Monthly Archives: June 2025

6/28/2025 Kristi Quesenberry Gunyula, Rachel Turner, George McFall, Roy Miller, Scott Orlando, Christine Churpek, Mike Williams, Kevin Christensen, Stephanie Orwick, Renee Buckus, Nancy Wardell, And Brittany Kiehl The National Interstate 8K Akron, Ohio.

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6/28/2025

The National Interstate 8K

Akron, Ohio

Kristi Quesenberry Gunyula

Finish Time:  36:12

Overall Place:  70th Place /1257

Division Place:  4th Place / 109

Rachel Turner

Finish Time:  37:28

Overall Place:  91st Place /1257

Division Place:  7th Place / 105

George McFall

Finish Time:  37:34

Overall Place:   95th Place  /1257

Division Place:  5th Place / 56

Roy Miller

Finish Time:  37:38

Overall Place:  97th Place /1257

Division Place:  7th Place / 56

Scott Orlando

Finish Time:  39:28

Overall Place:  136th Place/1257

Division Place:  7th Place / 45

Christine Churpek

Finish Time:  41:28

Overall Place:  179th Place /1257

Division Place:  13th Place / 109

Mike Williams

Finish Time:  45:22

Overall Place:  333rd Place /1257

Division Place:  26th Place / 56

Kevin Christensen

Finish Time:  49:22

Overall Place:  491st Place /1257

Division Place:  13th Place / 31

Stephanie Orwick

Finish Time:  49:40

Overall Place:  507th Place /1257

Division Place:  26th Place / 112

Stephanie also volunteered for packet pick up duties.

Renee Buckus

Finish Time:  54:07

Overall Place:  683rd Place /1257

Division Place:  46th Place / 112

Nancy Wardell

Finish Time:  54:40

Overall Place:  698th Place /1257

Division Place:  55th Place / 109

Brittany Kiehl

1 Mile Race

Finish Time:  11:35

Overall Place:  299th Place / 461

Division Place:  19th Place / 28

8K

Finish Time:  1:09:31

Overall Place:  1091st Place /1257

Division Place:  95th Place / 112

Brittany also volunteered for packet pick up duties.

Race Recap By Kristi Quesenberry Gunyula:

It was a humid challenging morning running the Interstate 8k, but it was awesome seeing all the running friends along the course and afterwards. Thank you #akronmarathon

Race Recap By George McFall:

The Akron Marathon race series kicked off this morning with the National Interstate 8k. I love doing this race series. It’s great to catch up with people before and after the race. It was a hot and humid morning. My mind said take it easy but my legs had other plans the first 3 miles. I got out of the start corral fast. My first mile was 6:50. I backed it down to 7:05 on the 2nd mile. Hit the 5k mark at 22:33 then said that’s good… and slowed the pace. I could tell I was overheating and my heart rate was high. Mile 4 was a 7:58 pace and the last .97 was around the same pace. Finished with a time of 37:34, 7:34 pace. I ended up 5th in my age group and 95th out of over 1200 runners. The 8k course is always challenging. The after party was fun! I did not mind getting caught in the rain on the walk back to the car after the awards were handed out. A big thank you to the race organizers and the amazing volunteers who make this race awesome!! I am looking forward to the Goodyear 10k in August.

Race Recap By Scott Orlando:

I hade a great time today at the National Interstate 8K. With the warm temperatures and extreme humidity I made the decision to dial it down, not worry about speed, and just run at a comfortable pace enjoying the experience.   I started out a little faster than I would have liked but eventually settled down into a slower pace.   I was very surprised to watch a runner in front of me cut every corner of the course each time there was a turn.  He would cross the street out of the designated course road lanes and make his way up on the sidewalk at each turn.  At one turn there was no sidewalk but he still managed to cut the corner.  This was very disappointing to watch such an accomplished runner cut the course.  The the final water stop I passed him so I have no knowledge to if he continued to cut the course after that.  I can say that several runners reported his bib number to race officials.  I was told that they would disqualify him if he was in contention to receive an age group award.  It turns out that he was in my age group but did not earn an award so they let his time stand,   I finished with a time of 39:28 placing 7th out of 45 in my age division.
The course was well marked with volunteers and traffic patrols blocking streets everywhere.   There were two fluid stations on the course.  The last fluid station was at the 2.9 mile mark of the course.  Being how hot and humid it was I would have liked for them to have one more fluid station around mile 4.   Thanks to the good pre race communication I knew there would not be a fluid station in the late miles of the course so I chose to do something I typically don’t do in a race which was to carry my own fluids.   I filled my SPI Belt H2O Companion with electrolytes.   THE H2O Companion holds 6 ounces of fluid so it was a perfect size and really helped me stay hydrated in the last couple of miles of the race.  The post race festival was a lot of fun until it rained.  Participants received nice t-shirts and finisher medals as well as two drink tickets and 1 food item ticket.
It was great to see so many Team-ER members, North Water Brewing Run Club members, and other running friends there.
Thank you to Akron Marathon for putting on another amazing event and to all of the volunteers who gave their time to support the race.

