Author Archives: Scott Orlando

1/4/2025 Josh Keane And Lisa Keane Choco Loco 5K Houston, Texas

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1/4/2025

Choco Loco 5K

Houston, Texas

Josh Keane

Finish Time:  25:40

Overall Place:  20th Place / 258

Division Place:  1st Place Overall Masters

Lisa Keane

Finish Time:  27:39

Overall Place:  28th Place / 258

Division Place:  1st Place

Race Recap By Josh Keane:

What a fun race on a work trip! Great race company and great race! Fun out and back course with 5k and 10k options. Excellent aid stations with great food and vendor support. The locally brewed breakfast beer was also fantastic! Very fun atmosphere! Great tshirt and medal too. Ran pretty fast and got my first ever first place master finish! Would recommend this race if you are ever in Houston and the timing is right.

Race Recap By Lisa Keane:

Choco Loco 5K
Organized and easy packet pick up night before or same day. Same day packet pick up volunteers hold your shirt for you until after the race. Super convenient for us as we walked several blocks from our hotel room to the event. Chip timed out and back race- 5K and 10K start together with slightly different turn around and 1 lap vs 2. Well marked road race blocked off around the park and plenty of police / volunteer presence for safety.
Fun course with several hills to add a little challenge. …Texas is not as flat as they advertise.

All runners receive a fun, soft short sleeve tee and finishers medal. Fun party atmosphere with music, Photo Booth, vendors, and give – a-ways plus lots of beer, drinks, snacks and CHOCOLATE!  Wooden award plaques for top 3 overall winners. Congrats Josh Keane on your 1st place Overall Masters!
I managed to place 1st in my age group – awards to be mailed out at a later date.

12/31/2024 George McFall, Roy Miller, Scott Orlando, Josh Keane, Lisa Keane, Mike Williams, Jerry Lynch, And Kevin Christensen The Great New Year’s Eve 5K Stow, Ohio

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12/31/2024

The Great New Year’s Eve 5K

Stow, Ohio

George McFall

Finish Time:  21:36

Overall Place:  29th Place / 277

Division Place:  2nd Place / 16

Roy Miller

Finish Time:  23:21

Overall Place:  43rd Place / 277

Division Place: 3rd Place / 14

Scott Orlando

Finish Time:  23:55

Overall Place:  48th Place / 277

Division Place:   3rd Place / 11

Josh Keane

Finish Time:  27:03

Overall Place:  90th Place / 277

Division Place:   7th Place / 18

Lisa Keane

Finish Time:  29:15

Overall Place:  106th Place / 277

Division Place:   2nd Place / 16

Mike Williams

Finish Time:  30:30

Overall Place:  119th Place / 277

Division Place:   8th Place / 16

Jerry Lynch

Finish Time:  35:23

Overall Place:  166th Place / 277

Division Place:   6th Place / 9

Kevin Christensen

Volunteered for packet pick up duties and course marshal duties

Race Recap By George McFall:

Happy New Year, Team ER! Yesterday, I laced up the shoes to run the Great New Year’s Eve 5K. This is a race I have done several times but it didn’t making running it any easier. It is the same rolling hill course and that final big climb before getting a downhill to the finish line is still there. The weather was perfect. The rain stayed away and the temp was around 44-45 degrees.

I shot out of the start line to get into a good position because I didn’t want to be caught in the crowd as we made the left turn onto Newcomer. My first mile was 6:40 pace. It would have been great to hold that pace but I gave some time back each mile after that which was expected based on the not so flat course. My finishing time was 21:36 which was good enough for 2nd place in my age group. The 50-54 age group was very competitive – the guy who finished first came in at 21:33 and 3rd place was 22:26. Team ER did very well. It was good to see the tradition of handing out socks for age group awards hasn’t changed. I mean we could all use socks. It was a great way to end my 2024 running season

Race Recap By Scott Orlando:

