On Saturday, December 7, the Pennsylvania Randonneurs gathered for their 2024 grand finale, featuring a 200K brevet and a festive holiday soirée. Both events were organized and hosted by the ever-gracious Iwan Barankay.
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| Organizer Iwan Barankay gives final instructions before the start (photo by Mike Riley) |
Ride Participation and Results
The Welsh Tract Wander 200K saw 33 participants at the start, with 29 riders (including 3 pre-riders) successfully finishing the course—a solid 88% completion rate. Preliminary results have been posted to the website for review. If you spot any discrepancies, please let us know before results are submitted to RUSA for final verification.
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| Ben Keenan and Jakub Piven make their way through the city (photo by Matt McCloone) |
Chilly Morning Start
The day began at Café chez Iwan, where riders gathered on a frosty morning to enjoy donuts, slices of stollen, and camaraderie. With winter temperatures arriving suddenly in the Philadelphia region, gear strategy became a hot topic of discussion. Riders shared their approaches to cold-weather layering, with some later admitting they overdressed, leading to challenges with sweat and chills. Overall, though, most managed to stay warm throughout the ride.
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| Daniel Oh won the Most Visible Rider Award |
Congratulations to First-Time Finishers
Special kudos to Tibor Barankay (age 17!), Katie Bishop, Stacie Brunner, and Joe Doherty, who completed their first brevets. Tackling a challenging ride like this in winter conditions is no small feat and earns them extra respect in the randonneuring community.
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| Riders stick together as they make their way out of Center City (photo by Matt McCloone) |
A time-proven strategy to finish a tough route in adverse conditions is to team up with a fellow rider. This helped Simona Dwass and Stacie Brunner as well as Nigel Greene and George Swain to complete the brevet. Bravo!
Weather and Route Highlights
As the day progressed, temperatures crept above freezing, but riders faced stiff winds in the open countryside west of Cochranville. Fortunately, the route turned north and east after that stretch, sparing riders a full day of headwinds. Riders knew the real milestone was reaching Phoenixville around mile 100, where the remainder of the ride promised an easier spin along the Schuylkill River Trail (SRT).
Festive Finish
Most riders finished after nightfall but were welcomed back warmly to Café chez Iwan for the end-of-year holiday soirée. Finishers and friends shared stories of their day over drinks, snacks, and a hearty vegan chili, enjoying the chance to relax after a chilly but rewarding adventure.
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| Ride finisher Nova Patch and volunteer extraordinaire Ulli Barankay |
A Look Back at 2024
This event capped a productive and memorable year for the Pennsylvania Randonneurs. The 2024 calendar included a populaire (154K), eleven 200Ks, an SR series (200K, 300K, 400K, & 600K), and a grand brevet (1234K). Thank you to everyone who participated or volunteered—you made this year a success.
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| Tracey Hinder proudly displays her SR Series medals (photo by Iwan Barankay) |
During the post-ride soiree, RBA Chris Nadovich presented SR Series finishers with their medals, which were beautifully arranged on a commemorative plaque celebrating their achievement. Michael Evangelista actually earned his PA SR Series by completing this 200K. Congratulations to all SR Series finishers for their dedication and hard work throughout the year!
Thank You to the Volunteers
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to making this event a success. Tibor and Iwan Barankay, along with Brad Layman, completed a pre-ride to ensure the new route was ready and safe for the day. Iwan and his wife Ulli went above and beyond by graciously opening their home to the club for the entire event, providing a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Chris Nadovich and George Retseck were on hand to greet finishers and make the end of the ride feel celebratory.
Special thanks also go to the friends who joined us at the soirée to support the riders and contribute to the festive spirit, even if they couldn’t ride that day. Your presence and contributions are deeply appreciated!
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| Riders shared stories and warmed up with vegan chili at Cafe chez Iwan |
Ben Keenan writes:
This ride was a certifiable butt freezer (which somehow made it all the better). If anyone heard me on the course whining and complaining and/or inventing new suggested names for “Pumpkin Hill,” I hereby (from the warmth of my office) retract the comments! Thanks to everyone that shared the miles, especially those that traveled to be there. Special thanks to Brad for another thoughtfully designed and beautiful course and to Iwan for another great soiree and vegan stew (five stars from the team of reviewers!). Everyone enjoy the holidays and hope to see you on a ride soon!
George Swain writes:
Thanks again for hosting a great event at your place. I loved the ride - please pass that along to Brad - and the party was great fun. Looking forward to seeing you down the road. I'll definitely be back for more PA Rando rides in 2025.
Mike Riley writes:
Thank you for organizing a fantastic ride. See you in January.
Looking Ahead to 2025
The new year kicks off with a 200K brevet on January 4, 2025. Details are available on the club website, and registration is now open for this ride, as well as the February brevet. The full 2025 ride calendar has also been posted, so mark your dates!
Thank you for a fantastic year, and we’ll see you on the road in 2025!
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