On Dec. 8, the Nittany Valley Half-Marathon hosted its 40th annual race, boasting 442 total finishers. The 13.1 mile course began and finished on the Penn State campus at the Snider Ag Arena. After the race, runners could enter the arena, which was stocked with beverages and snacks.
The course tours through Houserville and Spring Creek, and is a challenge, with a steep 2-mile climb towards the finish.
“It’s pretty hilly,” senior Sterling Kocher said, who completed the half for his second year. “You’re going to start off pretty fast, but once you hit the first couple of hills, you settle into your pace pretty quickly.”
In addition, volunteers were spaced at hydration stations roughly every three miles. “I think they did a great job with the whole organization–before the race, during the race, and after,” science teacher Doug Schunk said. Schunk completed the half for the 11th year in a row, running with State High fitness center coach Diane Swauger.
The Nittany Half also supports the organization Centre Volunteers in Medicine, or CVIM. The free clinic provides access to primary and preventative medical and dental care to underserved community members.
“CVIM, they’ve been around for a long, long time, and they do some incredible work for people that need it,” Schunk said. “So knowing that, you know, it’s not just going to some random place that I’ve never heard of, but knowing it’s going to CVIM and now it’s going to help people out that need medical care, that really helped.”
Runners put in a lot of preparation before the race. “You need to start off slow [in training], so work your way up from three to four miles, and then maybe the next week, four to five miles…so on until you hit 10 miles,” Kocher said. “One of the biggest things is just learning how to run without ever stopping.”
Senior Hayden Kissell also completed the half, and advised fellow runners on training for the race. “If you’re doing the Nittany half, definitely train some lifting along with your running, because there’s a lot of hills, and you want to protect your knees,” Kissell said.
Shunk’s advice concerned the mental aspect of the race. “Make sure to enjoy it,” Schunk said. “I mean, you paid to run it…I saw a couple of my students running it, and they’re like, ‘Oh, I won’t be as fast as you.’ I’m like, ‘It doesn’t matter. You’re still doing 13 miles.’”
Those 13 miles proved to be a challenge for many runners. “I probably ate a little too much beforehand and I probably didn’t drink enough during the race, so I had a pretty big headache afterward,” Kocher said.
Despite this, Kocher went on to share his greatest success. “I didn’t stop. I didn’t stop last year, and I ran continuously this year…that was probably my biggest motivation from the race,” Kocher said.
For Kissell, her motivation was found in the support of her friends and race spectators. “People I know made posters for me…which was very sweet,” Kissell said. “And even people I didn’t know [were cheering me on]; it just felt like such a good community.”
For friends and family of runners, the half is a big attraction. Senior Sophia Reutzel attended the race, supporting her teammates with handmade signs. “[Running a half marathon] is just a huge deal, so being there for the people I love, and just random people–it brings me a lot of joy to see that kind of work coming to fruition,” Reutzel said.
For more information on the Nittany Valley Half-Marathon, as well as a donation link to CVIM, click here.
