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THE PAGODA PACERS A.C. PRESENTS ONE HAM-ONGOUS SIZED TRAIL RUN WHERE YOU COULD BE FREEZING YOUR SAUSAGE OFF OR BACON IN THE SUN; THE 18TH ANNUAL
MT. PENN MUDFEST
15k Trail Run, Sat, April 7, 2012 (day before Easter)
10 AM-Reading, PA-Limited to First 800 Entries
"ONE OF TOP 10 TRAIL RACES NEW TRAIL RUNNERS MUST DO"- Oct/10 Issue: Runner's World
“ONE OF THE 5 U.S. TRAIL RACES YOU MUST DO”- Nov/00 Issue: Runner's World
“ONE OF THE TOP 21 TRAILS RACES IN THE U.S.”- Oct/98 Issue: Runner’s World
“ONE OF THE TOP 6 TRAIL RACES IN THE U.S."- Fall/98 Issue: Men’s Journal
“A GOOD SHOT AT A GREAT TIME; REGARDLESS OF THE SEASON"- May/07 Issue: Poachers Weekly
A Pagoda Pacer Event- entry thru www.pretzelcitysports.com ONLY
No Race Day Entry/No Waiting List/No Bribery (unless it involves candy, massages or Eagle tickets)
Race Held in Memory of Fellow Pacer & Race Co-Director Bill Bradley
One of the great unsolved medical mysteries to this day is why some of the thousands of highly educated minds that enter med school each year decide to spend the rest of their working days in the field of Proctology. Those becoming Dermatologists probably struggled with skin issues in their teens, those becoming Oncologists may have lost a loved one to cancer and those entering Pediatrics, when asked about kids, often reply "I just love ‘em". Discarding this last general "reason" as "why" people become Proctologists, what could possible motivate a person to spend the next 30+ years in latex gloves and globs of KY Jelly, elbow-deep in the tight Southern chambers of a person looking North?? Could it be that these folks are social introverts that can’t deal with people face to face? Or are they mesmerized by fellow physicians' tales of the amazing array of objects that have been found in such cavities, even in folks not trying to smuggle weapons into jail? Are they self-deprecating individuals that welcome being the lifelong butt of jokes? Or are they wise soles that just want to be able to enjoy their Filet & cocktails in public for the rest of their lives without someone walking up to them and saying "Hey, Doc. Can you look at this?" No such mystery exists, however, about why people enter the “field” of the Mt Penn Mudfest. To this day, this Pagoda Pacer event remains the 3rd largest rustic trail run in North America & the largest rustic trail run East of Pike's Peak. Why do people go "hog wild" for the Mudfest? Could be the highly prized pig-themed awards that go 5-7 deep in most cases, the pig-themed door prizes & tech shirts, the stuffed pig blasted into space to start the race, the post race spread where you can pig out on both hot and cold food or the "hams" that man the course/unique aide stations in the race. Or could it be the Easter eggs hidden on trail that earn you a door prize, the chance to carry a raw egg & win Godiva chocolate, the creative means of recognizing Clydesdales and Clydettes (those that have porked up a little more than other runners) or even the barely-live band that plays there each year? Could it even be the rocks and roots, uphills & downhills and single/double track trails that make up our beautiful wooded run? Regardless of what it is, each year, runners from 20-25 states fill the 800 spots available for the event almost 30-45 days before race day. It’s been that way for the last 13 yrs. so ENTER TODAY!! IMPORTANT FACT: Pending rules being looked at by Berks Co. Parks & Rec may make certain parts of the current course no longer available. The bad news here is that the prettiest part of the course, the lake area and the 4 water crossings, will probably have to be eliminated plus the distance of the course, 15k, may change before raceday. The good news is that ALSO eliminated will be the almost 1.5 miles of continuous uphill starting at mile 5. Our regrets for the first course change in 12 years but the decision is out of our hands. Legal Lingo: YOU RACE AT YOUR OWN RISK, you alone are responsible for your well being while here! The course will have more marks on it than a heavy metal guitarist's arm but if you are so directionally challenged that you STILL get lost, find your way back to the start before May. Same goes with injuries. EMS's will there but they'd rather work on one of the raw eggs that get "cracked" than people with the same plight plus it is your responsibility to get to an aide station or road crossing so we can bring you in. This race can be a tuffy at places so entry is closed to 1) runners below 18 (can be 16 or 17 IF a parent or guardian is present-no proof and you're screwed 2) anyone who dresses in a “snuggie” while company is present and 3) anyone who believes that any of the “real housewives” on the multiple TV shows with that name are actually a “real” housewife. WALKERS-NOTE! While we respect your desire to see the course, we can’t ask staff to stay at their posts for 30 extra minutes for the benefit of only 2-3. Entrants should run at least half the course, at worst. Folks getting to the 6.5M aide station after 2 hrs may be asked to end their run at that point (is less than 50 ft from finish).
Awards: Much-sought-after pig adorned awards to overall M/F 1st thru 3rd and Masters M/F winners plus:
18-29: 7M, 5F 30-39: 7M, 5F 40-49: 7M, 5F 50-59: 7M, 5F 60-69: 5M, 3F 70+: 2M, 1 F
Also, Both Open Clydesdales/Clydettes & Master Clydesdales/Clydettes (40 & over) Awards: 1-5th Male & 1-3rd Female in both (not eligible for age group awards). Men: your weight (in lbs.) divided by your height (in inches) must be at least 2.7 lbs./inch. Women: same formula but your “min” is 2.15 lbs./inch. This method stops the "buff but big's" from taking these awards from the more "StayPuff Marshmallow-like" entries. Sign up is on race day only, honor system but know your weight.
