7/26/2025

Ohio State Canoe, Kayak, And Paddle Board Championships

Fairport Harbor, Ohio

5 Mile Race

Finish Time:  50:14

Overall Place:  4th Place

Scott Orlando

It was a Stellar day of kayak racing at the 16th Annual – Ohio State Canoe, Kayak and Paddleboard Championships. I finished 4th overall in the 5 mile race with a time of 50:14 which was over 3 minutes faster than last year.  The weather was hot and humid. The river was low and calm.  It rained a little during the first mile but stopped and the sun started coming out from behind the clouds.  I got off to a little bit of a slow start being pinned between a paddle board and a kayaker that was a little challenged to go straight.  I finally passed them and was quickly up near the front of the pack.  I established the 4th spot early in the race and maintained it through the finish.  The first two kayaks were well in front.  The third place kayak was within site and I was slowly gaining ground.  I pushed hard the second half of the race and continued to get closer but never fully caught up far enough to make a sprint to the finish.  I crossed the finish line just 45 seconds behind him to secure 4th place.

I was a little disappointed that all boats over 14’ 6” were grouped into the same race class this year. For this reason I did not earn a medal which was the first time that has happened at this race for me. Usually 18’ kayaks are in a fast sea kayak division and kayaks over 18’ are in an unlimited division. I am not clear why the change occurred this year. I discussed it with the race director and he said he would change it back next year but not this year.

The main draw of this event is the 10 mile race that happens after the 5 mile race. The 10 mile race still had the more traditional boat classes. Many choose to compete in both races. Some compete in the 5 mile race because they aren’t comfortable or capable kayaking 10 miles. I am capable of kayaking 10 miles but choose the 5 mile race because it’s earlier and I can get on with my day. I don’t really understand why the boat classes are different at an event that features two separate races. To me it makes sense to have the same boat classes in both race distances. Hopefully next year the improve the situation.

All participants received nice t-shirts.  There were plenty of snacks on hand to fuel up paddlers after the races.  I will say the donuts hit the spot after the 5 mile race!

It was great seeing so many of my kayak friends out on the water today.  Performance Kayak & Surfski Inc. and Stellar Kayaks had a big day taking home a lot of medals . Congratulations to all of today’s paddlers and thank you to Joe Krizman and all of the volunteers that put on a great race.

7/26/2025

The Elephant Run 5K

Orville, Ohio

Brittany Kiehl

Finish Time:  41:59

Overall Place:  291st / 774

Division Place:  38th Place / 142

Brittany Also volunteered for packet pick up duties.

Race Recap By Brittany Kiehl:

This race benefits Forget-Me-Not-Baskets, Inc. A non-profit organization that provides bereavement baskets to families who have experienced a loss during pregnancy or childbirth at the hospital.
I volunteered for packet pickup. Packet pickup was easy with an option to pickup early. Easy parking at Wayne College with overflow parking at the YMCA down the street. Parking is limited, though, with it being such a large number of participants. The course was a nice out and back around Wayne College. There was one long hill about 1 mile into the race. And the last 1 mile or so was directly in the sun with no shade on the road in front of the College.
It is a family friendly race with a distance for everyone – 5K, 1 mile and kids fun run. Strollers are allowed. They had a tattoo station setup for the kids. They have a moment of remembrance for those that have lost a baby before the 5K. Ott’s Coffee is available for purchase. There was a great variety of post race snacks including chocolate milk and Lerch’s donuts. It was a fun after party atmosphere with a DJ. The 1 mile and 5K participants received a shirt and medal.

7/25/2025

Stink Stank Stunk 5K

Bolivar, Ohio

Lisa Keane

Finish Time:  28:26

Overall Place:  27th Place / 96

Division Place:  4th Place / 16

Nancy Wardell

Finish Time:  29:44

Overall Place:  31st Place / 96

Division Place:  1st Place / 12

Kelli Tomblin

Finish Time:  35:47

Overall Place:  51st Place / 96

Division Place:  7th Place / 16

Race Recap By Lisa Keane:

It was a nice turn out for this inaugural CHRISTMAS IN JULY themed event to raise money for local families in need!
Good communication, easy and organized packet pick up
Ample free parking
Fun venue with music for a party atmosphere
Gun start on a narrow walking path created a pretty big bottle neck at the start
Chip finish for a flat, fast out and back course on the walking path and through a quiet neighborhood
Well marked with plenty of volunteers for safety and one water station on course and one at the finish
No snacks for finishers
Fun themed medals
“No shirt” option for all participants at a $5 discount.
Not enough swag bags for everyone
Overall and 10 year age groups got a cute Christmas ornament award
I had the best time hanging with my Team ER girls! You two always make me smile!

