Lake Sammamish Run Club News

LSRC is 2nd Overall Team in 2026 Chilly Yeti Challenge!

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 21:29:05 GMT

Congratulations to the 16-member LSRC team for finishing the 2026 Chilly Yeti Challenge! Every day in January, we walked, ran, or hiked at least 1 mile outside, regardless of temperature or weather conditions. It was another strong showing for an LSRC team in its sixth year, with every year seeing both new and returning participants; whether it was to get outside a little bit more every day, going through training, or working towards health and fitness goals, each person on our team showed exactly how tenacious they were!

Thanks to everyone's efforts, we were the 2nd overall team in total team miles with 2,831.71 miles, with each person averaging almost 177 miles across the month! As we pledged, LSRC donated $283.17 ($0.10 per mile) to KidVantage in support of their services towards families in need. KidVantage does much needed good work in our communities, and we are happy to support them year after year.

Take a look below at some of our busiest people on the team and overall leaderboards! Special shoutouts goes to:

Paula Murray (7th) was in the top 10 overall females with the highest total individual miles
Adam Schroeder (3rd), Jordan Andersen (6th), and Zachary Fung (7th) were in the top 10 overall males with the highest total individual miles

Thanks again for taking part this year, and hopefully everyone is continuing to stay active through February!

“Run For Life” with Matthew Wines, DPT, CSCS

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 01:48:00 GMT

Written by: Daniel Bannon

On January 31, 2026, Lake Sammamish Run Club hosted an outstanding multi‑hour workshop with physical therapist and fellow runner Matthew Wines, DPT, CSCS.

The session delivered exactly what our community hoped for: clear, practical insight into how runners can stay healthy, move efficiently, and keep running for life.

Matthew opened with a 30-ish minute presentation covering the fundamentals of running biomechanics, the most common injury patterns he sees in runners, and how form choices can either reduce or amplify stress on the body. His explanations were accessible, evidence‑informed, and immediately relevant for runners of all experience levels. Participants consistently described this portion as eye‑opening and highly valuable.

After the presentation, each attendee received a brief individualized running analysis—Matthew and his helpers took as much time as needed with each runner—where Matthew offered targeted observations and simple, actionable adjustments. Even in this short format, runners walked away with specific cues and a clearer understanding of their own movement patterns. An optional guided workout followed for those who wanted to put ideas into practice. After, each participant received emailed notes and a summary of the individual findings.

Feedback from the group was overwhelmingly positive. Members appreciated Matthew’s expertise, clarity, and supportive coaching style, together with his volunteers/helpers, and many expressed interest in future sessions! If we can do this again, we'll gather a new evaluation group for those who couldn't arrive this time.

For LSRC, it was a meaningful afternoon of learning, community, and practical takeaways that will help our runners stay strong and injury‑resilient for years to come. As always, please reach out to the LSRC Board for more information and feedback. Thanks for continuing to make this community great!

Photo Credits: Daniel Bannon

Bridle Trails Winter Running Festival 2026

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 07:30:00 GMT

Last Saturday we sent two relay teams to the Bridle Trails Winter Running Festival. For the first time in event history, there was no running in the dark! A different vibe for sure.

We've done this event since the club was founded in 2020, and just try and have fun across the 50K relay! (We don't send competitive teams.) Most runners opt for 1 or 2 of the 5M loops. Although we tried to balance the teams to finish around the same time, a wrong turn gave one team almost 4 extra miles (yikes!). Still, we were glad the runner was okay and were eventually able to get back on track. Good running and strong finishes from both teams!

For individuals: Skye Pazuchanics ran her first 50K, crushing it as 2nd place overall female. Randi Huo was close behind also in the 50K, taking 3rd place overall female. Peter Averill ran a very strong 15-miler and placed 14th overall. Taryn Hynek also completed a strong relay leg run-walking, less than 3 months after foot surgery.

It was great to spend the morning with everyone, and I enjoyed chatting with those stopping by our tent. We hope to do more of these relays this year!

Results: https://register.pacificmultisports.com/Events/Results/1347?fbclid=IwY2xjawQBtWJleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETJ6VDM2YkowYncyQ0lsYUQzc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHjky13EPAWNUBzhh-RpcgIjwi9cLA_zHpJBJmNIUP4xI2lnefaXMgtMkfQ9T_aem_nQE_31RBD65dxHMWDgoJWg#0_3EF1B7

LSRC runners and supporters at the Bridle Trails Winter Running Festival (PC: Taryn Hynek)

Teams LSR Diamonds and LSR Hearts both put in a solid effort!

2025 Annual Meeting and Winter Holiday Party

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 19:52:56 GMT

Photo Credit: Rochelle Cox

The club celebrated the Holidays with its third Annual Meeting & Holiday Party on December 12, 2025 at Heritage Hall in Kirkland. Due to the availability of the hall, the party was held on a Friday evening, kicking off weekend Holiday festivities early (and a welcome way to end the workweek)!

We had about 40 attendees for the night, with pasta catering provided by Due Cucina (so fitting for a runner crowd!). Attendees were encouraged to bring an appetizer, side, drinks, or dessert to share (and there was no shortage of dessert!). Ambient Holiday music and a slideshow of highlights from the past year quietly played in the background. We had available club apparel for sale, and each attendee also received a small party favor from the club. New this year was the club raffle, with various prizes from cozy socks and beanies, to nutrition/snack packs, to water bottles and running accessories. The grand prize of the night - a $100 REI gift card - was almost left unclaimed, as the winning ticket was hidden in a special party favor bag that somehow became lost during the evening.

For the meeting portion of the night, we kicked off with thanking the membership for their continued support of the club and the 2025 Board for their time and leadership. Three members of the current 2025 Board are departing at the end of this year:

Jordan Andersen (Secretary) - stepping down after many years in various board positions with the club
Steven Dion (At-Large Member) - term limit end, did not re-run for another position
Steven Hammond (At-Large Member) - term limit end, did not re-run for another position

The results of the 2026 Board Election were then announced. For the first time in club history, there were more candidates (four) running than was available for the At-Large Member positions (three). The results of the 2026 Board Election are as follows:

President (Incumbent): Joy Chan

Vice-President (Incumbent): Daniel Bannon

Treasurer (Incumbent): Peter Averill

Secretary (from At-Large Member): Paula Murray

At-Large Members: Nidhi Hooda, Michael Williamson, and Yasaman Mostafavi

We recapped the major events of 2025, then gave a preview of what was in store for 2026. There were plenty of things to look forward to throughout the Holiday season and new year, both old and new: various Holiday lights runs, January's Chilly Yeti Challenge, the Bridle Trails Winter Running Festival (now during the daytime!), and a new Wednesday 6 AM club run (to officially kick off January 7). We also announced a new educational event to be hosted in late January by club member and physical therapist Matthew Wines, DPT, with more details to be provided in late December/early January.

As much as we all enjoy running, I really look forward to our club's more social events - for the opportunity to show up in non-workout attire, to talk with people while not putting in physical exertion, and to mingle with those on different life schedules. We hope everyone who attended had a fun and wonderful evening! Happy Holidays!

Photo Credit (all images above): Jordan Andersen

PNTF Open and Masters XC Championships - 2025

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 18:59:46 GMT

The LSRC Women's Team (L to R): Nina Tang, Jen Rozler, Zhenya Ross, Amy Rapin, Paula Murray, Pamela Hect, Joy Chan, and Mary Blake

Authored by: Joy Chan

Event Date/Location: November 9, 2025

With the USATF championship races being held out of state this year, the Pacific Northwest Track and Field (PNTF) Open and Masters XC Championships was the final club-sponsored cross-country race of the year. Held at Lincoln Park in West Seattle, it is personally my favorite local cross-country course, with fast trails and solid footing, Puget Sound and Olympic Mountain views, and the bonus of spending a half day so close to the water (and the quirky neighborhoods of West Seattle).

We had a perfect day for racing – sunny, mild conditions with barely a breeze. For four hours, team members rotated in and out of the two club tents (as the Women's, Master's Men, and Open Men's races were all occurring at different times). Excited chatter was abound during the warmups and cooldowns, and team members were loud and vocal in their cheers during the three races.

For the women's team, eight members toed the start line: Women’s 50: Pamela Hect, Paula Murray, and Jen Rozler; Women’s 40: Mary Blake, Zhenya Ross, and Nina Tang; and Open: Joy Chan and Amy Rapin. The Open women did not have enough members to count in the team scoring, but the other two women’s teams did (five needed for Open, three needed for Master’s).

A full Master's Men team competed in the Men’s 40 due to four men being in their 50s with the last in his 40s (per USATF rules, a team can compete in a younger division, but not an older one): Michael Arlt, Daniel Bannon, Jason Hect, Mike Nakles, and Mike Williamson. Lastly, Zachary Fung, Clay Koppi, Arthur Lovekin, Mike Rossi, and Adam Stephenson rounded out the Open Men.

One difference this year was an unexpected last-minute change to the course. Due to a windstorm earlier in the week, there was a fallen tree which the parks department had failed to clear in time for the race. This led to a re-routing, which shortened each lap of the course by about 125 meters. In total, the women ran 5.6k instead of the standard 6k, the Master’s Men ran 7.5k instead of the standard 8k, and the Open Men ran 9.4k instead of the standard 10k. Needless to say, there were a ton of course PRs!

With some of the best local clubs in contention, it was a hard-fought battle for placement for all our teams. Everyone gave it their all! Notable achievements include:

Women’s 50: 2^nd place team
- 3^rd place W55: Jen Rozler
Men’s 40: 2^nd place team
- 3^rd place M55: Jason Hect

All in all, it was a glorious day to cap off the local XC racing season, with newcomers and veterans alike representing the LSRC blue. We hope this season has given people an opportunity to experience the camaraderie of a team running event, while also having fun on courses specific to cross country. It is truly something every runner should try at least once. Until next year!

Full Team Results: https://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/meet/269112/info

More Photos: PNTF Club XC Championship - 11-09-2025

The LSRC Master's Men Team (L to R): Mike Nakles, Daniel Bannon, Mike Williamson, Jason Hect, and Michael Arlt

The LSRC Open Men Team (L to R): Adam Stephenson, Arthur Lovekin, Clay Koppi, Zach Fung, and Mike Rossi

Emerald City Classic 2025

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 08:43:53 GMT

There were perfect fall conditions at the Emerald City Classic, our second scored club xc event of the season! The women ran 5k (3 loops of a hilly, offroad course) while the men ran 8k. Highlights:

Kalli Haverkamp led the LSRC women with a very strong performance in her first post-partum xc race!
Rochelle Cox ran a solid race to almost tie her course PR from last year!
Zhenya Ross debuted in her first xc 6k and absolutely crushed the hilly course!
Joy Chan was just glad to be able to run after feeling unwell (vaccination side effects) the day before!
Paula Murray had recently recovered from an illness and battled hard to overcome the course, never giving up!
Mike Rossi led the LSRC men with a superb performance, placing in the top third of the men's race!
Eric Edmond made a strong comeback over injury with his first xc race in 7 years, placing in the top half!
Zach Fung ran a focused, consistent race to secure a massive course PR!
Mike Nakles ran a solid first xc race this season after dealing with an injury earlier this summer!
Andrew Ruchames joined for his first LSRC xc season and absolutely crushed it!
Peter Averill ran a controlled race with his first time on this xc course! Great job!

Well done everyone! Full results can be found here: https://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/meet/265591/info

L to R: Rochelle, Zhenya, Joy, Paula (missing Kalli)

L to R: Peter, Andrew, Eric, Zach, Mike N., Mike R.

XC 2025: The Bill Roe Classic

Sat, 25 Oct 2025 19:46:47 GMT

By Jeff Chen

Eight of us made the trek up to Ferndale recently to run in the Bill Roe Classic XC Race. Though this race is mainly a collegiate race, it is open to other runners. Both women’s and men’s races started off with a bang, with over eight teams of young collegiate runners streaming toward the horizon at high speed. Mixed in with all of that were the runners from the Lake Sammamish Run Club.

In his second running of the race, Zach knew exactly what to expect from the course. Though keeping up with the college kids was still a challenge, he was able to run 10 seconds faster than last year.

Joy met her goal of running even splits with only a 9 second differential between her slowest and fastest miles (fastest = Mile 1, slowest = Mile 3). Joy gets bonus points for not getting passed by anyone else after the first 200m sprint!

Even though I was lapped by energetic, young collegiate runners, I succeeded in my goal of maintaining an even pace through the race and building up my endurance for longer XC races.

Link to Results: https://pntfo.trackscoreboard.com/meets/9272025/events

L to R: Jeff, Joy, Louis, Matt, Sal, Amy (missing: Zach & Paul)

Joy and Amy relaxing after their race :)

Chicago Marathon 2025

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 03:44:35 GMT

BY DANIEL BANNON (Photo/Elena Smentkowski)

Fourth formal marathon completed. I’ll start off by saying that was hard AF! Miles 21-26.2 were a struggle-fest for sure. Hello, cramps – I hadn’t encountered those before to the point of slowing or stopping me. Warning shots from my right calf came early, by mile 15, and I correctly deduced that nothing good awaited. It almost shut me down in both legs by the last few miles.

