Wyoming Valley Striders hold annual informal New Year’s Day run – Wilkes Barre Times-Leader

WILKES-BARRE — A long-standing tradition for many in the area’s running community, the Wyoming Valley Striders ushered in the new year with the club’s 38th annual Informal New Year’s Day Run inside Kirby Park on Sunday.

A large crowd hit the trail inside the park this year, continuing a trend that Striders member Linda Wojnar-Krasnavage said has really blossomed in recent years.

“It has grown over the years, there used to be just a few members that would show up,” Wojnar-Krasnavage said. “I think social media (helped), and people would hear about it and want to show up.”

The Striders, a local nonprofit founded in 1975, will participate and host several marquee races over the course of 2023, as they have in years’ past.

The New Year’s Day run, however, is less about racing and setting a time, and more about enjoying the day and enjoying the company of others.

“It’s more of a social run,” Wojnar-Krasnavage said. “Runners in this area are so social, it’s such a great community.”

Sunday’s run was open to Striders members and non-members alike, and those interested in signing up with the Striders were able to pay their dues and join the club right there in Kirby Park.

Before the run got started, many of the runners were deep in conversations with one another, already leaning into the afternoon’s social aspect.

“It’s a beautiful day, you actually get to talk with the other runners,” said Patty Phillips-Pavlock, of Hanover Township. “It’s a great way to start the new year.”

Like a large portion of Sunday’s runners, Phillips-Pavlock had just participated in the previous day’s Back Mountain Trail 5K.

“And that was a great way to end the old year,” she quipped.

Phillips-Pavlock boasts a wealth of experience running marathons and distance races; she’s run all 25 Steamtown Marathons, one of only seven runners to do so.

Carmella DePippa had also run the Back Mountain 5K on Saturday, but the Berwick native didn’t just stop there: she actually ran three races on New Year’s Eve, before joining the group in Kirby Park on New Year’s Day.

“It’s a social run, there’s no pressure here,” DePippa said.

Other runners, such as Nanticoke resident Brenda Bartlett, weren’t quite as experienced; Bartlett said she took up running a couple of years ago as a way of rehabbing from a couple of knee injuries.

“It’s frustrating to be patient,” she said of her experience waiting to recover from her injuries.

At 12 p.m. sharp, the group made their way inside the park for the customary group photo. Once that bit of business was handled, the word was given and the runners took off, some looking to set a good pace for themselves and others just looking for a nice, leisurely run.

When asked about what she was looking forward to most, Bartlett gestured up toward the clear blue sky.

“Fresh air and sunshine,” she said.