Race Recap By Nancy Wardell:

I ran the Akron Marathon Race Series National Interstate 8K with a whole bunch of teammates! Great to see so many faces and say hello for at least a little bit! This race is always very well organized and seems to be a Team-ER favorite! The course is very well marked and all the volunteers always seem to be more than helpful and so polite! Love the swag and medal and yummy food and drinks every year as well. I finished at 54:40 with a pace of 11:00 minutes.

Race Recap By Kevin Christensen:

We finished running in the Akron National Interstate 8K this morning. It was warm and humid. Too humid for me to share the after race photo.

Race Recap By Renee Buckus:

I ran the Akron National Interstate 8K this morning to officially kick off summer racing! Despite the abrupt end we still had the best time. Cheers to feeling strong as heck and spending time with the best running friends. Let’s go!

Race Recap By Brittany Kiehl:

Different start/ finish line locations. Course highlights the college campus along with parts of downtown Akron. Lots of crowd support with music! Finishers received a soft t-shirt and medal. Fun post race festivities with food trucks and drinks!

6/21/2025 Nancy Wardell And Brittany Kiehl Outrun Aiman 5K Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

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6/21/2025

Outrun Aiman 5K

Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

Nancy Wardell

Finish Time:  34:26

Overall Place:  156th Place / 336

Division Place:  28th Place / 63

Brittany Kiehl

Finish Time:  48:01

Overall Place:  243rd Place / 336

Division Place:  54th Place / 63

Brittany also volunteered for packet pick up duties.

Race Recap By Nancy Wardell:

I completed the Faster Every Day 5k, Project Outrun Aimen 5K race this evening with Brittany Kiehl! That was a very toasty race! I didn’t run my fastest, but I loved this race! They were very well organized and so much of the race money goes towards encouraging the youth that are diagnosed with cancer. I love racing for a cause! Tons of freebies with this race too including free admission to the festival where I won a free glass, some cookies, a cheeseburger, and a glass of raspberry beer! I even got some pretty new embellishments for Waylon’s crocks, and a bracelet he can decorate! The course was very very well directed by volunteers and the community had garden hoses and sprinklers out everywhere because of the heat. I ran slower this evening and finished at a total time of 34:26 and pace of 11:04. I was 28th of 63 in my age group, but that’s just fine lol really enjoyed this race! Thanks Brittany Kiehl for the info!

 

 

6/21/2025 Nancy Wardell And Brittany Kiehl Canton Pickle Fest 5K Canton, Ohio

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6/21/2025

Canton Pickle Fest 5K

Canton, Ohio

Nancy Wardell

Finish Time:  33:09

Overall Place:  130th Place / 458

Division Place:  7th Place / 29

Brittany Kiehl

Finish Time:  43:38

Overall Place:  288th Place:  458

Division Place:  24th Place / 34

Brittany also volunteered for packet pick up duties before the race.

Race Recap By Nancy Wardell:

I completed the Pickle Festival 5k, Iron Pickle 5k in Canton, OH this morning and was delighted to run into teammate Brittany Kiehl at packet pickup! This race was not the best organized race. It was very confusing starting with where packet pickup was located at, which didn’t match what the final instructions said and there was a lot of confusion even with where the finish line was! The race had people passing each other in opposite directions on a thin trail, so passing other racers was impossible . Parking had the racers walking over a mile back to their vehicles after the race, which made for some cranky people and even the award ceremony was miles away, so racers had to drive to a whole different location if they placed. I ran the race with a time of 33:10 and pace of 10:41. I placed 6th of 29 in my age group. One positive was that there were tons of freebies and awesome medals and swag along with my new inflatable pickle friend!

Race Recap By Brittany Kiehl:

I volunteered for packet pickup before the race. For this race you could add on The Iron Pickle for $5. You carry a container of pickles or a giant inflatable pickle for the entire race and earn an extra medal. Volunteering was tough because we had so many people upset with us. The race was sold out. Some people didn’t receive their inflatable or pickles. Even though there was a handful that picked up their race bibs early!) Some were mad because the start/ finish line changed last minute. And others were mad because they were promised a sticker if they donated items to the foodbank. We had zero stickers. This was the first year for this race. So hopefully, if they do it next year, they can fix some of these issues.
Afterwards I ran the 5K. The course had a nice downhill at the start and scenic views of the creek. However, it was an out and back on a thin trail. So it was next to impossible to pass others. After the finish, participants had to walk over a mile back to their vehicles. Those that parked at the start line had to climb back up a gigantic hill. Overall, I loved the design of the shirts and medals. And the Iron Pickle is a fun add on. The inflatables were so cute! The race also benefited the Akron-Canton Foodbank.