Registration/Packet Pickup: Race starts at 10 A.M at Rotary Park, List Rd., just off Angora Rd. (near the Pagoda) in Reading (MAPQUEST: Use intersect of Angora and List Rds. GPS-AHOLICS: closest home-4 List Rd, Reading, PA 19606). All packet pickup occurs that morning and pickup opens at 8:30. NO RACE DAY ENTRY! NO WAITING LIST! MUST REGISTER ONLINE AT WWW.PRETZELCITYSPORTS.COM ; OPENS JAN 1, 2011 at 12:01 AM & CLOSES WHEN WE REACH 800 RUNNERS OR BY MIDNIGHT, MARCH 28TH, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST (check pretzelcitysports.com home page regularly to see if limit was reached). If you have never been on the Internet and don’t know anyone who has access to the Internet or still think that the "Internet" is the international police force that finds terrorists, smugglers and bad mimes (is there such a thing as a "good" mime?), call 610-779-2668 for another way to sign up.
Fee: $35 if entered by midnight, 3/14/12, $40 after that until midnight 3/28 or when we hit 800 entries; whichever happens first (NOTE!!-race closed 6 weeks early in 2011). Entry fee refunded (but not service charge) if canceling by 3/14/12, no refund after that. Any substitute you arrange is ok until 4/212 PROVIDING THAT YOU NOTIFY THE RACE DIRECTOR OF THE NEW PERSON'S COMPLETE INFO BY 4/2 AS WELL; ($$$ exchanged is between you & the sub you find & they may be stuck with your shirt “size” & “type”). NO RACE DAY SUBBING-IT SCREWS UP OUR RESULTS! Staff may ask for ID to stop day-of subs. Substitutions or requests for refunds after above cutoffs will be ignored much like movies ignore casting most of the former Saturday Night Live cast members. No “carry overs” to following year; too cumbersome to track.
Your Goodies? NICE TECH SHIRTS!! No ads on shirt, just the famous “running pig” logo, finisher awards for all, snack bar, hot & cold food, 3-4 water stops, medical help on site, nearby parking, on-trail surprises, results on pagodapacers.com about 24-48 hrs & a course where your friends can tell you how bad you look twice without leaving the assembly area (4 times if we count the start & finish)(sorry, no showers). Race is “on” in any kind of weather; NO MAILED SHIRTS OR AWARDS!! NOTE: Rotary Park strictly forbids alcohol, pets, bikes and bratty kids. If you must bring them, please have a tight leash around their necks and muzzle them if needed, especially the kids. And if the Rotary folks ask you to put them back in the car, please comply without any objection, lest we lose this site for future Mudfests.
Directions: FROM PHILLY: DO NOT USE ANY DIRECTIONS THAT INCLUDE THE TURNPIKE, won’t work with these directions: Go to King of Prussia, take 202 S & pick up Rt 422 W from the onramp toward Pottstown; take it past Pottstown to Reading . When you see Target and Giant on your right side, bear right onto Bus Rt. 422W (Mt Penn). **Go 1-2 miles until you pass a Subway & then Arners Restaurant on your right (bright red roof). JUST PAST ARNERS, go right onto Glen Rd (road sign missing, just before start of bridge). When Glen ends, left onto Hill Rd. Take a right past the Park on the right (home of many Pretzel City events) onto Angora Rd. Stay on Angora (stay to right at all time) until your 1st 4-way intersect: List Rd. Go right on List, take 2nd gate on right (Rotary Field; sign is on left).
FROM LANCASTER: Take Rt. 222 N. to Reading, **After passing Mall on left, bear right onto Rt. 422 East toward Pottstown (is also Rt. 222S). Stay on Rt. 422E past Lancaster Ave exit and Rt. 176 South exit until the Mt Penn Exit. Take the exit, go left at the top of ramp. Go to the 3rd light, take left onto Bus Rt. 422W and follow Philly instructs above after the **.
FROM ALLENTOWN: Bus. Rt. 222 S toward Reading (DON’T take new Reading bypass) Go 2 miles thru shopping areas. 200 yards past Pizza Hut & a Loews, go left onto Rt 12 (old Rdg Bypass). Take 2nd exit; Spring Valley Rd. Go right at end of exit. Take 2nd left (past Crab Barn) up Reading’s unique McKnights Gap Rd. Go straight thru stop sign at top to next stop sign 25 yds ahead. Take left and then an immediate hard right up Skyline Dr. Take 1st left on that hill onto List Rd. At next intersect (List & Angola), go straight across; Rotary Park is 2nd gate on right, (sign is on the left).
FROM LEBANON OR COAL REGION: Leb: Take 422 east and follow Lancaster directions above after ** Coal Region: take Rt 61S or Rt 183S to Rt 222S, take RT 222S to 422E, follow Lancaster directions above after **.
FROM GEORGIA, N.C, VIR., ETC: Go north, bear right. FROM VT, NH, MASS, CONN, ETC: Go south, bear right.
Questions? Concerns? Jokes? Contact Primary Porker Ron Horn at rhornpcs@aol.com or at 610-779-2668
App also viewable on www.pagodapacers.com and www.pretzelcitysports.com
Insurance Provided By Road Runner Clubs of America
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