I have a love hate relationship with the Great New Year’s Eve 5K race held annually in Stow, Ohio.   Being that this race is just down the street from my house and held on my birthday make it hard for me not to compete in this race.  I also like the idea of ending the year with one last race.   The hate part of this race for me is that the weather conditions are typically horrible and the course is very difficult challenging runners with hill after hill.
This year the weather conditions were threatening rain but cleared up right before the start making for better than normal conidiations for this race.  The temperature was in the 40’s with some decent wind gusts but overall not too bad.
I had been training for this race the last couple of weeks by getting some miles in on the actual course to familiarize myself with every hill in order to come up with a race day strategy.  I felt fairly confident and prepared for the race.
Unfortunately my race didn’t go especially how I would have liked. For some reason I just wasn’t feeling it and couldn’t get to my usual pace. My lower back tightened up a few hours before the race and is very tight now so maybe that had something to do with it.   I  had a decent first mile at a 7:17 mile pace, but then slowed down from there.  Each mile I lost more time on the hills.   I tried to make a late push in the last half mile but it was a little too late to make up any real time.   In any case I still managed to place 3rd in my division with a time of 23:55 which was a minute slower than last year and by far my slowest 5K of the year. The Great New Year’s Eve 5K was by far the hilliest course I ran all year so there is definitely a feeling of accomplishment just completing this race.
All runners receive a race logoed fleece blanket and custom bib.  There were plenty of snacks after the race.  All pre and post race activities were held inside which was nice.  The race was well organized.
It was great seeing so many Team-ER members at the race. Congratulations to Team ER members George Mc Fly, Roy Miller, and Lisa Keane who also earned division awards! Congratulations to Josh Keane, Mike Williams and Jerry Lynch who completed the race.
Thank you to Kevin Christensen, Leslie Christensen, and Steve Hailer for volunteering.
Thank you to Josh Ritchie, Mickey Rzymek, Summit Athletic Running Club, and all the volunteers that put on another great race.
Congratulations to everyone that conquered the hills and crossed the finish line.
Race Recap By Lisa Keane:
Easy directions with plenty of parking close to the start / finish line.  Organized and easy packet pick up.
Gun start, chip timed out and back race on a well marked, fun, and challenging road course.
Ample police presence for safety and I was pleasantly surprised by all the neighborhood cheerleaders!
Blankets and snacks for all participants and socks for top 3 overall and age group winners!
Soft and fun hoodies available for purchase.  Despite the hills, I was able to place 2nd in my age group and scored some great new socks!
As always, so nice to celebrate the holidays and run with fellow Team ER members!
HAPPY NEW YEAR FRIENDS!   And an extra special HAPPY BIRTHDAY shout out to Scott and Jerry!   Can’t wait to see you all in 2025!

 

12/24/2024 George McFall, Christine Churpek, Roy Miller, Steve Zenar, Terri Bednar, Mike Williams, And Brittany Kiehl Frosty 5 Miler Hudson, Ohio

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12/24/2024

Frosty 5 Miler

Hudson, Ohio

George McFall

Finish Time:  33:48

Overall Place:  56th Place / 787

Division Place: 2nd Place / 26

Christine Churpek

Finish Time:  38:00

Overall Place:  120th Place / 787

Division Place:  3rd Place / 54

Roy Miller

Finish Time:  38:20

Overall Place:  128th Place / 787

Division Place:  5th Place / 28

Steve Zenar

Finish Time:  41:44

Overall Place:  199th Place / 787

Division Place:  10th Place / 28

Terri Bednar

Finish Time:  47:12

Overall Place:  374th Place / 787

Division Place:  21st Place / 56

Mike Williams

Finish Time:  47:43

Overall Place:  394th Place / 787

Division Place:  16th Place / 26

Brittany Kiehl

Finish Time:  1:04:17

Overall Place:  692nd Place / 787

Division Place:  38th Place / 44

Race Recap By Steve Zenar:

I had a wonderful final run for 2024 at the Frosty 5 Miler in Hudson, OH. I always enjoy this race and today was quite nice as the weather was seasonably agreeable and not too frosty.  Always a great time to get out and stretch the legs before the festivities begin and love giving Santa a High Five as you cross the finish line.
Wishing everyone on Team-ER a wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year! Enjoy time with your friends and family and hope all have a safe, relaxing, and enjoyable week. Look forward to seeing you all out on a course in 2025.

Race Recap By Brittany Kiehl:

This race takes place on Christmas Eve every year. This was my third time participating and has become a fun tradition. This year my family and I did both the five mile and one mile race. The one mile race was very family friendly. However, the five miler course was quite hilly. I think next year we will just stick with only doing the one mile. The 5 mile course was fun, but I felt it was a little bit too much for the boys. At the finish line, Santa was giving high fives. There was hot cocoa, cookies and all kinds of snacks. All runners received a wooden medal that doubles as an ornament. It was the same design as last year, just slightly bigger. If you completed the 5 mile, you also received a soft, short sleeve red tri blend tee with the race logo. Overall, a great experience and would highly recommend this one!

 

12/21/2024 Kristi Quesenberry Gunyula, George McFall, Christine Churpek, Roy Miller, Josh Keane, Lisa Keane, Cleopatra Sirnic Clifford, Terri Bednar, And Renee Buckus The Selfless Elf 5K Akron, Ohio.

