through the Hocking Hills Park and was well organized. The 5k and 10k distances were bussed out past Old Man’s Cave to start. The 20k, 40K, and 60k started at the nature center where all races finished. The 40K had 112 feet of elevation gain per mile for over 2,600 feet of elevation gain. This was a challenging race with a really cool hand made medal. Maintaining the predetermined Canal Corridor 100 pace, battling the humidity and hills were not easy, but I still was able to finish 2nd in my age group and 8th overall for the 40K. We had a wonderful weekend staying in an Airbnb, running the race and doing a 4 mile recovery hike on Sunday before heading home. Will definitely look to do this one again. For now, on to the next adventure!

Race Recap By Lisa Keane:

This race was a perfect spot for a quick road trip and destination trail race!
Distances from 5K to 60K means something for everyone! All distances $50 includes a shirt and unique ceramic medal made by the Logan HS ceramic class!
60K group start followed by 40K group start an hour later. All other distances have an individual start time allowing runners to pick their own start time. I ran the 20K and chose to start early to try to beat the heat running the first 6 miles before even seeing another runner! Also… No pressure- no crowds!
More road than I expected – can be a little scary on the hills and turns but most drivers were paying close attention and gave runners a safe pass. After talking to the race director, I wore road shoes instead of trail shoes and was glad.
Well marked and beautiful course with 1300’ of elevation. Aid stations were mostly water so bring your own fuel and electrolytes.
Even with the heat, I finished in just under 2 1/2 hours placing 2nd in my division!  Looking forward to doing this one again!

9/22/2024

Ocean City Half Marathon

Ocean City, New Jersey

Kevin Christensen

Kevin Volunteered For Finish Line Duties.

9/21/2024

Emersyn’s Army March 5K

New Franklin, Ohio

Brittany Kiehl

Finish Time:  38:41

Overall Place:  13th Place / 43

Division Place:  1st Place

Race Recap By Brittany Kiehl:

Emersyn’s Army March 5K. All proceeds went to Sufficient Grace Ministries a nonprofit organization that provides comfort to women and families who have lost a baby through miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant death. This was my first time participating in this race. Even though it was smaller, it did not disappoint. The course started at Portage Lakes State Park and then looped in a nearby neighborhood. At the finish line there was pinwheels that you could purchase beforehand for 1$ in honor of a baby you lost. Crossing the finish line and seeing all the names made me tear up. After a mix up, I found out (for the first time ever) I finished first in my age group (females 20-34)!! And I was only seconds behind the third overall female. After the race there was raffle baskets, a craft show and a touch a truck event. I loved how you had the option to pick a tank instead of a t-shirt. There was also special medals for overall and age group winners

9/21/2024

Best Of The West Marathon and Half Marathon

Ravenna, Ohio

Cleopatra Sirnic Clifford

Finish Time:  2:56:03

Overall Place:  67th Place / 136

Division Place:  1st Place / 10

9/15/2024

Blazing Paddles PaddleFest

Cleveland, Ohio

12.2 Mile Paddle Race, 6.1 Mile Paddle Race, 3.75 Mile Paddle Race, And Recreational Paddle Event

6.1 Mile Paddle Race

Scott Orlando

Finish Time: 57:28

Overall Place:  1st Place / 14

Division Place:  High Performance Kayak 1st Place / 1

Recreational Paddle

Nancy Wardell

Race Director

Mickey Rzymek

Event Recap by Nancy Wardell:

I participated in the Blazing Paddles event in Cleveland this morning and it was and absolutely beautiful morning to be kayaking! I had my husband along for the driving and loading and unloading of the kayaks which I truly appreciated and loved seeing Scott Orlando blazing by and winning it like always! Congratulations! It was great to see Mickey Rzymek as well and hearing him rocking it on the loud speaker! I really enjoy our group, and proud of how everyone got it done!

Race Recap By Scott Orlando:

This was my 4th time competing in the Blazing Paddles PaddleFest race.  The race was postponed from its original date due to extreme heat and safety concerns.  Many including me did not think that they you be able to pull off the logistics to reschedule the race but race organizer Jim Ridge and Race Director Mickey Rzymek worked their magic and got it done.

It was a beautiful morning for a paddle event on the Cuyahoga River.  The original event date had close to 500 paddlers registered with most being in the recreational event.  It appeared that the majority of recreational and race paddlers made it to the rescheduled event date.  The logistics of the event were planned well and executed to perfection from the boat drop off, paid parking, registration, and so on.  Being that a barge had destroyed the dock previously used for launching the recreation boats I was worried things might be delayed and a mess getting everyone in the river but even that was well managed.  The recreation paddlers launched first with the help of plenty of volunteers followed by the racers competing in distances of 3.75 miles, 6.1 miles, and 12.2 miles.  The launching process went so smoothly that the races even started 5 minutes early.