Finishing at 3:53-something was definitely not the race that I expected to run. I trained to 3:35, and I held that pace for 19ish miles. My cardio was fine, confirmed via post-action analysis, but the body betrayed me on this day. Why, I’m not sure yet…and may never know. And that’s okay too.

After a brief pause during the cool down, I shrugged and enjoyed the rest of my day and embraced the experience. Everyone I met wanted to talk about their experience. I wasn’t even that tired, never had a chance to push my cardio to the limit those last few miles. I had a vastly better time pacing 4:00 at Tunnel Light the other month, versus striving valiantly for 3:35 at Chicago. Light Bulb Moment, perhaps?

Sometimes you don’t run the race you think you will that day. I had to grind this MF out. No lingering physical problems a few days later fortunately. Grit is what was required on this day. Not a fast finish. And I can live with that, with a big grin since the event itself was quite well run.

Run. Assess. Adjust. Run better. I’m enjoying LSRC club runs, volunteering, and pacing more than running for glory in ‘25. That might be it for formal marathons for a while. Getting into the remaining Abbott Majors appears to be a combo of luck, skill, and work I don’t currently feel motivated to do. Doing stupid distances with no particular objective? Seems more appealing!

Onward!

Chasing Miles, Building Community, Finding Joy: My Harvest Half Journey

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 02:13:04 GMT

by Pamela Hect

“The Harvest Half reminded me that running is more than miles, it’s about the friendships we make while sharing a common purpose.”

This fall’s Harvest Half was more than just my third half marathon of the year. It felt like the capstone to a season of resilience, friendship, and rediscovering joy in running again.

When I first laced up, I wasn’t sure if I had the stamina—physically or mentally—to commit to training. But I wasn’t running alone. Thanks to my Perrigo crew, Sunday “run-days” became my long runs and my weekly social outlet. Almost every Sunday morning, we met at Whole Foods, laced up, and logged miles together. Week after week, the miles stacked up alongside laughter, encouragement, and the kind of conversations that make the road feel shorter. Those Sundays didn’t just make my legs stronger; they reminded me that running is always better when shared.

While Sunday runs were my anchor, I did make it out to a few Lake Sammamish Run Club “Wake Up Friday” (WuF) events. One Friday morning before the Harvest Half, my pal Doug pushed me to run four miles well out of my comfort zone and Mari reminded me to “smile”. Though I groaned through it at the time, I know those little nudges helped me build the grit and stamina I carried into race day.

And then, of course, there is Piper, the most famous dog in our running community. She didn’t run the Harvest Half, but she joined countless training runs, yelping happily at Perrigo parkruns and splashing into the water on summer mornings. Doug and Dean are her favorite dog-whisperers.

Each half marathon along the way carried its own story:

Lake Sammamish Half (March): My first race back, and a test of resilience. I crossed the finish line in 2:14 (10:15 pace). It wasn’t easy—I was still recovering from a bout with Norovirus—but finishing reminded me of all the work I put in during the winter.
Super Half (June): Race day was cold and unlike our practice run. The weather was cold and wet. I, sadly, caught Covid 2 weeks prior. My time slowed to 2:19 (10:41 pace), but the real victory was simply showing up, running through the rain, and proving to myself that setbacks don’t define the journey.
Harvest Half (September): By the time fall arrived, I was ready. Strava clocked me at 2:03 (9:23 pace), a personal record and my fastest of the three. I debuted my brand-new Hoka Bondis, which felt like running on clouds, and they carried me comfortably through the first half of the course.

The second half, though, was all grit. My goal was to break 2 hours, and I pushed as hard as I could, but fatigue set in. There were four water stations, and looking back, I wish I’d stopped at the third one on the way back. I was so thirsty and so tired at that point that every step felt heavier.

What kept me moving was the energy around me. At the second water stop, the cheer station was filled with familiar faces, including Mary and Doug, whose cheers lifted my spirits right when I needed it most. I also remember smiling at the encouragement signs lining the course on the out-and-back stretch. Lillian and Tali ran ahead after mile 7 and I knew I had to keep pushing.

Jason was with me the whole race, to pace me and to remind me to breathe. His presence reminded me that I can do hard things—and crossing with a shiny PR proved it true.

Crossing the finish line wasn’t just about the clock. It was about honoring the journey: the sick days, the rainy races, the early alarms, the Whole Foods Sundays, the rare WuF pushes, Piper’s cheerful presence, and the friendships that kept me lacing up when it would have been easier to stay home.

Most of all, I’m grateful for the Perrigo crew, each of whom adds something special to our circle:

Gayle, for her sweetness and steady encouragement.
Laura, for keeping me honest on the days when I didn’t want to run.
Mary, who always makes me laugh and brightens the miles.
Anne, my cerebral friend, who makes running feel like both exercise and thoughtful conversation.
Lillian, who keeps us organized and moving forward (on and off the road).
Tali, my running-gal enabler in the very best way.
Tracey, who puts a smile on my face and models hat fashion like no one else.
Jolla, whose incredible running milestones inspire me to aim higher.
Jackie, whose steady, encouraging presence is a reminder that consistency carries us further than speed ever could.
Beth, who brings her funny, quirky spark and “woo woo” energy that makes every run more magical.

This year of running has reminded me that improvement isn’t always linear and that progress is as much about community as it is about pace. My Perrigo crew lifted me through the lows and celebrated the highs, turning every mile into something meaningful.

And the sweetest ending of all? After the Harvest Half, Jason and I brought home two tiny kittens. We named them Hoka and Saucony—a playful nod to the shoes that carried me through this year’s races.

As I look ahead, I’m filled with gratitude. Grateful for the strength to run, for the people who inspire me to keep going, and for the simple joy of chasing finish lines together—sometimes followed by kittens, and often accompanied by a wagging tail and a cookie-seeking nose. The Harvest Half may have been my third half marathon this year, but I know it’s just another step in a journey that’s far from over.

A heartfelt thank-you to the Lake Sammamish Run Club for organizing such a welcoming, encouraging event and for building a community where miles become memories.

AUGUST RECAP

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 02:51:21 GMT

Here are a few of the club highlights during the month of August:

On Sunday, August 10 at Idylwood Beach, Lake Sammamish we had our third annual LSRC Summer Picnic. It was great to connect, eat lots of great food and catch up on the year's activities and events. We had a chance to introduce the board to our newer members, and to thank our volunteers for all they do throughout the year.

On Saturday, August 16 the LSRC Joggernauts (Daniel Bannon, Victor Wang, Adrian Wang, Zhenya Ross, Skye Pazuchanics, and Alan Sharp) competed in the Centennial Relay and Ultra Run. The 100KM route spanned the entirety of the Centennial Trail (Snohomish to Arlington, and back). Congratulations to all!

JUNE RECAP

Sat, 28 Jun 2025 03:22:05 GMT

June has been a busy month for running events and group activities. Here are a few of the highlights:

On Thursday, June 5 at Marymoor Park in Redmond we had our first official LSRC pacing event. All our pacers (Joy, Daniel, Doug and Nidhi) led their respective pace groups to on-time finishes. Thanks to Champs Sports for a great run and an enjoyable evening!

It was a hot one: On Saturday, June 7 at the Lake Tye Challenge in Monroe, Daniel Bannon and Skye Pazuchanics ran amazing races with help and support from Shawn P. Skye took first place honors in the women’s 6-hour race, while Daniel took second place in the men’s 6-hour race. Many thanks to the good people who put on this unique ultramarathon event as a fundraiser for Wild Sky Community Trails Association.

(Meanwhile, in a parallel universe…)

Also on June 7, it was another 90°F-day at the Yakima Mile (but we'll take 90°, over the 101° that was 2024). Max Jensen was 1st Grandmaster (overall 60+ winner) and Jason Hect and Piper were 5th in the Dog Mile. Trevor Jex ran a PR, and Pamela Hect was strong in her first road mile! Mike Williamson, Matthew Williamson, Michael Arlt, Zach Fung, and Joy Chan all ran solid efforts. Congratulations to all our finishers!

And finally, on Wednesday, June 18 we had an LSRC showing on the track at All Comers. Many of us participated in what we later learned was the final Jogger’s Mile (no watch allowed, predict your time for the win) – an event we hope to see return at some point in the future. Excellent participation in the 400, 800, 1500 and 5K throughout the night, and a captivating 4x400 relay with Arthur Lovekin, Mike Williamson, Zhenya Ross and Zach Fung for an awe-inspiring sub-5 min 1600m. Thanks to CNW for putting on another great meet.

Results and Future Directions from Structured Track Workouts Interest Survey

Fri, 30 May 2025 07:00:00 GMT

From May 1 through May 16, 2025, the club sought input from members to gauge interest in structured track workouts. A total of 18 respondents completed a brief survey about locations, availability, and attendance likelihood at in-person track workouts. Full survey results may be viewed on this PDF: LSRC Structured Track Workouts Interest Survey Results_2025_05_30.pdf

Synopsis of results

The results from the track interest survey showed people are interested in meeting together to do workouts, whether that is doing one of the club's planned workouts or their own workout.
Evening workout times were more popular overall, with Wednesday evening having the highest number of people indicating they would be able to attend (10/18 respondents), followed by Tuesday evening (9/18 respondents).
Lake Washington High School (Kirkland) was the most popular location (15/18 respondents), followed by Redmond High School (11/18 respondents). The International School (Bellevue) and Northshore Middle School (Bothell) were third and fourth, respectively. The three "Other" locations for a track location suggested by members included Chinook Middle School (Bellevue), Eastlake High School (Sammamish), and Juanita High School (Kirkland).
Half of all respondents would still be interested in a weekly workout that they could access and take anywhere to do on their own while another quarter said they would potentially be interested, depending on what they were training for.

Moving forward with this information

It is clear at least 18 people - and likely more - are interested in doing track workouts, ideally with others for company. At our next board meeting on June 3, we will discuss implementation of track workouts in potentially several stages:

Improve our goal races tracking system so we can better track members' training goals for the year. As a club, we need to consistently encourage each other to share our goals!
Design plans that align with club-focused runs (e.g., training for a summer 5k or fall half-marathon) and decide on the best avenue for disseminating these plans to our members (e.g., posting the workouts onto the club website).
Secure track at a consistent location and time. (Historically, weekday evenings during the schoolyear are more difficult to secure than during the summer due to schools using their tracks/fields for fall/spring sports, but this isn't to say it's impossible to be at the same location year-round.)

Please stay tuned for more updates on track via our emails (for subscribed members) and information posted on this site!

Mt. Si Relays

Fri, 30 May 2025 05:04:00 GMT

By Peter Averill

SUNDAY, MAY 4, 2025

May 4th was the annual Mt. Si Relay & Trail Runs in Snoqualmie, put on by our friends at Eastside Runners. This race, which has been around since 1983, also includes the marathon, 50k, and 50-mile ultras. LSRC members entered a team into the relay event, and our VP Daniel Bannon won the Half Marathon.

The relay is a 58-mile run, mostly on the Snoqualmie Valley Trail, with teams of five running two legs each. I took part along with Pam, Doug, Alan, and our leader Skye on team The Devil Wears Strava. My first leg was 6.4mi; I had the shortest total mileage, but the tradeoff was that the first 6mi were all uphill! (709ft gain). The setting was beautiful; a hard packed trail through forest, with two bridge crossings over ravines affording exceptional (if vertigo inducing) views. A runner ahead of me reported a bear sighting, but I missed that - I'm not sure if I should be relieved or disappointed. The route also took me past an active shooting range; it was good they forewarned about that!

My second leg was just 3.8mi, to the finish line, though it was hard to get legs that had stiffened up warmed up again for that.

We didn't really enter to be competitive, just to enjoy the event, but came 2nd in the mixed master's division. It was my first time running this kind of race. I went into it apprehensive about how the travelling and waiting around would be, but it was an enjoyable experience, with lots of socializing and changes of scenery at the various transfer points. It was nice to see a lot of familiar faces we hadn't seen in a while. I'd certainly do this again, and I recommend the event overall.

Mercer Miles

Sat, 24 May 2025 01:07:36 GMT

FRIDAY, MAY 2, 2025

The energy on the track was upbeat and family-friendly. Music blared from the start line area, and food trucks lined the parking lot. It was breezy, and a little cool for this time of year – perfect conditions for a hot mile.

Set by seed time, the heats were full. Starting with the recreationally-paced Community Mile, they got faster as the night went on. The field was a mix of clubs, middle and high schoolers, and adults of all ages who came out for the competition, or just the opportunity to run their first mile in years.

Friday night under the lights: Victor Wang, Adrian Wang and mike williamson.

My Journey to Boston

Fri, 02 May 2025 05:18:38 GMT

On Monday April 21, 2025 (Patriot’s Day) I successfully ran the Boston Marathon for the first time, finishing in 3:40:06. LSRC members and other runners from Seattle had excellent days. My friends Max and Adam (pictured) are sub-elites in their respective age groups.

Boston is the oldest continuous marathon in the world, and the most famous. It was the first of the seven Abbott Majors, and a grail / Top Gun race: top 10% performance for age group required for entry.

Five years ago I could not run 26.2 feet, never mind 26.2 miles. I vowed a return to athleticism. 16 months later I finished my first HM (Seattle Half) with a time of 1:50. In 2024 I qualified for Boston, with a ten-minute margin. My application was accepted based on merit and a tough cutoff time.