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12/21/2024

The Selfless Elf 5K

Akron, Ohio

Kristi Quesenberry Gunyula

Finish Time:  21:22

Overall Place:  44th Place /702

Division Place:  1st Place / 52

George McFall

Finish Time:  22:04

Overall Place:  52nd Place / 702

Division Place:  3rd Place / 19

Christine Churpek

Finish Time:  25:27

Overall Place:  103rd Place / 702

Division Place:  6th Place / 52

Roy Miller

Finish Time:  25:57

Overall Place:  113th Place  / 702

Division Place:  7th Place / 26

Josh Keane

Finish Time:  26:55

Overall Place:  130th  / 702

Division Place:  5th Place / 19

Lisa Keane

Finish Time:  27:39

Overall Place: 154th Place  / 702

Division Place: 4th Place / 37

Cleopatra Sirnic Clifford

Finish Time:  30:37

Overall Place:  237th Place / 702

Division Place:  8th Place / 37

Terri Bednar

Finish Time:  30:38

Overall Place:  238th Place / 702

Division Place:  12th Place / 45

Renee Buckus

Finish Time:  53:48

Overall Place:  630th Place / 702

Division Place:  15th Place / 20

Race Recap By George McFall:

This was my second time doing the Selfless Elf 5K to benefit the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. It was fun doing this race with friends Kristi Quesenberry Gunyula, Christine Churpek, Roy Miller, and Terri Bednar. The start and finish was in front of the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. The pre race and post race vibe was awesome! Loved all the holiday costumes. As always, it was great seeing so many familiar faces. I didn’t achieve my goal but still ran a good race — 22:04, 7:06 pace — 3rd place in my age group.

Race Recap By Lisa Keane:

Super organized and fun event!  We run this race every year in support of the Akron-Canton Foodbank.
Easy directions with tons of area parking for a short walk to the start line.  Indoor packet pick up, staging, and awards. Indoor restrooms and outdoor port-o-potties. Tons of photo ops, Santa, and a DJ!
Mostly flat road course with plenty of police presence for safety. Family and stroller friendly. Cute long sleeve shirts and tall striped knee socks for all participants.
Adorable elf awards for top 2 overall and age group winners.  Snacks and fun after party atmosphere.  Congratulations to all my Team ER elfs who braved the cold!
Merry Christmas friends!

12/17/2024 Cleopatra Sirnic Clifford And Kevin Christensen Holiday Lights Run Akron, Ohio

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12/17/2024

Holiday Lights Run

Akron, Ohio

Non Competitive Group Run Through Akron Holiday Lights Displays.

Cleopatra Sirnic Clifford

Kevin Christensen

Run Recap By Kevin Christensen:

We started at Lock 3 downtown Akron and ran 4 miles to Stan Hywet for a group photo and then 4 miles back to Lock 3 for food and refreshments at Barley House. That Grinch outfit was a little warm for the weather but worth it for the fun we had with other runners and friends.

 

12/14/2024 & 12/15/2024 Josh Keane, Lisa Keane, And Nancy Wardell The Bigfoot Trail Race Lore, Ohio

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12/14/2024 & 12/15/2024

The Bigfoot Trail Race

Lore, Ohio

Saturday 10 Miler

Josh Keane

Finish Time:  2:01:06

Overall Place:  96th Place / 344

Division Place:  5th Place / 21

Lisa Keane

Finish Time:  2:19:39

Overall Place:  160th Place / 344

Division Place:  7th Place / 19

Sunday 10 Miler

Nancy Wardell

Finish Time:  2:46:37

Overall Place:  63rd Place / 100

Division Place:  9th Place / 14

Race Recap By Josh Keane:

We always have so much fun in this course! The Bigfoot 50k, 20 mile & 10mile trail race does not disappoint! We have done this race all distances several times and it is one of my favorites. This year was the coldest that we have run, it is usually a wintry much of weather dancing in and out of the freezing zone. Most years the extreme elevation changes are made even more challenging by some of the most slippery mud known to man! Not this year, this year the ground was pretty frozen. Great course and the lodge is a very nice place to start and finish. Aid stations at the start/finish and one somewhere in the middle of the course are pretty good. Medals, shirts, and awards are pretty good, but it is the challenging course that calls me back each time.
Ran the single loop 10 miler this year. Finished in 2 hours and one minute, 5th in my age group and 92nd overall out of 344. As always I had a lot of fun on this one and enjoyed a spicy burger at 360 Burger after on the way home. I definitely would recommend this one to any runner looking for a challenging trail race with all kinds of crazy weather potential and stories to tell!