Race Recap By Nancy Wardell:

! completed the first time Stink Stank Stunk 5K in Bolivar this evening and had such a great time! The heat was definitely coming down today, but there were a few clouds that gave us a little reprieve from the attacking sun rays! Loved seeing fellow Team-ER members Lisa Keane and Kelli Tomblin at this event and enjoyed or photo ops brought to us by Lisa of course.  Tons of great goodies at this race and the course was nice and flat! I ended up finishing 1st in my age group with a time of 29:44 and pace of 9:34!! The finisher medals were super cute and i easily attached my place award to the finisher medal as a nice keepsake! They even had some free raffle items at the end for races where a friend of mine donated part of her winning raffle to me to go out to eat at “The Brewhouse” worth $25!! I will definitely be doing this race again next year!

Race Recap By Kelli Tomblin:

The 1st Annual Stink Stank Stunk was so fun & festive. Very hot & muggy. Funds went to local needy kids for back to school/ Christmas. That was a perfect reason to enter! Good water station . Fast & flat. Plenty of volunteers encouraging you & making sure your going in the right direction. Really cool after party at Lockport. Raffle prizes were cool. Games for kids. Plenty of room for everyone. Cold drinks & food after. Definitely doing it again next year! Had fun with Lisa Keane & Nancy Wardell!

7/20/2025

The Lake Metroparks Pirate Triathlon

Fairport Harbor, Ohio

Scott Orlando

Finish Time:  1;21;29

Overall Place:  1st Place / 26

Veronica Neubert

Finish Time:  1:32:10

Overall Place:  4th Place / 26

Division Place:  1st Place Overall Female Finisher / 13

Russ Neubert

Finish Time:  1:53:35

Overall Place:  15th Place / 26

Division Place:  5th Place / 6

Race Recap By Scott Orlando:

This morning I competed in the Lake Metroparks Pirate Triathlon. Everything just clicked today and I was the overall winner of the kayak triathlon! This was the first time I have been the overall winner of a triathlon.

The race starts with a 2K kayak on Lake Erie. Kayaking was rough. We got tossed around in the wind and waves. I got off to a slow start but finished strong being the first kayak out of the water. My 20K bike leg was strong and I was the first biker into transition. My 5K run felt smooth and efficient and I crossed the finish line in 1:21:29 winning by about 2 minutes. My finish time was just a few seconds off of last year’s finish time.

Congratulations to Veronica Judith who was the female overall winner and to Russ Neubert who after the Lake Erie waves flipped his kayak managed to get back in and finished the race strong.

It was a little disappointing to see such a small race field this year in the kayak triathlon with 32 participants. The swim triathlon had 260 entries. There was a large competing kayak race and Ohio Ironman 70.3 this weekend that I’m sure spread out racers.

All participants received custom pirate themed tech shirts and finisher medals.  A selection of cut fruit, cookies, salty snacks, and Gatorade was available post race.  Lake Metroparks does a really nice job organizer their events and this race was no exception.   I do think the awards could be better managed.  They always offer a first place overall award  no second or third place overall awards and then age group awards every 10 years.  I would prefer that they present awards for the top three overall male and female finishers.  This year they combined age groups every 15 years because of the low registration numbers in the kayak triathlon.  The overall male and overall female winners of the kayak triathlon received two trophies.  We each received an overall winner trophy and and age group winner trophy.  Most races do not include overall winners in age divisions and I would prefer to see this race follow that format and spread the awards around more.  Thank you to Lake Metroparks and all of the volunteers for putting on a great race!