I consider this the pinnacle of my athletic abilities across my entire lifetime. Qualifying for Boston was a multi-year, thousand-hour, 5,400+ training-miles endeavor since 2021.

Reach far. If your reach exceeds your grasp as mine did the previous two years, try again. In 2024 I qualified. In 2025, here I am: a mid-pack graduate from running’s most prestigious worldwide event. Be your best you, then set new goals. Never declare victory. What's next? I’ll start another cycle for my next milestone — Chicago in October, my second Abbott Major. Good luck embracing your jam!

by Daniel Bannon

Results and Future Directions from Couch-to-5K Training Program Interest Survey

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 15:30:00 GMT

From January 19 through March 17, 2025, the club sought input from members to see if there was enough interest to develop a weekly, group-based couch-to-5k training program. A total of 11 respondents completed a brief survey about their running background, goals, and motivation. Aggregated data is summarized below (unfortunately charts could not be pasted into this post due to limitations of the website):

All respondents reported having completed a 5K, either walking or running.

Average time to complete LAST 5K: 34:11 (range: 20:00 - 48:30)

When completed LAST 5K: Range: "today" to "several years ago"

Average time to complete FASTEST 5K: 25:01 (range: 16:32 - 34:00)

When completed FASTEST 5K: Range: 1998 to 2025

Locations people are able to make for a weekly training event:

Downtown Redmond: 8 (72.7%)
Downtown Kirkland: 6 (54.5%)
Neither: 1 (9.1%)

Days/times of week that work best for a weekly training event:

Monday evenings: 0 (0%)
Tuesday evenings: 2 (18.2%)
Wednesday evenings: 1 (9.1%)
Thursday evenings: 3 (27.3%)
Friday evenings: 2 (18.2%)
Saturday mornings: 7 (63.6%)
Sunday mornings: 5 (45.5%)
Other: 3 (27.3%)

Synopsis of open-text comments:

A subset of respondents indicated preferring weekday morning training times
Over half of respondents had run more routinely in the past with goals to return to more consistent running and/or previous levels of running fitness
The majority of respondents expressed goals of increasing running consistency (number of runs/week), improving endurance, and/or improving speed
Several respondents expressed desire to find community and safe spaces to run

Decision to move forward with program

Although we had a small sample size and people's backgrounds and experiences varied, the results were clear: people want to improve on their running and run in a safe manner. However, given the majority of respondents are already able to complete the 5K distance and only 3 of 11 respondents reported 5K times >40 minutes, the Board did not feel that a true "Couch-to-5K" training program would benefit the needs of most of this group. Additionally, the most preferred days of the week for a training program were Saturday and Sunday mornings, and at this time LSRC does not have the personnel resources (we are a 100% volunteer-run organization) to add an additional training day on the weekend beyond our current Sunday morning run in Redmond.

What happens now? What resources are available?

LSRC will continue to explore other options to support the goals of its runners. For now, we recommend looking into the following services currently offered by the club, as well as a few external options. We hope these resources are a good start for you, whether you are at the beginning of your health and fitness journey or anywhere further along.

Weekly Group Runs: Our scheduled runs on Monday and Thursday evenings and Friday and Sunday mornings offer both shorter (3M) and longer (5M-6M) routes and usually have people from a range of paces, along with sometimes run/walkers. Check out the Weekly Runs page for details on the meeting locations, times, and routes. There is also a monthly dinner/breakfast social post-run for each location.
Beginners' Run: The second Sunday of each month at 9 AM is our designated beginner-friendly run. This run starts from the East Lake Sammamish Trail adjacent to Redmond Whole Foods (details in the Weekly Runs page above). We will have a pace buddy for the last person / people, whether you are running, walking, or anything in between.
Personalized Coaching: Full members of LSRC have access to free coaching services from one of the club's USATF Level 1 certified coaches. If you are interested in working with one of our coaches, please contact our team at coaches@lakesammamishrunclub.org. Check out the Coaching page for more details on how to apply and what to expect from coaching.
Join a Free Parkrun: Parkrun is a free community 5K every Saturday morning open to runners and walkers of ALL abilities. Started in the UK, it has now grown to over 80 locations in the US, with 7 (and soon to be 8) locations in WA alone. The closest Parkruns to the Seattle Eastside are Perrigo, Renton, and soon-to-open Downtown Redmond (May 24, 2025).
General Tips on Getting Started: Read this informational sheet from Coach Zach Fung on returning to running from an injury. Many of these principles apply to returning from taking time off running or getting started for the first time.
Join our Facebook Group: Have a question on training or anything else related to running? Post it to our private Facebook group and you'll likely get some input from the community. (Plus, the Facebook group is a great way to keep up with what we've been up to and you can also find each week's scheduled run in the Events section!)

LSRC Supports Earth Week at Wilburton Hill Park

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 07:21:44 GMT

Photo credit: Joy Chan

On a cloudy Saturday morning during Earth Week, LSRC board members Peter Averill and Joy Chan joined about two dozen other volunteers at Bellevue's Wilburton Hill Park for a work party to remove invasive species from the park. This particular work party was popular (likely due to Earth Week), and only the earliest registrants were able to secure a spot, which limited the number of LSRC members who were able to attend.

Wilburton Hill Park at just over 100 acres is Bellevue's largest upland park. Bordering the Bellevue Botanical Garden and connected to Kelsey Creek Park via the Lake to Lake Trail, the park is popular amongst recreationalists. With its wider smooth trails, rolling terrain, and abundant forest canopy, it is also a favorite amongst LSRC runners, with several Sunday field trip runs held at the park over the years.

However, there was no running this April 19. Departing from the main parking lot, Bellevue Parks employees led the group about 1/3 mile through the park, until reaching an area with flagging on the left. Going past the flagging and off trail about 50 feet, the group of volunteers quickly saw the extent of their project - an infestation of English ivy (Hedera helix) had overgrown the forest floor, choking out other ground species and snaking its vines up some of the trees. The task was simple - pull out as much ivy as one could without removing the native plants.

The work was challenging but rewarding. Volunteers spread out into different sections, with some tackling removal of ivy from trees in pairs or triplets and the remainder pulling vines up and out from the ground. Oftentimes, it took multiple tugs to unravel the mess of vines and more yanks to dislodge the roots; fortunately, English ivy has no thorns, so the only risk was falling over backwards should one pull too hard. What started as a cool day seemed to quickly warm up with the energy needed to continuously pull, and after two hours, the group had made good progress, culminating in many pairs of sweaty hands and three rafts of broken ivy piled nearly five feet high.

Bellevue Parks concluded the work party with the planting of a sequoia tree. Although not native to Western Washington, the Park employee explained that sequoias are especially hardy, and planting them throughout the park should help preserve the natural habitat should climate change eventually wreck havoc on our native species. The volunteers gathered around as a hole was dug and the sequoia was placed into its new home, arms already stretched upwards towards its new forest family. Soon the forest will start caring for its newest child, much as Mother Earth has taken care of us for millennia.

Earth Week is short, but our duty towards our planet is forever. Environmental protection and sustainability takes many forms, and we hope you were able to take action - however small or big - in whatever way suited you best.

Photo Credit: Joy Chan

Lake Sammamish Half-Marathon Race Day Recap

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 19:35:37 GMT

Event Date/Location: March 8, 2025, Redmond, WA to Issaquah, WA

View the full LSRC Cheer Station Album here!

Photo Credit: Shawn Pearce

The Lake Sammamish Half Marathon occurring annually for 15 years in early March, has become a staple on the Eastside and has attracted thousands of runners from all parts of the greater Seattle area. This year was no different with the exception of a new course that started at Redmond City Hall, but otherwise kept true to tradition, skirting the shores of Lake Sammamish, all the way to Lake Sammamish State Park in Issaquah via the East Lake Sammamish Trail.

Typical March overcast skies presented their usual threats of showers first thing, but a 2000+ person crowd formed, huddled like penguins often do as the start corrals grew to capacity shortly before the gun went off at 7:30am. At least this year, the arrangement was a bit more practical than in previous years where the entire field of runners had been restricted to what was really just an apartment courtyard.

Orca Running - who has put on this race for several years now - had also made notable strides in their event organization. Wave starts helped reduce traffic on the narrow pedestrian trail, and accurate mile markers relieved anxiety for anyone trying to beat a time. The only short sight that a significant number of runners would gripe about was the continuation of Orca’s cup-less aid station policy where you are required to fill up your own container at each aid station rather than grabbing from a familiarized pre-filled Dixie cup on the go.

LSRC came to the rescue in that sense, setting up a special unofficial aid and cheer station a bit past half-way through the course for LSRC runners. As a runner myself, it was boosting to see everyone right before the later stages in the race where the going gets tough, and I sensed an equal level of excitement on the other side by the exuberant photography efforts as I sped by.

The remainder of the race was rather uneventful, with maybe a passing shower or two, although the revised finish (compared to previous years) played out quite unexpectedly, taking a turn off the cement and meandering onto gravel and grass in short quarters, briefly becoming the Kentucky Derby in the final stretch.

Overall, completing the race brought satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment for myself and most others. LSRC runners showcased strong performances, including a few half-marathon firsts and PRs! This was not only a day to remember, but will also be a day to look forward to next year.

Photo Credit: Joy Chan

Team LSRC Finishes Strong with Lucky Streak Challenge

Sun, 30 Mar 2025 07:24:44 GMT

Six members of LSRC Team continued with Challenge Northwest’s Lucky Streak Challenge, where participants walk or run every day from February 1 through March 17 (St. Patrick's Day). Participants choose goals of walking, running, or a combo for either 1, 3, or 5 miles per day to earn Bronze, Silver, or Gold status, respectively. Those who complete at least 1 mile outdoors every day earn the coveted status of Winter Warrior and their name gets printed on commemorative gear. The challenge benefits KidVantage, a non-profit that provides essential care, safety, and health goods to children and families in the Greater Puget Sound area.

While most of the six-person team were Challenge veterans from January's Chilly Yeti Challenge, there was one new participant (welcome, Eric!). Also, unlike the Chilly Yeti Challenge, participants could miss up to two days while still keeping their Challenge streak. As winter thawed into spring and the days got longer, we were fortunate to have more opportunities to log miles in the daylight, but the combined 45-day Challenge was plenty long to get my year started and hopefully make my outdoor habit stick!

Team LSRC logged a total of 690.04 team miles, finishing 5th place overall in the team challenge. A special shoutout to Nidhi Hooda, who led the team in overall miles and placed 11th overall on the individual leaderboard, coming off a strong January as well (2nd highest mileage female for Team LSRC). Strong work to everyone who participated - congratulations on finishing out winter!

LSRC donates to KidVantage a portion of the total team miles accumulated; this year, at 5 cents per team mile, we made an additional donation of $34.50 in support of KidVantage.

Winter Warriors: Joy Chan, Nidhi Hooda

Team LSRC Takes 2nd Overall during Chilly Yeti Challenge

Sat, 22 Feb 2025 22:57:38 GMT

What a January! For our 5^thconsecutive year, Team LSRC participated in Challenge Northwest’s Chilly Yeti Challenge (formerly the New Year Challenge), where participants walk or run every day from January 1 through January 31. Participants choose goals of walking, running, or a combo for either 1, 3, or 5 miles per day to earn Bronze, Silver, or Gold status, respectively. Those who complete at least 1 mile outdoors every day earn the coveted status of Winter Warrior and their name gets printed on commemorative gear. The challenge benefits KidVantage, a non-profit that provides essential care, safety, and health goods to children and families in the Greater Puget Sound area.

Twenty-six people on Team LSRC braved Mother Nature’s whims, logging outdoor (and indoor!) miles through rain/wind, sunshine, and everything in between. Fortunately, 2025 saw one of the driest Januarys in recorded history, so this year we mostly contended with sunny, albeit colder than average, days. Team LSRC logged a total of 4541.90 team miles, taking second place overall in the team challenge! We also saw an impressive number of miles from individual team members, whether as part of regular training or fueled by the extra motivation of the Challenge (see below for individual results). Congratulations to everyone who participated – you really showed your consistency and determination when facing one of the toughest months to stay active!

As with other years, LSRC donates to KidVantage a portion of the total team miles accumulated; this year, at 5 cents per team mile, we made a donation of $227 in support of KidVantage. We hope the organization can continue its much-needed services for many years to come.

Although January has ended, the excitement of the Challenge has not! Several LSRC team members opted to continue their streak from February 1 through March 17 with the Lucky Streak Challenge, braving the snowy and icy days of early-mid February and what looks to be a rollercoaster weather pattern for late February. We can’t wait to see how this small but mighty team closes out the Challenge!