Race Recap By Lisa Keane:

Super organized, easy packet pick up inside beautiful Salt Fork lodge. Lots of parking close to the event.
Plenty of indoor space and even a few fireplaces to keep you warm before and after. Indoor, heated restrooms and changing areas located at the start / finish and at mile 6 aid station. Well marked course on a very technical, very hilly, and very scenic 10.4 mile trail on Salt Fork Lake with horse mounted rangers for safety.
Choose 1, 2, or 3 loops and be prepared for some fun Ohio mud!
All finishers receive a soft Short sleeve tee and medal. Overall winners receive a super cool resin plaque and age group winners get a nice metal pin.
Soup and sandwiches plus all the regular snacks available at the aid stations as well as Tailwind and water.
We love this race and all that it has to offer!

The weather is very unpredictable this time of year and we typically have some sort of precipitation and a ton of resulting mud!
This year was the first time that the ground was frozen and while most found it to be a faster course that way, my ankle really objected to the churned up frozen ground.

A little slower than I would have liked and definitely not happy with the sore ankle but happy to be back doing what I love most!

Race Recap By Nancy Wardell:

I took on the Bigfoot 10 Miler at Salt Fork this morning and boy it was a challenge in all that rain and mud!! I’m definitely glad I did it, but I’m also glad it’s over!  I bit the dust once, but wasn’t enough to stop me from reaching that finish line! Salt Fork is a beautiful area and I loved being in the woods!  Their wooden medal was really cute and their soup and grilled cheese was awesome at the finish line along with other snacks and drinks!! They even had a half way tent set up with snacks and drinks including Gatorade and other refreshments that helped power you through until the end! Another race in the books!!

12/14/2024 Nancy Wardell Frosty Frolic 5K Canton, Ohio

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12/14/2024

Frosty Frolic 5K

Canton, Ohio

Nancy Wardell

Finish Time:  32:40

Overall Place:  89th Place / 346

Division Place:  10th Place / 52

Race Recap By Nancy Wardell:

I completed the Frosty Frolic 5k in Canton tonight! It was a late race that started at 5:30 pm so you are able to see the Christmas lights as you run along Stadium Park Dr. At the finish line, they served cookies and hot chocolate! Was definitely a nice little race but was tricky to see the ground during the second half because the lights from oncoming traffic hit you right in the face as you ran around the park. I finished around 32 minutes.

12/8/2024 Brittany Kiehl Olmsted Ugly Sweater Run Olmsted Falls, Ohio

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12/8/2024

Olmsted Ugly Sweater Run

Olmsted Falls, Ohio

1 Mile Run

Brittany Kiehl

Finish Time:  10:49

Overall Place: 34th Place / 61

Division Place: N/A

Race Recap By Brittany Kiehl:

This race was very family friendly! They raffled off fun door prizes. Coffee, hot cocoa, and sugar cookies were all provided from local places in Olmsted Falls. You could hang out inside the middle school before and after the race. The kids run had three different distances, and all kids received a medal. My little boys loved it! My only complaint was the course through the soccer field was not double stroller friendly. Anyone have any recommendations for an actual double running stroller instead of our Britax?

12/7/2024 George McFall Miracle On Erie Street 5K Willoughby, Ohio

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12/7/2024

Miracle On Erie Street 5K

Willoughby, Ohio

George McFall

Finish Time:  21:11

Overall Place:  7th Place / 283

Division Place:  1st Place / 31

Race Recap By George McFall:

he Miracle on Erie Street 5k in Willoughby, OH is a race you should add to your 2025 race calendar. A fun, fast and festive event. Santa was there and the town square, downtown streets, restaurants and shops were decorated with holiday cheer. Good vibes!! The race supports Erie Street Miracles, a charitable organization that spreads holiday cheer by making hundreds of Christmas Mornings possible for those in need. The start gun went off around 11:00am. The course was mostly flat and goes thru Willoughby’s oldest neighborhoods. The temp was in the mid-20s. Roads were in great condition. Perfect weather to run in a tank and arm sleeves. The sun was shining so it helped make it feel warmer than it really was. I stayed with the lead pack most of the race. The lead runners, however, pulled away and the rest of us hung on to post some good times. I loved this race. I placed 1st in my age group and 7th overall. My award was a tin of freshly baked Christmas cookies. The swag bag was filled with a race T-shirt, a Santa hat (thanks to Crumbl Cookie) and a card that had a thank you note inside from Erie Street Miracles. Awesome race! Great volunteers!