Training and Competition for Young and Old

There are two sets of weekly All-Comer's track meets, one for Middle School kids through adults, the other for younger children. Neither is directly sponsored by the Nittany Valley Running Club, but Club members usually lend a hand timing and officiating. Both series are low-key community events that attract a range of participants. There are worse ways to spend a summer evening! There is no charge to participate.

Kid's All-Comer's Races. These are held WEDNESDAY NIGHTS from ealy June through the beginning of August. They are run at the State College High School track, behind the South Building. The meets are for boys and girls ages 5-12. Registration begins at 5:30. Events start at 6:00 PM SHARP!. Events are free of charge. In case of rain, call 231-3071 for cancellation info. Parents and spectators are often enlisted to help time and judge events, which include Softball Toss, Long Jump, 50 Meter Dash, 100 Meter Dash, 200 Meter Run, and 1 Mile Run (11 &12 years only) . For more information, go to: http://www.nvrun.com/all-comers.html.

General All-Comer's Races. These are generally held on several TUESDAY NIGHTS in July. The Nittany Spiked Shoe meets for Middle School through Masters runners are held at the Penn State track. They are also free of charge. Sign-up starts at 6:00 and the meets start at 6:15 sharp. More information will be posted as soon as it becomes available. Events include all the traditional outdoor running events, including 100 through 400 meter sprints, 800 through 3200 meter middle distance races, and hurdles and relays. Most field events can also be run, depending on the interest of those who attend. For more information, go to http://www.nvrun.com/all-comers.html. We received word late this spring that the meets will not go on this year (2008). See linked page for more information.

Every fall, the Nittany Valley Running Club and Centre Region Parks and Recreation holds a series of Youth Cross-Country races. The races are free and for children 14 and under. The distances range from 2 kilometers for kids 8 and under to 4 kilometers for kids aged 13 to 14. More information can be found at the Youth Cross Country page.

Nittany Track & Field is a non-profit club that will offer track and field training and competition that is suited to all levels of ability and experience. The club and coaches will encourage you to set personal goals and develop discipline and techniques needed to reach those goals. Club objectives are to foster a positive, fun, and supportive atmosphere for training. Athletes will have the opportunity to compete in their age division at local all-comers, Hershey, and / or AAU and USATF sanctioned meets. The Club is open to boys and girls, age 8 – 18 years. Athletes participating with middle and high school track will not be allowed to participate until their school season is complete. PIAA rules will be followed. Go to for http://www.nvrun.com/nittany-tf.html details

The Nittany Valley Running Club holds an Indoor Mile Series every winter in conjunction with Penn State Indoor Track Meets. The Indoor Miles are the first event at each of the meets, which are held at the Horace Ashenfelter III Multi-Sport Facility. The Indoor Miles are free and open to all members of the Nittany Valley Running Club except High School students (due to NCAA recruiting rules). You can sign up for NVRC membership ($6) at each meet. You can find out more information about the series on the Indoor Mile Series web pages. The Indoor Mile Series is a great way to keep your speed training on schedule during the long winter months. The races give you goals to shoot for. We generally get a wide range of ages, experience, and talent, with times in any race ranging from under 4:30 to over 8:00. So don't by shy!

Thursdays are track days for a small group of men and women. This is not a formal thing -- the exact workout depends on who's there (usually numbering from fifteen to thirty) and what they feel like doing -- but the group is very reliable about showing up. A typical workout might be something like six 400 meter intervals at 70-90 seconds, or a 400-600-800-600-400 pyramid, or laps that include 100m striders, with folks doing more or less, faster or slower. You can read more in Marty Mazur's Thursday Track Crew page. We even got covered in the Centre Daily Times!

If this appeals to you, meet under the Rec Hall bleachers at noon, or show your face at the Penn State outdoor track (indoors in winter, at the new Multi-Sport Facility) around 12:20 or so on Thursdays. Say "hey!"