Winter Warriors: Jordan Andersen, Peter Averill, Daniel Bannon, Ava Blume, Elena Blume, Joy Chan, Himanshu Dahiya, Zachary Fung, Nidhi Hooda, Gabriel Kliot, Julia McCarthy, Laura McCarthy, Jamie Miller, Paula Murray, Skye Pazuchanics, Amy Rapin, Zhenya Ross, Lars Tijhuis, Glen Weissman

Three Relay Teams for Bridle Trails Winter Running Festival

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 05:49:14 GMT

Photo Credit: Joy Chan

The Bridle Trails Winter Running Festival has been a favorite tradition of LSRC’s since the club’s inception in 2020. A trail running festival that starts at 3 PM and extends until midnight, it consists of multiple races: solo distances of 5 miles, 10 miles, 15 miles, or 50K, or 2-person or 6-person 50K relays. Because each race uses the same 5-mile loop within Bridle Trails State Park, this makes it perfect for teams with runners doing different distances to set up a finish area basecamp to support all their runners. This year, LSRC fielded three relay teams with 12 runners total: Lake Sammamish Run (LSR) Diamonds, LSR Hearts, and LSR Spades. Half our runners completed one 5-mile loop while the other half completed two, with runners balanced so all teams would finish around the same time. Additionally, we had Zach Fung running the 15-miler and Shawn Pearce running the 50K.

Luckily, the previous week saw mostly dry weather, except some moderate showers on Friday. Thanks to park staff and volunteers, most of the course was cleared of debris, and while some sections were muddy, the conditions were fair for running. We also appreciated that this year felt more like a running festival than an alpine festival, though there were plenty of parkas and ski jackets as nighttime temperatures dipped into the mid-30s.

Our three teams were not intended to be competitive teams (that is, we were not looking to finish in the top three), but we enjoyed some friendly within team competition. As runners blasted off at 3 PM, our remaining relay runners hung out underneath our sky-blue canopy chatting and partaking in the many snacks contributed to fuel us through the afternoon and night. The first runner to come in from LSRC was Skye Pazuchanics on Team Diamonds, with Anna Santa Elena and Nidhi Hooda of Hearts and Spades, respectively, following.

Although each loop took each person 35-65 minutes, the time flew by quickly – much more so than if one were to run the 50K on their own. While Legs 1-2 had daylight, Leg 3 faded into evening, and Legs 4-6 were completely in the dark. However, the energy of the runners continued even after the sun set and you could barely make out who was coming in for the next exchange. While not the largest team or the one with the most elaborate basecamp (that honor goes to Sky Valley Runners!), LSRC literally shone bright through the darkness thanks to Board Treasurer Peter Averill’s handiwork in designing and creating a programmable LED logo that graced the top of our canopy; we could not be missed!

The highlight of the night came down to the final leg for our relay teams. While Legs 1-4 saw perfect handoffs and everyone finished around their estimated times, Legs 5-6 saw our three fastest runners vie for the honor of first LSRC team. Paul Young of Team Diamonds received the first bib handoff with a three-minute lead over Jordan Andersen of Team Hearts and a six-minute lead over Glen Weissman of Team Spades. However, each of these runners had to run two loops – 10 miles – and a six-minute head start is not an impossible gap to make up. Other variables were also at play – while Jordan had the current fastest race times of the three, both he and Paul had already run hard efforts earlier in the morning while Glen had the freshest legs. Indeed, by the start of Leg 6, Paul’s lead over Jordan had narrowed to 2 minutes while Glen was only 1 minute behind Jordan; it seemed only Glen was aware of how this was playing out.

The remaining LSRC relay team members speculated who would cross the finish line first while huddled around the dwindling heat from the propane heater. Would Paul be able to hang on to his slim lead? Would Jordan overtake Paul somewhere mid-course? Or would Glen sneak up on both from 6 minutes back and pull off the upset?

Around 7:30 PM we made our way to the finish line and eagerly squinted into the darkness looking for signs of our runners. After a few minutes, the headlights of two figures could be seen weaving down the final stretch of hill towards the finish chute. As they both made the left turn onto the final straightaway, we could see it was Paul and Jordan nearly running stride by stride! Blazing through those final 100 meters, Jordan managed to pull slightly ahead of Paul with about 30 meters to go, hitting the timing mat just a few steps ahead! Glen was right behind, finishing about 50 seconds later.

So what happened in the woods that final leg? Apparently, Glen had caught Jordan somewhere along the second half, which prompted Jordan to run even faster...which led to Jordan inadvertently catching Paul. Paul, in attempting to outrun Jordan, cranked it up in the final half mile and really made Jordan work for the win. What a finish indeed! This was the closest finish margin we have ever had for any of our relay teams in four years of attending the Bridle Trails Winter Running Festival.

Besides the thrilling finish, there were other things to celebrate. Team members Alice Wang and Adrian Wang completed their longest continuous runs to date, running 5 and 10 miles, respectively, during Legs 2 and 3 (Adrian ran a blistering 33 minutes for his leg). Anna Santa Elena debuted in her first trail race and first relay event. On the solo events, Zach Fung took 3rd place overall male for the 15-miler and Shawn Pearce set a new 50K PR! Congrats to all!

While participating in the Bridle Trails Winter Running Festival was an all-day affair, it was completely worth it for the comradery and fun that is hard to match at other events. We will surely be back next year, perhaps with enough runners to fill not just the Lake Sammamish Run Diamonds, Hearts, and Spades teams, but finally also a Lake Sammamish Run Clubs team!

Full Results: https://register.pacificmultisports.com/Events/Results/1284

Photo Credit: Zach Fung

LSRC Assists with Bridle Trails Post-Storm Cleanup

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 03:54:25 GMT

Photo Credit: Shawn Pearce

The Bomb Cyclone that hit the West Coast on November 19, 2024 was an event few would soon forget. High velocity winds – some as high as 70 mph – pounded much of Washington, downing trees, damaging structures, and knocking out power to over half a million people. While power was restored to most within a week and residential and commercial cleanup was quick to begin, nearly seven weeks later, many of our state parks and forest lands still have much work to be done.

One of those parks is Bridle Trails State Park, a multi-use equestrian and pedestrian haven of mostly second growth Douglas firs and Western cedars. At nearly 500 acres in size with 28 miles of trails, Bridle Trails suffered extensive tree damage from the Bomb Cyclone. Although almost all downed trees were cleared off main trails in the immediate weeks after the storm, subsequent smaller storms have continued to bring down smaller branches, twigs, cones, and needles from the canopies. This debris creates challenges for the park in maintaining good drainage and preventing erosion issues. Not to mention this leads to more mud.

So, when the Bridle Trails Park Foundation and Lake Washington Saddle Club put out a call for volunteers to further clean up Bridle Trails this past Saturday, LSRC jumped at the opportunity to help. The club is a frequent patron of the park: we hold Thursday evening runs in the park from late spring through early fall, utilize its trails for cross country workouts, and for the past four years have fielded relay teams for the Bridle Trails Winter Running Festival. It was time for us to give back.

Just over a dozen volunteers attended the trail cleanup party, with nine representatives from LSRC. Park Ranger Matt Birkland explained we would be in groups of four, each group tackling a different section of trail along the east side of the park. For two hours we raked up debris from the forest floor; while the largest pieces were easily flung off trail with gloved hands, it was often easier to use manure forks to scoop up the piles, fling them into the undergrowth, move down trail, and repeat. We got into a rhythm with the work, working quickly to make as much progress as possible. Although most teams did not fully complete sweeping their sections, the end result was still dramatic: where once lay a shaggy, uneven carpet now saw forest floors clean and bare.

This was one of the best ways to start 2025, doing our part to help restore these trails and protect local habitats. If we all step up and make a collective effort, a little truly goes a long way – hopefully allowing us to preserve Bridle Trails for many more generations to come.

If you are able, please consider a donation to the Bridle Trails Park Foundation.

Photo Credit: Shawn Pearce

Runners Revel at Duvall Holiday Lights Run & Walk!

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 20:40:48 GMT

Photo Credit: Skye Pazuchanics

Imagine a neighborhood so bright and festive with Holiday spirit that walking along its streets feels like being in a Hallmark Christmas movie. This is the Taylor’s Ridge neighborhood in Duvall. Every Holiday season, the neighborhood puts together one of the largest displays of Holiday cheer in the Greater Eastside, and for the past several years, Duvall resident and club member Skye Pazuchanics has led a group run/walk on a 3.8-mile route through some of the neighborhood’s most impressive blocks. This event has become a club tradition, beloved especially by those who enjoy the Holiday season.

The event was attended by members, family, and friends of Lake Sammamish Run Club, Eastside Runners, and Sky Valley Runners. This year saw close to three dozen people, and while most opted to run the route, there was also a small walking group. We lucked out with mild temperatures and a short break in the rain made for a dry evening. Skye was resplendent in her nutcracker costume while others also donned Holiday-themed attire. Even without Santa hats or jingle bells, the group was already quite festive with the assorted Noxgear vests!

The route started from Judd Park and entered the neighborhood. While there is no official requirement for residents to partake in decorating, Holiday fever was certainly infectious. There were continuous blocks where each home expressed the Holidays in their own unique way: properties covered with twinkling lights (many multi-colored, but some opting for classic white or yellow), while others erected inflatable or solid representations of Santa, Rudolph, Frosty, and other familiar characters. Still others went further by adorning their trees with giant ornaments, lining their pathways with cute decorations, or having mobile props. At least one house even had a light show synchronized to music (a treat for those able to tune in to the correct radio station).

For nearly an hour, the group reveled in the spirit of the Holidays, at awe with the creativity and effort residents spent on their displays. It was truly a feast for the senses, bringing joy to many. Thank you, Taylor’s Ridge, for spreading Holiday cheer, and thank you, Skye, for hosting!

Photo Credit: Skye Pazuchanics

2024 Annual Meeting and Winter Holiday Party

Sat, 11 Jan 2025 20:24:55 GMT

Photo Credit: Rochelle Cox

The club celebrated the Holidays with its second Annual Meeting & Holiday Party on December 15, 2024 at Heritage Hall in Kirkland. Built in 1922 with nods to Greek architecture, Heritage Hall sits mere blocks from Lake Washington. It is a sliver of history preserved in the urban core of Downtown Kirkland. The natural charm of the building meant little decorating was needed for a warm, festive atmosphere – especially welcome after a grueling day at Cross Country Nationals for some the previous day.

We had about 40 attendees for the night, with pasta catering provided by Due Cucina (so fitting for a runner crowd!). Attendees were encouraged to bring an appetizer, side, drinks, or dessert to share (and there was no shortage of dessert!). We had available club apparel for sale, and a dozen or so leftover Harvest Half shirts to give away. Each attendee also received a small party favor from the club. Ambient Holiday music and a slideshow of highlights from the past year rounded out the evening.

We recapped the major events of 2024, then recognized individuals who made significant contributions or who were most active in the club during the past year; small tokens of appreciation were given out to these members. Honored were the following people:

Most Frequent Sweeper: David Levin

Sweeper Raffle: Glen Huang

Volunteerism: Nina Tang, Shawn Pearce, Mike Williamson, & Eric Edmond

Run Hosting: Skye Pazuchanics & Glen Weissman

Most Event Registrations: Paula Murray, Joy Chan, Maricruz Del Pozo, & Beth Mantey

Following the year-end recap, the Board Election results were announced, and the 2025 Board members were introduced. We thank the 2024 Board for their year(s) of service leading the club to where it is today! The 2025 Board now consists of:

President: Joy Chan

Vice-President: Daniel Bannon

Treasurer: Peter Averill

Secretary (Incumbent): Jordan Andersen

At-Large Members: Paula Murray, Steven Dion, & Steven Hammond

Although the Holiday party was a quick turnaround from Cross Country Nationals, it was the perfect time to kick back and enjoy each other’s company before the Holiday travel season began. Socializing in non-athletic clothing felt refreshing and shed new light on people in attire that we honestly may not be used to seeing them in. We hope everyone who attended had an enjoyable evening!

Photo Credit: Nidhi Hooda

LSRC Scores at XC Season Finale: USATF Club Nationals

Sun, 15 Dec 2024 07:59:59 GMT

Sitting quietly bundled up, sipping ramen in a Tacoma strip mall, it was time for me to reminisce after a full morning and afternoon of scrambling around. All of the soggy, muddy, disorganized cross country running gear and team equipment had already been jammed back into our Mazda 3, with no urgency to be unraveled.

I could begin by describing the atrocious weather we were presented with, or the fierce competition that we faced, but that would be premature and miss a major component of the story.

Cross country often bears the perception that it’s only for the serious type-A. While there most certainly is no shortage of exceedingly fast runners attending these races, many folks are often surprised to hear there are also no performance pre-reqs or merits needed in order to race XC. It is true. No matter how slow, inexperienced, or old you are, you have the same right to a bib as anyone fitter and or younger, and you will get an official time given that you finish within the generous course time limits.

USA Track & Field (USATF) puts on club XC events for our region each fall, but 2011 was the last time the National Club event had traveled to Western Washington. No other affiliations put on races like this. Needless to say, we had a unique opportunity at hand.

For LSRC, it only took a few enthusiastic runners to start growing a team base earlier in the season. Traditional Cross Country is in fact a team sport, where a minimum number of team members finishing the race is required for the team to score. The lowest combined placement of the top 3-5 (depending on the age/gender division) finishers on each team determines the team’s ranking. Once we knew we were only one or two short of making a team for each of our divisions, more of our club members stepped up to the challenge, and friends of our club members became club members to help out. It became more about supporting the team, and less about running for personal sake, making the experience a hundred times more meaningful, and it meant you would be supported just the same. Pretty soon we had 25 runners across all the divisions stepping up to the challenge.