Race Recap By Veronica Neubert:

Sunday, 6:30am I’m watching the tracker as Cameron begins his swim at the Ohio 70.3 Ironman.  He finishes his swim before the 8:00am men’s kayak portion of our triathlon begins. 8:05am female and team kayak division begins. (Thank you to Scott Orlando for the use of your Stellar performance kayak and your first triathlon win!) The waves were rough and I struggled to right the boat a few times but ended up first female to hit the shore, second out of transition. I caught up quickly and passed the other female on the bike. The bike route was SO windy I had to work hard the entire time but I remembered Cam was fighting the same wind and had more than double the amount to ride than I did. I was first female to finish the bike and remained in first the entire run. It was humid and I was slower than I wanted to be but I only had a 5k to run and Cam had an entire half marathon! The feeling as I rounded the corner to the flags was joy! I had won (back to back 24 & 25)
Congratulations to Russ on finishing and his upbeat pirate performance!
I’m so happy they announced awards early because then I could make the drive from Mentor to Sandusky to see Cam finish! I can’t put into words how proud I am of his effort, his tenacity, his self discipline … that hug at the finish line brought me to tears! My son is so strong!

7/12/2025

The Women’s 6K Festival

Canton, Ohio

Laura Fairfax

Finish Time:  38:07

Overall Place:  212th Place / 442

Division Place:  38th Place / 60

Stephanie Orwick

Finish Time:  38:20

Overall Place:  215th Place / 442

Division Place:  39th Place / 60

Brittany Kiehl

Finish Time:  53:18

Overall Place:  343rd Place / 442

Division Place:  51st Place / 60

Race Recap By Brittany Kiehl:

This was my first all female 6K! I loved the camaraderie, energy and encouragement. It was a point-to-point course. So we were shuttled to the start. It seemed disorganized as they were using vans that only shuttled 6-8 people at a time. So the race was delayed by about 30 minutes. It was mostly downhill with a few up-hills sprinkled in. I felt there was a lot of police presence but not much crowd support. They ran out of water at the first water station. Many were upset because they were anticipating water just after mile 2. The course was well marked and there were free finish line photos. There was a finisher festival at the end with vendors and an awards ceremony. It was so hot and humid though that I didn’t stick around because I only wanted to cool down. There was also a farmer’s market just across the street. So I stopped for a cold brew from Rolling Refreshments instead of waiting in line for Bereka Coffee.

7/13/2025

NOMBS Medina Time Trials Mountain Bike Race

Medina, Ohio

Men’s Cat-2 Sport 50+ Men

Rick Wise

Finish time:  49:02

Overall Place:  5th Place / 10

Race Recap By Rick Wise:

I had a solid, clean race today at the 4th round of the NOMBS MTB series. The race was a time trial format which was interesting. Much more about racing against the clock with little interference from other riders. There was a fun river crossing that was about a foot deep. I was happy with another mid-pack performance placing 5th out of 10 in my first year in the Category 2, Sport 50+ division

7/4/2025

The Raintree 5K

Uniontown, Ohio

Rachel Turner

Finish Time:  21:45

Overall Place:  15th Place / 121

Division Place:  3rd Place Overall Female

Scott Orlando

Finish Time:  22:57

Overall Place: 22nd Place  / 121

Division Place:  2nd Place / 5

Christine Churpek

Finish Time:  24:42

Overall Place:  25th Place / 121

Division Place:  1st Place / 8

Kris Engstrom

Finish Time:  25:45

Overall Place:  34th Place  / 121

Division Place:  3rd Place / 5

Josh Keane

Finish Time:  26:29

Overall Place:  41st Place / 121

Division Place:  4th Place / 5

Lisa Keane

Finish Time:  28:04

Overall Place:  48th Place  / 121

Division Place:  3rd Place / 6

Kevin Christensen

Finish Time:  28:54

Overall Place:  54th Place  / 121

Division Place:  4th Place / 11

Stephanie Orwick

Finish Time:  30:41

Overall Place:  72nd Place  / 121

Division Place:  4th Place / 15

Josh Keane, Kevin Christensen, Kris Engstrom, Lisa Keane, Scott Orlando, And Stephanie Orwick volunteered for set up, registration, and packet pick up duties.

Race Recap By Scott Orlando:

It was a beautiful morning for a 5K on the fairways of the Raintree Golf & Event Center. It was so great to see so many Team-ER members there volunteering and racing.  I have competed in this race several times in the past.  I always enjoy this race because of the uniqueness of the course.  It isn’t every day that you get to run on the fairways of a golf course.  This race is like a cross country event.   The course changes from soft fairways, to cart paths, to a lengthy section on the roads of a housing development and then back to the fairways for the finish.   The are a few small hills but there is a lot of the course that features long sections of just enough incline to make you feel it.