I competed in the 6.1 mile race and entered into the high performance kayak division.  Still recovering from a shoulder injury I wasn’t sure how I would perform.  Being that I was the only person competing in the high performance kayak division my plan was to be conservative and just enjoy the experience.   I really enjoy the start of this race.  There is great energy with all of the recreational paddlers on the river cheering us on.  The course was designed with a short out and back loop taking races again past the cheering recreational paddlers creating a second opportunity through the large zone of energy and excitement.  This year a fire fighting barge was stationed just after the turn around buoy.  The fire fighting barge had its water cannons blasting which made for a memorable experience.  Racers were blasted with water from the cannons cooling us all off.  I enjoyed that until my mind started questioning how much river bacteria I jus got showered with.   Although I was paddling conservatively I found myself keeping pace with some of the faster kayaks in the race.  A few miles in I actually started passing a few.  Most of the faster kayakers in the race were paddling 18′ surf skis.  I definitely had an advantage paddling my 19′ Stellar SR Multisport especially when heading into the wind.  The longer and narrower kayak seemed to gain ground each time the wind gusted.   With 2 miles left I found myself just behind two fast paddlers.  Once was in the longer race but I still set out to catch them both.  I pushed hard the last 2 miles passing both of them and finishing with a time of 57:28.

I knew that I had won my division because I was the only person in it.  At the awards presentation my division was skipped.  I had to go to the timing table to get things sorted out.  For some reason they had no result for me and a few other people.  They corrected the issue and presented the awards.  What I didn’t realize until I got home was that I was the overall winner of the 6.1 mile race.

I give the race organizer and director a lot of credit  of being able to reschedule this massive event which was no easy task.  Everything was top notch and ran smooth as could be.  All participants received nice t-shirts.  Award winners received a print of a previous race and choice of a hat.  There were plenty of snacks after the race.

Cleveland was named the top urban kayak destination in the country and for good reason.  If you have the opportunity to participate in this event or paddle the area on your own you will understand why.  I look forward to competing again next year.

9/14/2024

United Way Game Day 5K

Coshocton, Ohio

Josh Keane

Finish Time:  25:52

Overall Place:  5th Place / 28

Division Place:  1st Place / 1

Lisa Keane

Finish Time:  27:38

Overall Place:  10th Place / 28

Division Place:  1st Place / 5

Race Recap By Josh Keane:

I had a great time with Lisa Keane at the first annual United Way Gameday 5k in Coshocton Ohio. Not a large race but a good course. I ended up getting a little more than 1/4 mile in bonus miles as I followed the runner in front of me instead of following the course markings! I still managed to get 5th place overall and first in my age group which may have been to the fact I was the only one in my age group.

Race Recap By Lisa Keane:

Well organized with easy packet pick up, lots of friendly volunteers & heavily supported race route for this inaugural race through the streets of Coshocton. Well marked, mostly flat & fast course with only one hill at the start. Very nice reusable swag bags, tee shirts, & medals for overall / age groups.
Not a huge crowd so I shaved a few seconds off of my last 5K pace and managed to place 3rd overall female and 1st in my age group!

9/14/2024

Walsh University Fit Family 5K

North Canton, Ohio

Nancy Wardell

Finish Time:  28:43

Overall Place:  33rd Place / 97

Division Place:  2nd Place / 5

Race Recap By Nancy Wardell:

I ran the Fit Family 5k at Walsh University in North Canton this morning! It was a beautiful morning for a race and this one had a few hills so it made me work a little harder for that finish line! I finished at 28:43 with a pace of 9:15 and 2nd in my age group! No awards for second place at this race but still got a nice shirt, tote, free 6 inch subway sandwich coupon, and some other goodies as well!

9/8/2024

Oak Clinic Acorn 5K

Uniontown, Ohio

Josh Keane

Finish Time: 22:34

Overall Place:  7th Place Overall / N/A

Division Place:  1st Place / 4

Finish Time:  26:50

Overall Place:  28th Place / N/A

Division Place 1st Place / N/A

Nancy Wardell

Finish Time:  38th Place / NA

Division Place:  6th Place / 10

Race Recap By Josh Keane:

So much fun today with Lisa Keane and Nancy Wardell at the 2024 Oak Clinic Acorn 5k! A wonderful race for a great cause. Fast and flat with a lot of great snacks, volunteers and sponsors. I was very fortunate to place 7th overall and first in my age group today. It is always wonderful to see fellow Team ER team mates perform well, Lisa and Nancy had awesome runs as too!

Race Recap By Lisa Keane:

The Oak Clinic Acorn 5K was a flat & fast course around the clinic and Green HS well marked and monitored by police and volunteers.
Cute high visibility shirts and medals for overall and age group winners.  Lots of vendors, snacks, and giveaways. Love that 100% of all registration & sponsorship dollars benefit the patients who are cared for-regardless of ability to pay! Happy with my finish today cutting 3 minutes off of my last 5K time and placing 1st in my age group!

Race Recap By Nancy Wardell:

I ran the 2024 Oak Clinic Acorn 5K in Uniontown this morning with fellow teammates Josh Keane and Lisa Keane!! This is a great race with tons of great freebees and very slight elevation change. The turns are very well marked and signaled by volunteers for the runners and the results are posted very quickly by Mr. Richie himself!! I finished at 28:07 with a 9:04 pace and 6th in my age group! Was an absolutely beautiful day for a race and loved seeing my amazing teammates there with big smiles and sharing good times! Thanks for getting pictures Lisa and Josh and congratulations on placing in your age groups!!

9/8/2024

Tunnel To Towers 5K

Medina, Ohio

Renee Buckus

Finish Time:  29:24

Overall Place:  149th Place / 866

Division Place:  4th Place / 38