It was a brisk 50 degrees Sunday morning as runners gathered at the Oley Valley Youth League Fields for the annual Oley Valley Country Classic 10 mile and 5k Road Race. Hosted by the Pagoda Pacers, roughly 400 runners to the the streets for a chance to break the course record.
In addition to the 5k the Oley Valley Country Classic also hosted the Eastern Regional RRCA championship with the 10 mile road course.
It didn’t take long for runners to storm the finish line and as the morning went on we saw a few exciting moments worth sharing. The first was a special birthday surprise for Carole Renninger of Douglassville who ran into the finish line not expecting to see roughly 30 of her family members. What a sight to see after running 10 miles.
For those who think running is for the young you will have to talk with Albert Booth. At 97 years old, Albert ran the 5k course in 55:15. The crowd cheered for his finish and as he approached the the final 5 feet Albert took an unfortunate fall landing just before the finish line. With the help of spectators Albert quickly got up and walked down the chute to turn in his race tag. Albert’s determination to finish was truly inspiring for both runners and spectators.
Athletes who finished 1, 2 or 3rd in their age group recieved custom dishware with Oley Valley Country Classic Hexsign.
