The Peninsula Track Club Summer Fun Series starts this evening (Tuesday, August 2nd, 6:30 p.m.) with the Tom Ray Memorial Predict Your Time 5 Miler at Newport News Park. Tom Ray, a 2007 inductee into the Virginia Peninsula Road Racing Hall of Fame, was the long-time race director for the Prediction Run, which utilizes the soft-surface Newport News Park Bikeway. In this event, anyone can win, as the awards go to the runners who most closely match their predicted time. No watches are allowed.
The PTC Summer Fun Run Series continues in Williamsburg the following Wednesday (Aug. 10th, 6:30 p.m.) with the annual Lake Matoaka Trail Challenge 4.3 Miler, the oldest continually held on the Peninsula. After the event, there will be a combined PTC-Colonial Road Runners post-race social at the nearby newly renovated College Dely, on their outdoor porch area. The course is a "pleasant jaunt over the trails, rocks, gullies, and trees around Lake Matoaka," with the event starting and finishing in front of Zable Stadium, the William and Mary football and track facility.
The PTC Summer Fun Run Series is a set of August low-key evening running events with an entry fee of a can of people food and a can of pet food for each event. Signup for all is race day only.
The final two PTC summer fun run events are Wednesday, Aug. 17 (Swamp Bridge 5K on the White Oak Trail in Newport News Park) and Wednesday, Aug. 24 (Harvest Lake 5K in the Coventry neighborhood of York County), a 5K with a cross-country start and finish. Start times for all events are 6:30 p.m.
About Tom Ray, from his induction into the Virginia Peninsula Road Racing Hall of Fame:
Tom Ray, 74, has been one of the Peninsula ’s top age-group runners, since starting running at age 50, and racing at age 55. The former Hampton resident now lives in Kitty Hawk , NC , but travels back to the Peninsula most weekends for PTC and CRR races and socials. Among his 26 CRR age-group records (two for men 60-64, 11 for 65-69 and 13 for 70-74) is the all-time club record for men 65-69, a 20:02 at age 67 at the 2000 Vineyards 5K. His best time for the 70-74 division, a 22:06 at the 2004 Mental Health 5K, is just 10 seconds off Andrew Polanksy’s CRR 70-74 record of 21:56. In the 55-59 age group, his best was a 19:14 at a Hampton race, and he has the 60-64 race record at the 1995 Williamsburg Winery 5K (19:59).
Ray currently holds two Virginia state records, a 20:16 for men 65-69 at the 1998 CNU 5K, and a 1:13:55 for men 70-74 at the 2003 Yorktown Battlefield 10 Miler.
Ray’s high school did not have a track team, but he participated in baseball, basketball and football, making second-team all-state in football as a guard. His lifetime PRs, all after age 55 are 32:11 (8K), 38:39 (10K), 1:06:44 (10 miles), 1:28:15 (half marathon) and 3:21:31 (marathon). He has run 43 marathons.
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And remember that running shoes donations are being accepted at each of the PTC Summer Fun Run Series events, as below:
Leigh Ann Soistmann, a PTC member and rising senior at Tabb High School is collecting old sneakers for a fundraiser supporting her summer track team. These shoes can be new, used, or any condition, but the requirement is that they are running shoes or sneakers—no casual shoes, no dress shoes, no flip flops, etc. The sneakers are collected by Nike at the end of the summer and are then recycled to create new
rubber tracks. Her team receives money from Nike based on the amount of sneakers they submit. So, the more the better!
You can bring shoes to any of the PTC Fun Runs held on August 2, 10, 17 and 24 to be collected. Leigh Ann thanks for any contribution and support the PTC can give her.
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August Races on the Peninsula
Tuesday, August 2
** NEWPORT NEWS —Predict Your Time 5 Miler (Peninsula Track Club Summer Fun Run Series), 6:30 p.m., Newport News Park Bikeway. In memory of Tom Ray. Bruce Davis (757-989-0072) or Christine Schaffner (757-898-3258). Peninsula Track Club hotline (757-342-6739). Website: www.peninsulatrackclub.com
Saturday, August 6
**YORKTOWN—Coast Guard Day 5K, 8:30 a.m.; 1 mile fun run, 8 a.m.; Coast Guard Training Center Yorktown. Katherine Long (757-856-2226). Email: Katherine.B.Long@uscg.mil. Peninsula Track Club hotline (757-342-6739). Website: www.peninsulatrackclub.com
Wednesday, August 10
** WILLIAMSBURG —Lake Matoaka Trail Challenge 4.3 Miler ( Peninsula Track Club Summer Fun Run Series), 6:30 p.m., Zable Stadium. Scott Bartram (757-867-8547). Peninsula Track Club hotline (757-342-6739). Website: www.peninsulatrackclub.com
Saturday, August 13
*** WILLIAMSBURG —The Vineyards of Williamsburg 5K Run/Walk, 7 p.m.; 1 mile fun run/walk, 6:30 p.m., The Vineyards of Williamsburg Clubhouse. Child Development Resources (757-566-3300). Website: vineyards5k.cdr.org. Rick Platt, Colonial Road Runners (757-229-7375). Email: rickplatt1@juno.com. Website: www.colonialroadrunners.org
Wednesday, August 17
** NEWPORT NEWS — Swamp Bridge 5K (Peninsula Track Club Summer Fun Run Series), 6:30 p.m., Newport News Park , Picnic Area #3. Bruce Davis (757-989-0072). Email: weatherwizard1@juno.com. Peninsula Track Club hotline (757-342-6739). Website: www.peninsulatrackclub.com
Saturday, August 20
** NEWPORT NEWS —Smart Smiles 5K, Mariner’s Museum. Lacy Millburn (757-223-7204). Email: lmilburn@bagclub.com. Peninsula Track Club hotline (757-342-6739). Website: www.peninsulatrackclub.com
Wednesday, August 24
**YORKTOWN— Harvest Lake 5K (Peninsula Track Club Summer Fun Run Series), 6:30 p.m., Coventry neighborhood. Mike Kehoe (757-865-7990). Peninsula Track Club hotline (757-342-6739). Website: www.peninsulatrackclub.com
Saturday, August 27
***WILLIAMSBURG—York River State Park Recovery Rocks 5K Run/Walk, 8:30 a.m.; 1 mile fun run/walk, 8 a.m.; York River State Park. Jan Brown (757-564-0001). Email: jan@spiritworksfoundation.org. Rick Platt, Colonial Road Runners (757-229-7375). Email: rickplatt1@juno.com. Website: www.colonialroadrunners.org
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