137 runners and walkers took part in the inaugural Pittston Patriot Classic 5K Walk/Run on Saturday morning in Downtown Pittston.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Proud mom Holly Fitch, left, a Pittston native, takes a photo of her daughter, Paige Fitch, 13, of Mountain Top, in front of the American Flag backdrop at the conclusion of the Pittston Patriot Classic 5K race. The Crestwood 8th grader finished first in her age division.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
The first overall female winner, Kira Pomrinke, of Dallas, glances at the timing clock as she finishes in the first annual Pittston Patriot Classic 5K race on Saturday.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
20-year-old Daniel Danilovitz of Moosic had no problems handling the hill sections of the 5K race course on Saturday morning.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Pittston Patriot 5K Classic Walk/Run volunteers Brooke Kroptavich, left, and Jessica Matushek sold t-shirts prior to the inaugural race.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
PITTSTON — The inaugural Patriot 5K Classic Walk/Run kicked off on Fourth of July morning with 137 participants registered in an attempt to beat the day’s heat in Downtown Pittston with proceeds benefitting Pittston’s Shop with a Cop charity.
The 5K race is a challenging course with difficult hills at the end, but neither the heat nor the hills affected the overall winner, 20-year-old Daniel Danilovitz, a former Riverside High School track star now a junior at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Danilovitz, who turned 20 four days before race day, was looking forward to running at the Pittston Patriot 5K Classic.
Dallas’ Kira Pomrinke was the overall female winner, crossing the finish line at 22:48.
“This is really cool, and I’m always happy to do well in these races, and it’s a great way to train myself over summer before the cross-country season starts back up (in the fall),” Danilovitz remarked. “It’s a pretty hilly course, but I’ve grown up around here, and I do a lot of hills, and doing the hills really helps me prepare for the courses I see for the 8Ks and 10Ks I see during the season.”
Event organizer and owner of NEPA Racing.com, Dave Bass, has been running racing events in Northeast Pennsylvania for many years and was looking for an event to put together in the City of Pittston.
“I’ve known (Pittston mayor) Mike Lombardo for a number of years, and I think he’s one of the most forward-thinking mayors/business persons in this area,” Bass said. “He’s done a fantastic job with the downtown area, and I wanted to do something at Pittston for a long time, and when America 250 hit, I thought we should do something in Downtown Pittston.”
Mayor Lombardo is always looking for new opportunities in his city and was more than happy when Dave Bass presented the idea of a 5K race around the Fourth of July.
“First and foremost, I’d like to wish everyone a Happy 250 and Happy Fourth of July, and make sure we focus on the real reason for this day,” Lombardo said. “Aside from that, we have a race going on here in the City of Pittston, which is another opportunity to highlight the progress we made and push out in front the concept of community and volunteerism, and that is why we get things done.”
Lombardo acknowledged all the events and races being held on the morning of the Fourth of July, adding that perhaps in the future the day and date of the event would change, but was happy to have the inaugural coincide with the nation’s 250th birthday.
“This time of the year is a warm-up for the (Tomato) festival, so I think this could be another good run for the city,” Lombardo added.
“I want more people to run, and I want to raise money for local charities,” Bass added. “If Mike wants to do a twilight race on the Fourth of July or the eve before, I’m fine with that too. If we can get more people downtown and if we can raise more money for charities, and more people running, that’s what makes me happy.”
Paige Fitch, a 13-year-old from Mountain Top, participated in the event, a first for her, running the 5K course at Pittston. She finished first in her Female 14 & Under category with a time of 25:26.
“My coach suggested a 5K to do, and I wanted to do this one,” Fitch, an eighth-grade member of the Crestwood track team, said. “There were a lot of hills, but it was okay, and I feel good about it.”
Fitch said she looks forward to racing more events at Pittston, including the upcoming Tomato Festival 5K in August.
Race winner Danilovitz was not the only member of his Moosic, PA, family to run the 5K, his father and mother Jeff and Kris also participated.
Both Jeff and Kris finished first in their 50-59 age group.
This race really captured my family’s attention, because we like to do a race on the Fourth of July, it’s a great family tradition and a great way to celebrate the holiday,” Daniel Danilovitz said.
