Butler Road Race returns Saturday
The Butler Road Race is back — not that it ever really went away.
The 46th running of the BRR — consisting of a 5-mile and 2k race — begins at 9 a.m. Saturday at Diamond Park in downtown Butler.
Last year's race was done virtually, with approximately 200 runners participating. No awards were presented and no winners were declared.
“Last year's event was all about health, well-being and keeping people active,” said Jill Zoria, the Butler Family YMCA's Director of Marketing Strategy and Development. “Everyone received T-shirts and ran their own courses.
“It was a wash (in terms of raising money), but it kept the race going. We didn't want to go a year without having it.”
The Butler Road Race — run by the Butler Y in recent years — is the longest active annual road race in Pennsylvania.
Entry fee is $30 for the 5-mile, $25 for the 2k, $10 for the kids 2k and 5-mile. All proceeds benefit the Butler Y's annual Support Campaign.
“The Suppprt Campaign benefits all of the free programs and services we offer at the Y,” Zoria said. “Those programs help youths, adults, senior citizens, veterans, everybody.
“Our youth mentoring program, which has 70 youths involved, receives its funding through the Support Campaign, as an example.”
Zoria said the Y is hopeful of raising $10,000 for the Support Campaign through this year's race. The organization's goal is to raise $450,000 for the Support Campaign overall in 2021.
Close to 400 runners have registered for the BRR already. That number is expected to climb in the days leading up to the race.
Day-of-race registration begins at 7:30 a.m. at Diamond Park. Pre-registered runners may pick up their race packets in the Butler Y lobby from noon to 6 p.m. Friday.
“We will have a DJ on-site playing music to help make the race a fun atmosphere,” Zoria said. “There will not be a post-race party this year, however.
“Coming off the pandemic, we don't want to keep all those people there for a couple of hours after the race.”
Zoria estimates there will be more than 500 people milling about Diamond Park just prior to the race.
With the timing system able to determine winning times in male and female age categories almost immediately, award presentations will take place on the spot, moments after the respective winners cross the finish line.
“The winners will receive their certificate, have their photo op, then can be on their way,” Zoria said. “The plus side of that will be winners won't have to wait around for an hour or more to get their awards.”
The streets of downtown Butler should be reopened by 11 a.m., Zoria added.
Many longtime runners and multiple champions of the BRR have already registered for Saturday's race.
Dave Convery, the lone wheelchair participant in the race over the past few years, will start out on the course at 8:55 a.m. He will also deliver the opening prayer to begin the event.
Nick Edinger, 29, of Mars, has won the men's portion of the BRR 5-Mile four conseciutive years. Becca Pennington, a Karns City graduate who completed her junior track and field season at Chatham University this spring, was the female 5-Mile champion in 2019.
Jack Taciuch, a Moniteau graduate, and Butler High School student Samantha Cornell were the BRR 2k champions, respectively, in 2019.
“The Butler Road Race is filled with tradition and we're proud to be able to keep it going,” Zoria said. “It's a great event in our community, where we all love to live and work.”