6/15/2025 Rick Wise NOMBS Father’s Day Race At The Thorn Wellington, Ohio

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6/15/2025

NOMBS Father’s Day Race At The Thorn

Wellington, Ohio

Rick Wise

Men’s Cat-2 Sport 50+

Finish Time:  1:41:07

Overall Place:  6th Place / 11

Race Recap By Rick Wise:

I had a great time on Father’s Day at the 3rd round (my 2nd race) of the NOMBS MTB Race Series at Findley State Park. I’m happy with a mid-pack finish of 6th out of 11 in my age group after moving up from Novice to Sport class this year. It was a gorgeous day and I was glad to have my wife Heather with me cheering me on.

6/14/2025 John Fabianich McClay, Josh Keane, Terri Bednar, Lisa Keane, And Lynett McClay The Muddy Paws Trail Race Peninsula, Ohio

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6/14/2025

The Muddy Paws Trail Race Peninsula, Ohio

10 Mile Trail Race

John Fabianich McClay

Finish Time:  1:44:37

Overall Place:  14th Place / 63

Division Place:  2nd Place / 6

Josh Keane

Finish Time:  2:07:27

Overall Place:  33rd Place / 63

Division Place:  3rd Place / 5

Terri Bednar

Finish Time:  2:07:36

Overall Place:  34th Place / 63

Division Place:  2nd Place / 6

Lisa Keane

Finish Time:  2:11:55

Overall Place:  39th Place / 63

Division Place:  4th Place / 6

5 Mile Trail Race

Lynett McClay

Finish Time:  1:29:10

Overall Place:  102nd Place / 126

Division Place:  6th Place / 8

Race Recap By John Fabianich McClay:

On Saturday, I took part in the Muddy PAWS 5 mile and 10 mile event. Despite the non-stop rain, the event was an absolute blast. The organizers provided clear instructions, easy-to-follow directions, and a seamless packet pickup experience. The course featured two aid stations per loop, with participants having the option to complete one or two loops, including significant elevation gain. I chose the two-loop 10 mile option and finished in 1:44:37, securing 14th place overall and second place in my age group. Well done to Team ER and all finishers.

Race Recap By Terri Bednar:

First time running this race, it was very well organized and parking was a breeze! Course was well marked and lots of puddles to jump in ! Torrential downpour didn’t stop the runners! Fun seeing the doggies have a blast too! I would do this again! And I got 2nd in my age group!

Race Recap By Lisa Keane

With non stop rain, tons of mud, and lots of 4 legged friends  , this race definitely lived up to it’s name!
Good communication, easy directions, and organized packet pick up.
Ample free parking close to the start / finish.
Chip timing for this well marked trail run around the Kendall Lake area.
2 aid stations per loop on course.
Choose 1 loop or 2 for a 5 or 10 mile race.
Plenty of elevation with a just a couple technical areas, some grassy fields, and lots of stairs allowed for a faster paced trail race than I am typically able to run.
Choice of swag at sign up.
All finishers receive a medal.
Overall and age group awards.
Congratulations to my fellow Team ER trailblazers You rock!
Race Recap By Lynett McClay:
Muddy Paws 5 & 10 Miler. This event proved to be an enjoyable experience despite the torrential downpour throughout. As a returning participant, this marked my second consecutive year running this race. The course traverses the picturesque Kendall Lake area within Cuyahoga National Park. Packet pickup was efficiently organized. Indoor restrooms and supplemental port-a-potties ensured minimal wait times prior to the race. Participants received a choice of a water bottle, ice necktie, or bag. Ample parking accommodated all attendees. Two aid stations provided sufficient support for runners’ needs. I appreciate running this race and observing the delight of dogs accompanying their owners.

6/13/2025 Christine Churpek And Rachel Turner Adult Track Night Uniontown, Ohio

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6/13/2025

Adult Track Night

Uniontown, Ohio

Christine Churpek

100 Meters

Finish Time:  16.92

Overall Place:  10th Place / 15

Division Place:  3rd Place

1600 Meters

Finish Time:  6:58:52

Overall Place:  17th Place / 24

Division Place:  N/A

Rachel Turner

400 Meters

Finish Time:  1:17:19

Overall Place:  6th Place / 12

Division Place:  2nd Place

4 X 400 Meters Mixed

Dashing Divas

Finish Time:  5:37:69

Overall Place:  20th Place / 23

Division Place:  N/A