Some of us had a preview of the venue and course during the NW Region Championships a few weeks prior, but none of that had prepared us or anyone for what everyone would be up against for the National Championships on the day of the race. The reported “hay bales” – an unfamiliar obstacle for most – caught a lot of us off guard, but really only caused reactions of disgust at best.

At 8:30am, shortly after the gates opened, we arrived at a scene of mangled tents and teams scrambling to find shelter from brutal wind and rain showers. With the help of our highly devoted Masters runner, Mike Williamson, who is also a dependable source of any length XC spike you’d ever need, we managed to find a spot to set up our tent, taking advantage of a sturdy fence and strapping our tents down to it, in time to support our five Masters Women runners (women aged 40+) set to start their 6k at 9:30am.

Through the chaos, the runners convened at the start line at the last possible minute and the gun went off miraculously on time when 15 minutes prior, it didn’t look like any real event could even start. But they were off, just as if the next gust of wind had shoved them out of their corrals at once and swallowed them up into a jetstream. The 6k course comprised of two 3k loops, and as the runners appeared toward my point of observation, about to finish their first loop, it became clear these women were not only fighting for placement, but several other battles: staying upright in pools of mud being one of them, while being teased by the sights of rainbows every now and then. One by one, all of our team members did finish in one piece.

Next, after a bit of a break (the Men’s Masters 60+ race had no LSRC runners), the 40s & 50s Masters men stepped up to the line for their 10k. Two 3k loops plus two 2k loops. The weather slot machine returned none other than heavy rain, wind, and more wind. If there were any blades of grass on the course still intact after the first two races, it seemed as if many of the men had set out to find them for better traction as the only other explanation beside being tossed around in the wind as to why they weren’t running in otherwise logical trajectories. I later perched myself at the finish line, where here finally there was no divergence in their paths. Only after all nine of our men finished did a rainbow pop out to greet them.

The Women’s Open 6k followed shortly after, with happenings much the same as in the previous races. It was time for me to warm up, so I didn’t witness as much of this race as I had for the other races, but it was obvious that those who were out by themselves were more exposed and affected by the elements. Only was I relieved when I found all three of our women in good spirits after the race ended, as if their ship had finally landed after crossing rough seas.

Before I knew it, my race, the Men’s Open 10k, loomed ahead as I frantically rummaged for my spikes in my wreckage of gear that I brought and churned throughout the day. Once I made it to the start line, splitting decisions still laid ahead. Should I do another stride or retie my shoes? I envisioned what it must have been like for the poor fellows who had lost their shoes in mud during earlier races, so I retied my shoes with extra determination. Whatever happens, happens, but I am not going to lose my shoes! As it turned out, that was the correct mentality. All the training I had done this season could not have prepared me for what was about to come anyway.

The starting gun fired and I fled with my five other teammates and four hundred other strangers, like minnows, being chased by a shark. Turning the corner back toward the start revealed the unfavorable consequences of making any solitary moves. The rain had ceased, but the effects of the wind were absolutely ludicrous. Imagine sucking in helium balloons every breath. Then came the mud. By itself, mud is mud. It slows you down and seeps into your shoes, but when each runner ahead determines their own path to combat it, they are no longer a reliable wind blocker. Whatever, I thought. I’m just going to make it through this race, and embrace the moment. This is what cross country is about. Chasing PRs and running an even race without blowing up is merely one aspect. Strategy and being able to make decisions on the fly is also a large part of it as proven today. Regardless of how it ended, I knew I had an awesome story to tell, and when I found my teammates after the race, I couldn’t wait to hear from them all.

Although I could have never imagined how everything would unfold on this very day, I’m extremely grateful for the overall outcome and how everyone supported each other. Also, special props to the event host, Club Northwest for their incredible job setting everything up and keeping the event running smoothly. We may not have placed high in the rankings, but we did come prepared. After all, a friend from Club Northwest saying we deserve the “Best Tent Award” is something I can proudly write home about!

Full Results: https://www.rtspt.com/events/usatf/clubxc24/

Check out photos here!

2024 USATF NW Region Open & Masters XC Championships

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 08:00:00 GMT

Authored by: Paula Murray & Joy Chan

Event Date/Location: November 24, 2024, Chambers Creek Regional Park, University Place, WA

Just prior to the start of the Thanksgiving Holiday, the LSRC teams got a chance to preview the course to be used for the USATF National Club XC Championships at the USATF NW Region XC Championships. The meet saw participation from over a dozen clubs across Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and Alaska.

A world-renowned golf course sitting on a cliff overlooking Puget Sound, Chambers Bay is a great place to view the action. A mostly flat grass course with just two of the gentlest rolling hills, this was surely a PR course under good conditions. Alas, it was not one of those days. Puget Sound was a dull bluish grey – matching the overcast skies above – and the grass shimmered not from sunlight but from the sogginess left by the week’s two storms.

The women’s race was three laps on the grass, and the men’s race was four. One challenge was the mud, and the fact that Junior NW Regionals were run on this same course the day before, left it a bit chewed up and worse for the wear. Although the rain showers held off until the very end, it was a slippery day, and our runners had their work cut out for them, which showed in slower times for almost everyone. Fortunately, all LSRC runners stayed upright despite the conditions and chilly, wet feet.

While we had five women on the start line, only four were able to finish with one runner dropping out due to injury early in the race. The women’s team was unable to score without all five runners, but each finisher ran admirable times on difficult terrain. The men’s team was also slower overall on the muddy course but ran well enough to place 12th out of 15 teams and fielding 7 finishers!

Regionals was an excellent opportunity for the LSRC teams to experience the course on a less-than-ideal day, allowing us to assess our readiness for all possible conditions while also getting a small taste of the competition to come at Nationals in just under two weeks. Like the weather in mid-December, the culmination of our season may be hard to predict, but don’t count out the LSRC teams – we may surprise you yet. LET’S GO BLUE!

Full Results: https://pntfo.trackscoreboard.com/meets/11242024/events

Women, 6K	Time	Highlights
Taryn Hynek	28:26	First XC race in years, great frontrunning
Maricruz Del Pozo	29:54	Great teamwork with Rochelle!
Rochelle Cox	29:57	Great teamwork with Mari!
Joy Chan	31:38	Way to power to the finish
Men, 8K
Clayton Koppi	29:09	Fast first lap, great frontrunning
Zach Fung	29:22	Had a consistently paced race
Paul Young	32:44	Nice job on a difficult course; recovering from a cold
Mike Williamson	35:14	Only 1 sec per lap slower than Lincoln Park
Matthew Wines	36:21	First XC race with the team!
Victor Wang	37:03	First XC race ever!
Daniel Bannon	37:08	First XC race ever!

No need for a cooldown - already a cold enough day.

The LSRC women aren't afraid of mud!

Check out more photos here!

PNTF Open and Masters XC Championships

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 06:07:12 GMT

Authored by: Joy Chan & Paula Murray

Event Date/Location: November 10, 2024, Lincoln Park, Seattle, WA 

Last Sunday the largest LSRC cross-country (XC) team to date braved the prospect of mid-day storms to race against some of the best club teams in the state at the Pacific Northwest Track and Field (PNTF) Open and Masters XC Championships, held at Lincoln Park in West Seattle. It is a fan favorite course, with Puget Sound water views and only one short but notable hill. The weather gods acted in our favor, granting four hours of partly cloudy skies, no wind, and temperatures in the fifties. The trees were a-blaze in hues of yellow and orange, adding to a perfect fall morning. We could not have asked for better racing conditions on the fast, hard-packed, and mostly dry 2k loop course.

LSRC fielded the largest women’s XC team since the club’s inception, with five women in the Open division (age 39 and under), three in the 40-49 division, and three in the 50-59 division. The LSRC team toed off further back in the crowded start area, but quickly made up ground after the gun. A total of 63 women battled for position, and while the LSRC women placed 4th of four scoring teams, several of our women placed in their age divisions: Maricruz Del Pozo took 2^nd place in the F45-49, and Paula Murray took 3^rd place in the F55-59. Additionally, strong performances across the board contributed to the LSRC women placing third in the F40-49 and second in the F50-59 team scoring. We are thrilled to see the women’s team continue to grow and improve throughout this season!

Next up were the Masters (age 40+) men in the 8k, running four laps of the 2k course. This year we fielded a Masters men’s team of five, consisting of three in the 40-49 division and two in the 50-59 division. A dominant Club Northwest team brought heavy competition, and the Masters men narrowly missed the podium finishing fourth out of four scoring teams. However, the span between the five Masters men was less than two minutes – demonstrating smart, consistent races by our runners.

The event concluded with the Open men’s 10k – a brutal five laps of the course. This year was the first time LSRC did not have enough Open men to form a scoring team for an XC event, but the four who showed up did so with determination and grit. Racing against some of the fastest runners in the state, it was exhilarating to watch them fly through the course! We are proud of the Open men for representing LSRC as well as they did.

We had plenty to celebrate at PNTF – from individual and team performances, a chance to run on such a perfect fall day, to being part of a supportive team that rallied around one another. This is exactly the momentum we need as we approach the end of the season and the final two championship meets of 2024. Even when we don’t come in first, we always have the most fun!

Full Team Results: http://live.pntfo.com/meets/11102024/events

Check out more photos from club member Steve Dion!

Emerald City Open

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 05:37:59 GMT

Authored by: Paula Murray & Joy Chan

Event Date/Location: October 12, 2024, Lower Woodland Park, Seattle, WA

Link to photo album

On Saturday, the LSRC Cross-Country (XC) Team got the opportunity again to destroy our legs at Club Northwest’s iconic Emerald City Open. Well, maybe not literally – but as promised, it is a unique course comprised of challenging ups and downs, twists and turns, roots and potholes – everything except for even footing.

It was perfect fall weather with a temperature of 57° (62° in the sun), humidity of 74%, and a southwest wind of 1.5 mph. The field was a nice mix of clubs and colleges. LSRC fielded full 5-person teams for both men and women. The men raced first, giving the women the advantage of knowing what to expect on the start line: a decidedly awkward shout of some kind, followed by a sudden horn blast. With that, the race was underway and LSRC looked strong against the field. With 170 runners, there seemed to be a non-stop stream of people on the first of four laps before runners thinned out in subsequent laps. The LSRC men fought tooth and nail for team positions and placed 11 out of 12 scoring teams with 303 points, beating out one college and five other teams that were unable to field the five people needed to score.

Next, the women were up – after discussing possible strategies, we decided to keep the first lap conservative and pay attention to each other’s position on the course. We took a few photos, a few strides, started our watches, and we were ready. The horn sounded, and we took off – the immediate downhill made for a fast start. The footing was tricky, and the hills were relentless, but our resolve was solid; we battled through three laps and a good time was had by all. The women’s team placed 8 out of 8 scoring teams with 216 points, but we had the distinction of beating out four colleges that were unable to field full teams.

Overall, it was a strong showing by both our teams and everyone put in their best efforts. The experience gained at Emerald City Open will continue to prepare us for the three upcoming USATF races in November and December, which fortunately will be on more forgiving courses. Until then, we’ll rest, run, and repeat.

Full Results: https://www.tfrrs.org/results/xc/24175/Emerald_City_Open

Women's 6K	Time	Points Scored	Highlights
Rochelle Cox	30:08	40	Rocked her first XC race!
Maricruz Del Pozo	31:05	42	Strong charge against strong teams!
Joy Chan	32:30	43	Solid pacing all laps!
Beth Mantey	32:52	45	Solid work!
Paula Murray	32:55	46	Course PR!

Men's 8K	Time	Points Scored	Highlights
Jordan Andersen	30:05	50	Strong performance post-Berlin Marathon!
Zachary Fung	31:18	59	Course PR!
Steven Hammond	32:09	63	Looked strong all laps!
Clayton Koppi	32:14	64	Solid work!
Cameron Wolfe	32:20	67	Solid work!
John Kim	34:23	70	Rocked his first XC race!

17th Annual Nike Twilight XC Invitational

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 05:54:52 GMT

Authored by: Joy Chan & Paula Murray

Event Date/Location: October 5, 2024, Cedarcrest Golf Course, Marysville, WA 

The Nike Twilight XC Invitational, held annually at Cedarcrest Golf Course in Marysville, is not your typical cross-country meet. True, there are thousands of students and their families, friends, coaching staff, and community members all zipping between clusters of colorful tents scattered over the rolling greens. But with giant, illuminated arches lining the final straightaway to the finish line and Halloween-themed course decorations culminating in an electric 1K night run complete with crazy costumes, this event feels more like a party than a cross-country race.

Since Twilight is a beginner-friendly meet with no team scoring, the LSRC team looked forward to a more chill time compared to the Bill Roe XC Classic, which was dominated by Division II colleges. The intention was to arrive early, set up our tent, enjoy seeing runners of all abilities compete in the open race, then watch the JV and varsity runners compete. Several things went awry: 1) The gates didn’t open until an hour before our race. 2) With hundreds more registrants this year, there were long lines to pick up our bibs. 3) Not enough porta-potties and even longer lines. By the time we pitched the tent, dropped our stuff, pinned on bibs and changed our shoes, we had only 20 minutes to the start of the Open 5K – leaving little time for both the bathroom and a warmup. This led to a stressful start, with several runners missing the gun. We took notes right away on what we will do differently next year. We later learned there were 656 runners on the winding course – high schoolers, adults of all ages, newcomers to XC, as well as long time enthusiasts.