My race started off well with a decent first mile split of 7:15.   I knew that there was a fast runner in my division that I was keeping an eye on.   Through most of the race he was behind me but within my view.  He really pushed my pace to try to keep him as far behind as possible.   Just before the last two fairways there is a downhill section followed by a steep short hill.  I slowed down on the hill enough for him to make up significant ground on me.   Heading down the last two fairways I knew he was right behind me.  Turning onto the last fairway I could see his shadow just behind me and then he was by my side,  We both started to sprint and he passed  in the last 50 meters.   I finished 2nd in my division missing winning it by just 3 seconds.

My finish time was 22:57 which was 33 seconds faster than the last time I ran this race in 2023.

The race was well organized as always.  Overall and division winners received apple pies for their efforts.  There were was a nice selection of snacks available after the race as well as some sponsor samples of skin care products.  All participants received t-shirts.

I really enjoyed helping with set up and packet pick up before the race. It was great to see my former college track team member and current mayor of Green Rocco Yeargin.
Congratulations to all of the Team ER members and North Water Brewing Run Club members that ran and earned their apple pies.
Thank you to Josh Ritchie, Mickey Rzymek, and all the volunteers that put on another great race.

Race Recap By Christine Churpek:

The Raintree 5K is one of my favorite races! 1st place in my AG! I got to run on a golf course and take home a pie! Happy 4th!

Race Recap By Lisa Keane:

Happy Independence Day!
Time to don your red, white, & blue and lace up your running shoes to kick off your holiday!
Unique and fun themed 5K through beautiful Raintree Golf Course and the surrounding neighborhood.
1 mile fun run for the littles
Gun start – chip finish. The course is well marked with plenty of volunteers, a water station, and a handful of hilly areas.
Organized and easy packet pick up
Plenty of free parking a short walk to the start/ finish
All runners receive a soft themed tee and post race water / snacks.
Overall and age group winners earn a pie.
Last year I came in 4th and just missed it but very happy to get 3rd in my age group this year and take home an all American apple pie!
Loved spending the morning with my fellow Team ER athletes! Always a great time when we get together!

Race Recap By Stephanie Orwick:

My first race review but I’ll keep it short and sweet! Temperature was fantastic for a July race, and I’m hoping Mother Nature can replicate this for every single race for the rest of my life. The race was well organized, packet pick-up was a breeze (and Team ER represented with the volunteers!), and the course itself was easy to follow. Faced my fears of running in grass and actually enjoyed the mix of fairway, cart path, and road. My fast friends all earned pies for their awards. Looking forward to volunteering and running next year!

7/4/2025

Four On The Fourth

Hudson, Ohio

Mike Williams

Finish Time:  34:25

Overall Place:  142nd Place / 388

Division Place:  7th Place / 13

Brittany Kiehl

Finish Time:  55:17

Overall Place:  370th Place / 396

Division Place:  35th Place / 36

Race Recap By Brittany Kiehl:

Brittany also volunteered for packet pick up duties.

I enjoyed volunteering for packet pickup and afterwards running the 4 mile race. It was a fun, well marked course through neighborhoods of Hudson. They have a 2 mile or 4 mile option. Thankfully they moved up the start times this year. I loved the medal and shirts! They had plenty of post race snacks including snow cones.

7/4/2025

Firecracker Run

Stow, Ohio

Terri Bednar

Finish Time:  35:06

Overall Place:  78th Place / 218

Division Place:  1st Place / 7

7/4/2025

July 4th 5K

Aurora, Ohio

Roy Miller

Finish Time:  21:30

Overall Place:  55th Place / 476

Division Place:  6th Place / 46

George McFall

Finish time:  21:31

Overall Place:  56th Place / 476

Division Place:  2nd Place / 28

Race Recap By George McFall:

I kicked off my birthday on July 4th with a 5k race in Aurora. There is a 1 mile and 5k option. I have been doing this race for a few years. The race starts and finishes at Bicentennial Park. The 5k course has a few small climbs — one at the beginning and one about 3/4 mile from the finish. You are rewarded with a fast downhill to the finish line. Lots of spectators especially near the finish line. I ran well and finished 2nd in my age group with a time of 21:31, 6:57 pace. I highly recommend this race. I know I will be there to do it again next year.