Miles one and three were flat or gentle downhills, while mile two saw both short steep hills and longer gradual ones. There were about 20 turns on the course – passing was difficult in the first mile unless you were toward the front, with all the poles and flags. Although the well-kept grass provided even footing, any speed advantage was cancelled out by the number of turns and rollers. Still, these challenges make the course fun – even when you’re working hard, wishing those finishing arches would come into view. When they finally do, it’s a fast final downhill – causing tunnel vision as you enter the arches, picking up speed and barreling through the final 200m before throwing yourself across the finish line to cheers, fist bumps, and high fives from the crowd. These joyous moments as a team are some of the best of cross-country – you can bet there’s more to come. 

Full Results: https://live.athletictiming.net/meets/40809/events/xc/1508862

Open 5K	Time	Highlights
Sam Salus	17:58
Zachary Fung	18:08	16^th overall male
William Cunningham	18:17
Matthew Wolpert	19:24	28^th overall male
Jonah Kumma	19:51
Luke Bartel	20:14	New course PR!
Mike Williamson	21:52	Way to set the pace!
Aliana Coburn	22:19
Joey Lacktrup	24:20
Joy Chan	25:52*	21s PR (41s by watch) despite hectic start
Paula Murray	26:05*	Strong race despite hectic start!
Zhenya Ross	28:53	Strong work at first XC race!
Kristi Kerr	30:50*	Strong race despite hectic start! First XC race.
Novhiliel Bledsoe	31:23
Perry Rodgers	33:58	Progressing well through the season!

* Missed start gun

50th Annual WWU Bill Roe XC Classic

Sat, 05 Oct 2024 05:13:40 GMT

Authored by: Joy Chan

Event Date/Location: September 28, 2024, Hovander Homestead Park, Ferndale, WA

Link to photo album

The Western Washington University Bill Roe Cross Country Classic returned to Hovander Homestead Park for its 50^th year last weekend, with runners from across the West descending on the small city of Ferndale, just 20 minutes from the Canadian border. Hovander Park was a new cross country course for LSRC, a county park with a historic farm site on acres of sprawling fields next to the Nooksack River. Mt. Baker loomed large in the nearby distance, visible from just between the right grove of trees.

While the meet was dominated by NCAA Division II collegiate teams, there were a few club teams, too: LSRC, Club Northwest, and Premature Acceleration. Our goal was to simply have fun as a team and enjoy some friendly racing. As we warmed up on the 2K loop course, the mood was light while excitement continued to build. The biggest question everyone seemed to have was shoe choice – the majority of the 2K loop was on long grass (slippery in spots) with the rest on decently packed gravel. In the end, most opted for road shoes, a few chose trail runners, and a couple braved their XC spikes.

Since we arrived only an hour before the start of the men’s race, the time flew by way too quickly and before we knew it, the men were ready to start their 8K race (four loops of the 2K course). As the gun went off, a wave of determination surged through the runners. They charged forward, covering the open field ahead of the start line in little time. Because of the loop course, spectating was a breeze, and the women were able to cheer on the men for 2K, 4K, 6K, and finally through the finish chute. Impressively, the six-person LSRC men’s team all finished within seven minutes of one another in a highly competitive 176-person field, with each of our Open division men displacing at least one collegiate runner.

The women barely had time to congratulate the men before it was their turn to toe the line for their 6K race (three loops of the 2K course). They had just seen the energy from the men and were ready to give it their all. As the gun went off for the second time, the LSRC women surged ahead, each one keeping their next teammate within sight, helping push each other to keep a strong pace. Shouts of encouragement from the men helped us focus on the task at hand. When the final times came in, the spread in the five-person LSRC women’s team was even closer than the men’s: three and a half minutes in an equally competitive 119-person field, with three of the five women making their debut in XC.

Despite placing last in team scoring for both races, the LSRC men’s and women’s teams gave it their all on a challenging course against some very fast collegiate and club teams (Western Washington University, the host for the meet, had women’s and men’s teams in the Top 1-2 spots in the NCAA West division). We showed up – some giving XC a chance for the first time – and ran with a confidence and spirit we can all be proud of. This is just the start of a great season, and we can’t wait to see what the next few months will have in store. Go blue!

Full Team Results: https://pntfo.trackscoreboard.com/meets/9282024/events/1

6K	Time	Highlights
Maricruz Del Pozo	29:01	First XC race! Way to lead the way!
Joy Chan	30:33	Strong start to the XC season!
Yiwei Xu	30:42	First XC race! Way to push!
Paula Murray	32:32	Took a wrong turn but still crushed it!
Beth Mantey	32:40	First post-high school XC race! Way to push!

8K	Time	Highlights
Clayton Koppi	28:37	First post-collegiate XC race!
Erik Hoeg	28:56	Ran so fast the XC spikes were toast!
Zachary Fung	29:20	Made his goal of sub-30!
Steven Hammond	31:00	No spikes, no problem!
Guanyu Wang	31:17	In the middle of marathon training!
Mike Williamson	35:54	Strong start to the XC season!

Summer Schedule

Sun, 30 Jun 2024 23:30:12 GMT

Although the weather has been slow to change the calendar has not! We've made a few changes to our run schedule and realize that not all our media outlets have been in sync. The surest way to stay up to date is to join the club mailing list by becoming a Member.

Sunday Runs - Start time is 8am through the Summer (until October). We meet on the East Lake Sammamish Trailhead next to Whole Foods every Sunday except the first Sunday of every month where host a field trip run (details announced a week or two prior)

Thursday Runs - Start location is Grocery Outlet in Kirkland for a 5 mile loop in Bridle Trails State Park (until October). Start time is still 6pm.

New Friday Morning Run! - We have a new Friday that starts at 7am at rotating locations in Redmond. We've been posting them on Facebook and on Strava.

Details of all weekly runs can be found in the Weekly Runs page of the website, and special events such as the Annual BBQ coming up July 21 can be found in the Events page. We hope to see you at one of our runs soon! :)

Lake Sammamish Half Marathon Race-day Recap

Sat, 09 Mar 2024 22:27:22 GMT

March 9 was a jam packed day on the East Lake Sammamish Trail, from Redmond to Issaquah. Read below for a summary of how everything went!

The LSRC Cheer Squad

The Flat and Fast Lake Sammamish Half Marathon was on March 9th and LSRC had a self-organized water station/cheer squad near mile #7 offering bottled water and gels to club members, and anybody else who requested it. The goal of the crew-Krewe was to provide a truly mobile water and gel station for members on the run as the race was a cup-free event meaning official water stops would require fully stopping and filling a cup/bottle yourself. We had about 10 members out beginning at 8am to cheer on the leaders and they stayed through the tail end of the racers with most of them heading off to the finish line to congratulate the finishers. This race included many PRs by the members.

LSRC Member Results

(If you are a current member and your time is missing or you'd like to be removed from the list, please email board@lakesammamishrunclub.org.)

Runner	Finishing Time	Highlights
Steve Dion	1:12:16	Stellar race! 8^th overall!
Matt Williamson	1:16:41	Super PR! Stellar race!
Zach Fung	1:16:47	75s PR! Stellar race!
Hongzhao Han	1:18:19	Super PR! Stellar race!
Glen Weissman	1:20:03	3^rd AG! Stellar race!
Flo Boulanger	1:28:30	PR! Stellar race
Rhea George	1:29:20	Age group PR! Stellar race!
Molly Ha	1:31:55	Great rust buster race!
David Levin	1:32:59	PR! Stellar Race!
Steve Harris	1:33:11	Ran with/pacing Danielle
Danielle Henty	1:33:12	1^st AG! Stellar race!
Mike Williamson	1:33:15	PR! Stellar race!
Catherine Williams	1:35:42	Ran this as a workout!
Peter Averill	1:36:51	PR! Stellar race!
Shy Vn	1:37:21	Stellar race! (PR?)
Becky Backstrom	1:37:51	1^st AG! Ran 8 more miles after!
Randi Huo	1:43:56	Ran with/pacing Ben with Aimee
Aimee Nogoy	1:43:56	Ran with/pacing Ben with Randi
Ben Ha	1:43:56	PR!(?) Stellar race!
Joy Chan	1:48:31	PR! Stellar race!
Paula Murray	1:49:14	PR! Stellar race!
Mary Blake	1:57:28	Ran with/pacing Nina and just coming back!
Nina Tang	1:58:06	Super PR – first sub 2! Stellar race!
Michele Gurnsey	1:58:07	Ran with/pacing Nina and just coming back!
Caitlin Huotilainen	1:58:25	Stellar Race! (PR?)
Lillian Bowler	2:01:00	Stellar Race! (PR?)
Alan Sharp	2:15:48	Stellar Race! Stayed out of the pain cave!

Race Recap by Joy Chan

The morning of the Lake Sammamish Half dawned partly cloudy and mild, with the slightest of southerly breezes. After many days of obsessively checking forecasts, it seems runners had lucked out – the wind and rain predicted for the day was not to arrive until the early afternoon. Downtown Redmond was filled with an energy unusual for a Saturday morning, as scores of runners made their way to the start at Redmond Central Connector Park. Despite the number of people converging into such a small area, without music or announcements, it seemed too quiet for an event of its size.

Club members converged at Redmond Downtown Park at 7 AM for photos and pre-race well-wishes. With 30 minutes until the start, most people headed off to finish their warmup, gear check, or the bathrooms, pre-occupied with their own thoughts. As people rushed to the start, they learned the race was going to be delayed by 10 minutes due to the long bathroom lines (which we later learned was due to an arsonist burning down a good number of the rented portable toilets).

After what seemed much longer than ten minutes, the crowd started to move forward towards the yellow start arch; for people not in the front, this felt a bit sudden and the announcement would have been helpful. Sixteen hundred runners made their way across the tiny Redmond park and began the one-way journey towards Issaquah.

The first mile was chaotic with the trail getting out of Downtown Redmond being fairly narrow for 1600 people. Even once on the Sammamish River Trail, the normally wide bike bath seemed to shrink. It was a lose-lose: Passing people took energy people wanted to conserve, but going too slow meant needing to make up a lot of time later. Fortunately the participants seemed to spread out through Marymoor Park, and by the time runners hit the East Lake Sammamish Trail (ELST), it was a little bit easier navigating the crowd. This was the longest stretch of the race, spanning a total of eight miles from the eastern edge of Marymoor Park to the southern corner of Lake Sammamish State Park. Bordered by lake views and large homes on the right, the ELST completed paving just five months previously, creating a continuous, flat route connecting Redmond to Issaquah. This was what runners had been looking forward to for many years – no more gravel surfaces, detours onto the road, or a moderate hill in the middle. Just a flat, fast course in arguably the best time of year for a half-marathon.

Seven miles into the race, the LSRC cheer station came into view. With volunteers holding signs, providing water and shouts of encouragement, and ringing cowbells, it was an especially welcome sight at the point where races of this length could start becoming difficult. Thank you, Nelson, Daniel, Karen, Edwin, Jaime, Shawn, Jordan (and anyone we may have missed) – you guys were awesome out there!

Finally the ELST came to an end and runners turned right towards Lake Sammamish State Park. This was the first turn in eight miles and welcomed as the breeze was a little stronger in Issaquah. Upon entering the park, runners navigated through the final ¾ miles – a graveled maintenance road, narrow park trails bulging upwards in hazardous spots from tree roots beneath, and a final turn that revealed the finish line a little too late. In total, at least 27 LSRC members completed the race, with over half of them setting new personal bests.

Despite the shaky start, it was a great day overall. The weather held, the course cooperated, and we celebrated our accomplishments. Most importantly, we supported each other and had fun!

LSRC Takes Second Place in the 2024 Winter Challange

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 22:19:44 GMT

LSRC once again competed in the annual Winter Challenge, a competition between running groups and between individual runners as a way to motivate getting outside and being active during the low temps, and this year we did get some very low temps, of January. LSRC team won the 2023 Challenge in grand fashion and in 2024 with a smaller team placed 2nd in both total miles with over 6400, and average miles at 195/runner. LSRC members made out for at least 8 of the top 20 in total mileage with President Zach taking 6th overall logging a staggering 391 miles followed by David L in 9th with 343 and Daniel B in 11th with 328 miles. Even long time member David A got in the game logging his 296 miles from the beautiful countryside, and cities, in Turkey.

We plan to continue in 2025 so be on the lookout come December to participate.

2023 Annual Meeting and Holiday Party

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 06:46:46 GMT

A great time was had by all at our 2023 annual meeting and holiday party. A warm welcome to our newly elected board members Daniel Bannon, Aimee Nogoy, and André Udovenkø. You can learn more about them on their board profiles. A big thanks to our outgoing board members Stanley Chen, Randi Hou, and Sophia Liu. Their efforts were invaluable in making this club as great as it is today.

LSRC Earns Cash at PNW XC Club Champs

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 01:00:00 GMT

- By Joy Chan

Link to full photo album

The morning of the USATF Pacific Northwest Open and Masters XC Championships dawned cool and crisp, a respite from the steady rains earlier in the week. Lincoln Park in West Seattle is a favorite among local XC venues, especially in the fall with the park ablaze in yellows and orange and the faint scent of the Salish Sea drifting lazily up from the beach below.

The XC Championship consisted of three races: Open and Masters Women’s 6K at 9:30 AM, Masters Men’s 8K at 10:15 AM, and Open Men’s 10K at 11:15 AM. Excitement grew as LSRC team members gradually arrived for the morning’s races. We quickly set up camp near the finish chute – many thanks to Mike Williamson and Paula Murray for loaning the use of a second tent to shelter runners and provide space for team gear. Paula and Joy Chan – LSRC’s only two women at the meet – did the first recon of the 2K loop course. To their surprise, the expected puddles and mud after days of rain were largely non-existent, probably due to the abundant tree cover. The ground was firm, footing was secure, and the only hill was short and small. It was going to be a fast day, whether you ran three, four, or five loops.

This year we had a combined total of 15 runners (two women and 13 men) across all LSRC teams. Despite not having enough women to form a scoring Open or Masters team (we will improve next year!), Paula and Joy both put in excellent efforts and ran XC 6K season bests. The Masters and Open Men’s teams saw strong performances from all runners, with both teams placing third in their respective divisions despite stiff competition; this earned the Open Men’s team $100 in a cash prize. The full team and individual results are posted below. Congratulations to everyone who raced!

Although the races seemed – on paper, at least – to be spread out across a long morning, between the warmups, cheering for each other on course, and cooldowns to visit Bruun Idun, time flew as quickly as our feet. We had a ton of fun supporting each other on a gorgeous autumn day, and could not have asked for a better end to LSRC’s 2023 XC season. Thank you to everyone who took part in the meets and supported logistics, from organizing carpools, showing up early or staying late to help with setup and takedown, or providing goodies to share. Until next season!

Women’s Open and Masters 6K Team Results

Club Northwest (17)
Unattached (50)
Seattle Running Club (68)

Men’s Masters 8K Team Results

Club Northwest (17)
Seattle Running Club (46)
Lake Sammamish Run Club (79)

Men’s Open 10K Team Results

Club Northwest (15)
Bellingham Distance Project (57)
Lake Sammamish Run Club (67)

Emerald City Open XC Race

Sun, 08 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT

By Paula Murray

Photo Credit: Jianfeng Cai

LSRC Cross Country men’s and women’s teams were back at it this past Saturday, competing at Club Northwest’s annual Emerald City Open at Lower Woodland Park in Seattle.

Conditions were sunny and humid, with little-to-no wind. The men’s race was fast and furious and while the other 6 teams outscored us, there were impressive performances and point scoring by each LSRC member on this very challenging course.

Click here for high resolution photos with special thanks to Jianfeng Cai who was also one of the photographers at the Redmond Harvest Half!

Men's Team Results:

Club Northwest (30)
Western Washington (53)
Central Washington (75)
Seattle Pacific (87)
Trolltown Trotters (134)
Seattle Running Club (174)
Lake Sammamish Run Club (190)

The women ran second, and by this time the sun was out in full force. Once again, every member scored points – the women’s team managed to place 5^th out of 7, beating out Olympia College and Seattle Running Club thanks to successfully fielding a full 5-member roster.

Women's Team Results:

Western Washington (28)
Seattle Pacific (48)
Central Washington (83)
Club Northwest (84)
Lake Sammamish Run Club (153)
Olympic College (155)
Seattle Running Club (DNS)

We appreciate everyone who came out to run! Here are the individual results:

6K	Time	Points scored	Highlights
Molly Ha	26:41.0	19	Great performance in the lead!
Randi Huo	30:01.4	30	Good job powering through the heat for a strong finish!
Joy Chan	32:14.4	33	Nice work on the hills (and it was ALL hills!)
Paula Murray	33:11.8	34	Nice work getting back on track after a few wrong turns!
Nidhi Hooda	40:55.0	37	First CC race ever, great job!

8K	Time	Points scored	Highlights
Chris Vo	30:26.9	31	Nice work leading the team!
Zach Fung	31:38.5	34	Great run and massive PR on this course!
Ben Bush	32:30.5	36	Solid performance and great finish!
Mike Williamson	36:26.0	44	Great passing throughout the race!
David Levin	38:47.3	45	Strong finish, great work staying in front of runners from 3 other clubs!

Twilight Invitational XC Open Race

Sun, 01 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT

By Mike Williamson

LSRC makes a fine showing at the Nike Twilight XC race on Cedarcrest Golf Course. Everyone had their own story to tell on the twisty, turny, uppy, downy, oft congested course. But I'm sure we all would agree, we had a blast. Sounds like there was a course PR for at least one of us, and Molly Ha brought home 1st overall for the women! Nice job everyone!

Full race report and phot album: https://www.strava.com/clubs/935966/posts/25820846

LSRC Scores at 49th Annual Bill Roe Invitational

Sat, 23 Sep 2023 19:00:00 GMT

By Paula Murray

Several members of the club traveled to Bellingham for the 49^th Annual WWU Bill Roe Cross Country Classic on September 23 at Lake Padden Park. This is a competitive meet, featuring top college talent in the region.

Lake Sammamish Run Club brought 6 men and 5 women, allowing us to field full teams for both the 6K women’s race and the 8K men’s race. Although there was no master’s division, our upper age groups were well-represented.

The weather was cool and cloudy for the start of the women’s race. The LSRC team got to the line with not a moment to spare before roll call, adding some pre-race excitement for the fans. Our front runners made some impressive passing throughout the race. Every member scored points, resulting in our placing just ahead of Hawai'i Hilo and beating out 3 teams who were unable to field full rosters.

Women's Team Results:

University of Victoria (54)
Western Washington (72)
Saint Martin's (94)
Simon Fraser (112)
Alaska Fairbanks (117)
Club Northwest (152)
Alaska Anchorage (173)
Seattle Pacific (188)
Trinity Western (219)
Central Washington (275)
Lake Sammamish Run Club (330)
Hawai'i Hilo (347)

The LSRC men were ready at the line, just in time for a dramatic increase in wind speeds of up to 14 mph – making for a fast start and some challenging headwinds on the early loops. Our two front runners were involved in an early stumble, but it did not slow them down and solid performances were delivered by the whole team. Some excellent strategies were employed throughout the race, and points were scored by every member. While the men’s team placed last, they edged out 3 teams lacking full rosters – underscoring the value of all who showed up to race for LSRC.

Men's Team Results:

Western Washington (47)
Alaska Anchorage (62)
Simon Fraser (85)
Victoria (93)
Club Northwest (149)
Premature Acceleration (155)
Saint Martin's (206)
Seattle Pacific (244)
Central Washington (254)
Alaska Fairbanks (282)
Seattle Running Club (384)
Lake Sammamish Run Club (403)

Great work by everyone who participated! Here are the individual results:

6K	Time	Points scored	Highlights
Aimee Nogoy	25:44.7	56	Great teamwork at the lead!
Molly Ha	25:45.8	57	Way to pass and score!
Randi Huo	28:50.0	70	Great job staying ahead of Hawaii for the win!
Joy Chan	31:39.8	73	Great job crushing hills – strong finish!
Paula Murray	32:00.2	74	Nice work scoring points, even after overrunning the warmup!

8K	Time	Points scored	Highlights
Matthew Williamson	29:51.5	70	Nice work leading the team!
Zach Fung	30:15.8	71	Great job overcoming a slip and scoring
John Nguyen	33:49.8	74	First CC race ever, great job!
Mike Williamson	34:49.9	75	Way to hold off 2 other team’s runners for points!
David Levin	36:48.5	77	Great teamwork David & John! Way to score and hold off another team’s runner!
John Westworth	36:48.5	78

A Successful Kickoff for the Inaugural Redmond Harvest Half Marathon!

Fri, 08 Sep 2023 05:08:24 GMT

Congratulations to all finishers of the inaugural Redmond Harvest Half Marathon, put on jointly by LSRC and Seattle United Runners! We had over 300+ finishers on Labor Day Monday, and saw many fast times and PRs on course. Individual results may be found at: redmondharvesthalf.com/results and photos may be found at: redmondharvesthalf.com/photos. Check out the great albums by SU photographers!

It took many months to get this race off the ground and to race day, and we honestly could not have done it without a lot of volunteer help. We had over 60 volunteers day of, not including family and friends who also pitched in last minute. Many thanks to all our volunteers for their time and energy! I especially want to call out the following:

- The race planning committee, which consisted (from LSRC) of Jordan Andersen, Zach Fung, Nelson La, Sophia Liu, and Stanley Chen; and (from SU)

- Jeff Cao, Mei Chen, Yingwei Liu, and Dan Wu. We worked together closely these past 6 months to get to race day.

- Nina Tang, 60 Acres Aid Station Captain, for (on very short notice) driving my car with supplies down to start and back home when we realized everything was not going to fit in Jordan's van. You guys already had a busy weekend but got up at 5AM anyway to help set up before going to your aid stations.

- Shawn Pearce, 60 Acres Aid Station Captain, for bringing coffee to the volunteers at the start and aid stations. I don't drink straight coffee, but I'm sure many appreciated this!

- Brian Lee, who selflessly stopped while on his way to start to help Zach finish putting up all the course markings. Even with both of them, we barely got the markings up in time. (Brian, I feel terrible you missed the gun because of this.)

- John Nguyen and André Udovenkø, who worked double shifts in the morning when we realized we needed more hands to help set up the start. Thanks for showing up on such short notice!

- Skye Pazuchanics, who worked a double shift as course monitor on the Leary Way Bridge after the second shift volunteers no-showed. She didn't need to, but supported everyone until the very end (I hope your cowbell blister is better!).

- Catherine Williams, who arrived at the start ready to help however she could! I was so glad to have your help on the random little things that kept popping up, and especially for helping with our younger volunteer!

I've been a participant, volunteer, and race committee member, so am no stranger to events. But, there was something really special about seeing everyone and everything come together for the first time on race day. To see so many running friends and acquaintances lining up with excitement and anticipation, and doing their very best. To have so many people support their friends, family, and community through volunteering. To see so many people from different clubs and backgrounds laughing and enjoying the day, together. Running - and sport in general - truly can unite us, and show others the best version of ourselves. To me, that was the true reward of being a part of this inaugural event, and I hope we can keep that spirit going for many more years to come.

Redmond High School Community 5k

Sun, 03 Sep 2023 00:32:48 GMT

Every year, the Redmond High School puts on a 5k on a Cross Country style course where community members get to race with the Redmond Cross Country runners. This year there was a little bit of wildfire smoke in the air, but that did not put a damper on the amount of fun we had! The course was a little bit different and simpler than it had been previously, but the same trails were used. Results can be found here:

https://www.redmondxctf.com/

4th of July Run for the Pies & Pints

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 18:07:47 GMT

While it really wasn't a day for PR's it certainly was for Pies & Pints! A 4th of July tradition in Carnation is the 5k race for pies where top three in each age category receive a pie of their choosing from the Remlinger Farm store. Temperatures were starting to climb during the race on this bright sunny day, making the post run beer or soda that much more rewarding for all the participants. Special Thanks to Randi Huo for taking photos of everyone as they crossed the finish line!

Women	Time	Highlight
Michele Gurnsey	22:16	Great run! Tough age category!
Skye Pazuchanics	22:27	First 5k in a while for Skye. Pie!
Joy Chan	24:43	Great run! Pie!
Mary Buchanan	26:04	Great run! Pie hopefully next time!
Tanya Wicht	29:04	Just getting back into it since Eugene
Nina Tang	30:02	A routine run for Nina!
Jolanta Thorburn	36:15	Probably had the most fun!
Men	Time	Highlight
Jordan Andersen	16:39	6th Overall, Pie!
Eric Gentry	17:16	Great run! Pie!
Ben Bush	17:35	Great run! Tough age category!
Glen Weissman	17:57	Great run! Pie!
Guanyu Wang	20:27	Nursing an ankle injury. Heal up soon!
Stanley Chen	20:46	Just starting up Chicago Training!
Peter Averill	20:52	Great run! Pie!
Daniel Bannon	21:27	Great run! Pie!
Zach Fung	21:39	Taking it easy. Will be back for pie next year!
Doug Sippy	23:59	Great run! Pie hopefully next time!
Shawn Pierce	24:39	Great run! Pie hopefully next time!
Derrick Tetzman	27:19	Welcome to LSRC! Come back for pie next year!
Alan Sharp	29:09	Great run! Pie hopefully next time!

3rd Place Team at Big Back Yard

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 20:12:38 GMT

Every first Sunday of June, Redmond Parks puts on a 5k in Marymoor park, where teams compete for a top prize based on the average time of each team's fastest five runners. Despite a couple of us not bringing typical performances this time, we still placed third, and most impressively, managed to keep all of our top five finishing times under 19 minutes!

Ben Bush	17:13	PR! 2nd AG, 7th OA
Guanyu Wang	18:18	Close to PR! 1st AG
Zach Fung	18:37	Went for it despite being injured, 2nd AG
Jordan Andersen	18:46	Pacing a friend for sub 19, 3rd AG
Andrey Udovenko	18:59	PR! First 5k race in 6 years??!
John Westworth	19:42	PR! First sub 20!! 3rd AG
Peter Averill	20:13	PR by a lot! Keep it going Peter!
David Levin	21:27	Getting close to his sub 21 goal!
Daniel Bannon	21:28	The day after his first marathon. Super human!
Nelson Laplante	22:58	Just getting back to into it
Joy Chan	23:21	40 second course PR! 3rd AG
Doug Sippy	23:47	Still 1st AG despite being injured!
Paula Murray	24:30	Great run! Join us again next year!
Kyle Burgess	27:08	So fast, we didn't see you! Join us again next year!

Redmond Harvest Half Marathon Registration is Open!

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 20:51:09 GMT

After the discontinuation of the Rock n' Roll associated half marathons in our area (the Labor Day Half & the Rock n Roll Washington) , Lake Sammamish Run Club & Seattle United Runners are teaming up to try and fill the void by putting on an officially timed, and scored race called the Redmond Harvest Half Marathon, Monday Labor Day September 4!

With the Rock n Roll race disappearing, we know we have big shoes to fill, so we are doing everything we can to make this race a great experience for you! Highlights include:

- Low registration fees compared to other half marathons

- Fast USATF certified course to help you get a PR

- Finisher's medals and gender specific shirt sizes

- Overall, Age Group, and Top Team awards for Men and Women

- Post race food, beverages, and beer tickets at Post Doc Brewing

- Pacers from a 1:30 to 2:30 half marathon provided by the Seattle Green Lake Running Group

Beat the Bridge 8k

Fri, 26 May 2023 17:35:34 GMT

We had a fundraising team for Beat the Bridge last weekend, and all ran very well (and we all beat the bridge!) Lucky for us, the temperatures cooled down just in time for a more pleasant experience on the fun 8k course that started outside of Husky Stadium, wandered across the Montlake and University Bridge (which goes up 20 minutes after the last runner crosses the start line) and finished inside Husky Stadium. We also are closing in on our fundraising goal in support of curing Type 1 Diabetes. You can still add to our total here!

The Eugene Marathon & Half Marathon Recap

Sat, 06 May 2023 21:21:12 GMT

Several members of the club headed down to Eugene for the Eugene Marathon & Half Marathon April 30, which starts next to the historic Hayward Field premise and finishes inside the new stadium. It attracts over 5000 participants, which include past and future Olympians, among recreational, and sub-elite runners from all over the world. It was a cool drizzly morning, the course had changed slightly from previous years, adding some hills, arguably making it more difficult than before. Nonetheless, we saw some awesome times by our runners!

Marathon	Time	Highlights
Sophia Liu	2:44:56	Perfectly executed! 7th woman
Randi Huo	3:25:32	Ran w/ Molly. Hung on and grinded through
Molly Ha	3:26:56	Ran w/ Randi. Stuck to it despite not feeling great
Mike Rossi	2:35:50	Strong finishing kick and 14 minute PR!
Jordan Andersen	2:40:04	Paced Women's Olympic Time Qualifier for 22 miles
Adam Schroeder	2:44:56	Paced Sophia
Gabi Kliot	2:46:21	Paced Sophia for 22 miles, stuck to it to claim 1st AG!
Stanley Chen	3:06:58	Grinded through to snag over a minute off PR!
Ben Ha	3:58:44	First marathon!

Half Marathon	Time	Highlights
Tanya Wicht	2:19:21	Very evenly paced!
Zach Fung	1:18:51	Less than a minute from a half marathon PR!
Steve Harris	1:26:15	CNW runner. Just joined us. Welcome to LSRC!

We apologize if we missed you or if there are any errors. If you ran and would like to be added or removed from this list, or would like to make a correction, please email us with your request at board@lakesammamishrunclub.org

Challenge Complete!

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 20:00:00 GMT

The results for the Challenge Northwest New Year Challenge are in and official! We accumulated 9182 miles among 46 participants for a commanding first place in team total miles, and second place in team average miles per person (199.6 miles). Outstanding! And thanks to all you participants and the amazing performance of the team, we have elected to donate a cent per mile to the charity the challenge supported. That's an additional $91.82 to KidVantage, formerly known as Eastside Baby Corner!

Bridle Trails Winter Festival

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 20:00:00 GMT

We had a wonderful time fielding two six person 50k relay teams at the Bridle Trails Winter Festival over the weekend and congrats to Molly Ha doing six loops enroute to her second 50k in a personal best time!

Board Elections

Fri, 30 Dec 2022 19:19:47 GMT

It's election time. If you are a full member, please login and vote for our board candidates! You can see their statements here and at the bottom of the page is a link to the poll.

LSRC Makes a Splash at Club XC Nationals

Tue, 13 Dec 2022 19:14:32 GMT

Literally a splash - Myself and a few (me, Eric, Adam, Jordan, and Stanley (not pictured)) are back from Club XC Nationals and ready to relax and enjoy a bit of the holiday spirit! There are many stories to tell, but to sum it up in a few words, it was more of an experience rather than a race, thanks to extreme wind and rain that forced a last minute course alteration. Questionably fun, but definitely memorable!

Men's Team 3rd at PNTF Championships

Sun, 06 Nov 2022 20:00:00 GMT

It was a cool morning with storms all around, but Lincoln Park was spared of heavy rains. Although we were only able to gather a five person Men's team this year, it was enough to not only score, but claim place 3rd among big name groups, Club Northwest, the Bellingham Distance Project, and Seattle Run Club. We congratulate Randi for representing in the Women's field and Nitin for representing in the Men's Masters field! Full results can be found here.

Twilight Invitational XC Open Race

Sat, 01 Oct 2022 23:00:00 GMT

We had a good turnout at the 15th Annual Twilight Invitational XC Open race where family, friends, fans, and coaches had a chance to show about 500 high school speedsters how it's done (or for them to show us)! This had always been a fun event for some of us who had participated in the past, and this year proved to be no different! Join us for an upcoming XC race this Fall!

Rock n' Roll Cheer Squad!

Sun, 04 Sep 2022 14:00:00 GMT

We knew the reestablished Rock n Roll Half Marathon in Bellevue would be a hilly one, so a cheer squad on the longest hill couldn't have been more helpful for all the runners! Congrats to everyone who tackled those hills and completed the race!

Community 5k with Redmond High School!

Mon, 29 Aug 2022 05:17:15 GMT

We had a solid outing at this community event put on by Redmond High to kick off the Cross Country season! The course (which is the same each year) was challenging, featuring a variety of surfaces with lots of twists and turns, but was fun for everyone. Great job everybody! We're still looking for more Women & 40+ Men to fill our team, so if you're interested in the upcoming races

so if you're interested in ANY of the upcoming events, please "register" (registration does not commit you to anything or cost anything)

XC Season

Sun, 14 Aug 2022 23:53:48 GMT

LSRC will be participating in a series of cross country races throughout the fall, and we'd love to have you join one of our teams (Women's and Men's Open, as well as Women's and Men's Master's - that's right we hope to have a healthy pool of Masters runners of 40+. 50+, and 60+ plus)! While there is NO requirement for experience or ability level to join our teams and participate in any of the races, we do ask that you bring a competitive attitude and a commitment to do your best! Cross Country (XC) running is a long standing team sport that is common in schools, colleges, and running clubs all over the US and other countries! For this season there will be some casual races and some competitive races where we will be competing against other run clubs in the area for prize money.

How XC works

This race will be fairly similar to a traditional road or trail race with a few exceptions.

The start line will be very wide such that every team will be able to line up evenly. LSRC will have a designated “box” for all of our athletes to start in. This makes for a very exciting early stage to the race as runner jockey for position!

Team scoring: Teams can have up to 8 members. The cumulative overall placement of the five fastest runners on each team will serve as the team score. Lowest sum of the first five positions ranks the highest. Importantly, this means you can only help the team by participating. No need to worry if you feel like you aren't fast or are inexperienced.

Schedule

Our tentative schedule is:

August 27: Coach Villeneuve Community Run 5k. Hartman Park, Redmond. Casual

September 24: WWU Bill Roe Classic, Bellingham (if enough interest). Competitive

October 1 (pm): Twilight Invitational 5k. Cedarcrest Golf Course, Marysville. Casual

October 8 (am): Emerald City Open, Magnuson Park, Seattle. Competitive

October 8 (pm): Hole in the Wall. Lakewood High School, Arlington. Casual

November 6: PNTF. Lincoln Park, Seattle. Competitive

November 19: PNTF Regionals, Magnuson Park, Seattle. Competitive

December 10: USATF Club Nationals, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Competitive

The casual meets are unscored and bring a variety of runners. The last 3 meets have team scoring and require uniform (LSRC Jersey) and USATF membership ($40/year). You are not obligated to attend all of the meets.

Registration

The club will handle registering members for the events and cover the costs of doing so. Some meets do require individual USATF membership ($40/year). We will provide more details on that once the schedule has been determined. For now, simply register for this event on the LSRC website to indicate interest. One of our team captains will be in touch as the season draws near.

Please note that you must be a Full Member of LSRC to receive all of the amenities that LSRC can offer for XC. Some events will require you to wear a club singlet to be counted for team scoring. These are available for purchase although we may provide the option to borrow one for the race on a case by case basis

Race for the Pies

Mon, 04 Jul 2022 19:08:12 GMT

Congrats to all of our Run for the Pies & Pints finishers! What started out to a little damp from the rain on Sunday turned into great day for running and a post-race celebration. Age group categories were very competitive this year for the second time running the R shaped Remlinger Farm course featuring a mix of terrain, but it didn't stop many of us from claiming pie!

Big Backyard 5k Results

Tue, 07 Jun 2022 18:49:15 GMT

Team photos from today's BBY5k! Didn't quite capture the entire team but we took 1st place for teams! Congrats Molly Sords for taking the top overall Women's spot, Jordan Andersen and Paul Young for finishing in the top 5 overall, and Peter Averill for a new PR! Great job everyone despite some very unfavorable rainy conditions out there today (luckily not during the race itself).

Full results here

Lake Sammamish Half Results

Sun, 06 Mar 2022 07:47:18 GMT

It was a beautiful day for racing today and that was certainly reflected in the results! It was a strong showing by our members and friends at this year's Lake Sammamish Half Marathon:

Nitin Bhardwaj	1:25:53
Molly Sords	1:28:11	2nd AG / 10th OA
Zach Fung	1:18:04	PR!
Jamie Miller	1:30:03
Guanyu Wang	1:26:38
Ryan Annis	1:22:08	PR!
Andrew Ruchames	1:39:35	PR!
David Anderson	1:44:35	PR! - 2nd AG
Jason Hect	1:16:07	PR! - 2nd AG
Chris Vo	1:13:13	PR! - 7th OA - 2nd AG
Shawn Pearce	1:49:14	PR!
Brigg Thorp	2:04:37

Winter Grand Prix Race #3 Results

Sun, 16 Jan 2022 00:16:07 GMT

Congratulations to our Winter Grand Prix Participants today! PRs were set by many and a good time was had by all.

2 Mile Race Results
Chris Vo	10:02
Eric Gentry	10:22
Zach Fung	10:54
Jamie Miller	11:58
Nitin Bhardwaj	12:13
Joy Chan	14:36
Jenn Rozler	14:55
David Anderson	15:07

Race #4 will also be virtual and LSRC will put on a support session for that as well.

Bridle Trails Relay Results

Mon, 10 Jan 2022 01:08:04 GMT

LSRC fielded two relay teams and two individual 50k runner this years Bridle Trails Relay.

50k
Paul Young - 1st Place Overall!	3:22:59.21
Rob Muñoz - PR!	5:23:16.41

Relay
LSRC Spring warriors	3:52:28.52
LSRC Winter Warriors	4:06:11.1

CIM Results

Mon, 06 Dec 2021 01:31:54 GMT

LSRC had a great showing at the California International Marathon this weekend

Paul Young - PR!	2:27:30
Eric Gentry - PR!	2:36:52
Jordan Andersen	2:41:52
Zach Fung - PR!	2:49:39
Susan Jia	3:12:06
Randi Huo - PR!	3:13:58
Kasia Kaplinska - First Marathon!	4:58:19
Brian Houck	4:58:20

PNTF XC Regionals Results

Sun, 07 Nov 2021 21:49:22 GMT

Congratulations to all the participants in LSRC's inaugural XC season. We were able to put together two scoring teams at the PNTF Regionals which is no small feet for a club in it's first year.

Women's 6k Results

Men's 10k Results

Twilight XC Invitational Recap

Sat, 23 Oct 2021 00:50:03 GMT

We had what I shall say a very XC-iting time at the Twilight XC Invitational All Comers race today! Next week is Hole In The Wall (for reals there is actually a wall with a hole in it on the course). If you're interested in joining, check out the event in the events tab!e.

New Year Challenge Signup Open

Wed, 06 Oct 2021 00:55:39 GMT

Running every day in January sounds fun, right? We did amazing last year and made it through some dark days of Winter as a team.

Please use this link to sign up for the Lake Sammamish Run Club team: https://www.rcm.nu/4316e

What is this?

It's where we raise money for Eastside Baby Corner, compete against other teams, and make January just a little more fun.

The goal is to walk or run every day in January. At least one mile a day outside gets your name on the back of the shirt/hoodie.