2025 Kennett Run Event Guide by Ad Pro Inc.

The 36th Kennett Run: New 10K course, same traditions and community spirit

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

From the time it began in 1989, the Kennett Run has remained a creative work in progress - an erasable easel of new initiatives and ideas. As it prepares for its 36th race, the Kennett Run Board of Directors does so with the same dedication to providing hundreds of runners with a challenging course, its sponsoring businesses with a handshake in the spirit of thanks and cooperation and the entire community with a never-ending commitment that has provided more than $1.3 million in funding to charitable organizations.

Recently, I met with Kennett Run Race Director John Ramagano and Kennett Run Board Member Sarahi Zamores to discuss the 36th Kennett Run on May 3, the newly designed 10K course, the diversity of the competition, the continuing impact Kennett Run Charities has on the local community, and how much that impact is reciprocated by the people who support the Kennett Run, every year.

Care has become a major sponsor of the Kennett Run, and each bib will have their identity on it. The 10K bibs will be our traditional blue and gold and the 5K bibs will be green.

In addition to the change of course for the 10K, what else can competitors and the community expect to enjoy this year?

John: We’re keeping the high school bands. We’re keeping the school mascots and we’re looking to see even more school involvement this year. We have added Avon Grove Charter School to our groups of schools. For the last few years, we have set up an arrangement that for every person who registers for the race, they will have an option to make a $5 donation to the school their child attends. We’re also giving participants the option of making a $5 donation to the refurbishment of Anson B. Nixon Park.

Sarahi: We’re becoming more conscious of supporting the community, and Anson B. Nixon Park has been very generous to the Kennett Run. It is important for us to include them and give people the opportunity to contribute to the park through the Kennett Run.

Every new year, the Kennett Run introduces a new race element. What can we expect to see that’s new at this year’s race?

John: This year, the new design of the 10K race will be the 5K race, repeated twice. One of the things we’re looking forward to with the 10K’s new course alignment is that it will add some very nice fanfare, because not only will the runners begin their race at the starting line at Anson B. Nixon Park, but they are also going to come right through the starting line again at the 5K mark. It will give those in attendance another chance to celebrate the runners as they begin the second half of their race, and again when they finish their race.

This year, each runner’s bib will be distinctly different in color to distinguish the 5K runners from the 10K runners. Christiana-

Over the past several years, the word among competitive runners is that the Kennett Run is a key event to participate in. Given the fact that that it’s not an easy course, what elements of the race make it attractive to these runners?

John: It’s not an easy course, and maybe this year, it will be even harder for our 10K runners, because for all the elements that are part of the 5K, those elements are now doubled for our 10K runners. The climb to State Street into Kennett Borough will be something a 10K runner will have to do twice, coupled with the fact that the course through the borough has changed a little bit, from Michocana to the new Kennett Square apartment complex.

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Photo by Richard L. Gaw

Kennett Run Race Director John Ramagano and Kennett Run Board Member Sarahi Zamores.

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With the way the old course race was designed, a runner would be 40 minutes into the race along Route 926 and not see many people along the route. With the new course, a runner will begin their race in Anson B. Nixon Park to encouragement from the crowd. They will then run into the borough and there will be people on both sides of the course. There are people all the way up – businesses and communities who embrace us - so to have 10K runners run through it a second time is something we’re trying to capitalize on.

What remains the key mission of the Kennett Run Board of Directors, and a large sense, Kennett Run Charities? It’s a great partnership that involves businesses and the community.

Sarahi: We’re the Kennett Run, but we’re not just a run. Through bringing the community together with the support of our sponsoring agencies, our goal is to help non-profits and ensure that we are creating an event that our community enjoys, supports and that keeps them inspired. We want to create a space for everyone to have fun, to connect with other members of the community and at the same time, to enable them to provide support for the community’s education, its distribution of food and vital services and its access to fitness and activity.

In my tenure as the Race Director, I can’t remember one business owner complaining about having to shut down for a few hours because of the Kennett Run. A great example of this cooperation we enjoy with other businesses is Burton’s Barber Shop on State Street. It’s become part of the Kennett Run tradition to see Bob Burton and the other barbers stand outside the shop and cheer all the runners on.

Thirty-five races. Dozens of Parties in the Park. Thousands of competitors. Thousands of community members gathering along sidewalks and pathways, cheering. More than $1.3 million raised for area organizations. In your words, what makes the Kennett Run so unique?

Sarahi: We are a very special place. Kennett Square is a special town, and its people are as special as they are diverse. What makes the Kennett Run so unique is that we seek to become a representation and extension of this community. It is what has kept so many people, businesses, volunteers, schools and community members supporting the Kennett Run.

I have been on the board for a little more than one year, but coming in as a new board member, I quickly realized what this board does is amazing, and they should feel very proud of the impact that they have made on so many people.

Talk about the impact of the many local businesses who form the supportive backbone to the Kennett Run. Their involvement has become so much more than merely a financial contribution, yes?

Sarahi: We do see the support from our participating businesses. They want to be a part of what this race has come to mean for our community. To them, it’s about their support and being a part of the cheering crowds.

John: We have a strong tradition of long-time sponsoring businesses, and as we begin planning for the next Kennett Run, we love saying, “They’re in again” when we see that they have renewed their sponsorship. What makes it even more fun for us is to see their employees and their owners run the races. When we decided to bring this race back into the borough, it started to create a “festival” kind of feeling. People run our races. They enjoy the festivities with their friends and family in the park after the race, and they walk back into the borough, and I know that businesses appreciate that.

John: Sarahi said it best. “Community” is the key word. I will be at Anson B. Nixon Park at 6 a.m. on a June morning waiting for the Kennett High School track team to show up for practice. Often, I will run into the same man who is jogging around the park. He always wears a Kennett Run shirt, and he has told me, “I’m getting ready for the Run, Coach,” and it makes me feel so good about what we’re doing as a group. You don’t see that in many other places. Our runners wear the Kennett Run t-shirts and they look forward to it, not just a week before, but as much as nine months before the next race.

I am involved in about ten races that are similar to the Kennett Run in size and scope, and none of them feels like this one does. I may not know that man running by me at 6 a.m. and he may not know me, but he knows the Kennett Run, and that’s what separates us from other races in Chester County and in Philadelphia. We are a close community, and I think the Kennett Run is one of the two to three key components of what Kennett Square is now identified by.

Last question. John, you will again serve as the Race Director on May 3. Sarahi, will you be competing this year?

Sarahi: I plan to compete in the PoweRun, and I am currently training to bench press 60 percent of my weight!

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email rgaw@chestercounty.com.

Photo by Veronica Chavez

The popular school mascot race will return to this year’s Kennett Run.

The official sponsor of the 5K race at the Kennett Run

ChristianaCare: Commitment and community in southern Chester County

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

OnMarch 28, 2023, ChristianaCare unveiled its vision to restore needed health care services to the southern Chester County at its new West Grove campus, formerly Jennersville Hospital.

It was a groundbreaking moment, especially in light of the closing of the former hospital the year before that triggered the community’s feelings of abandonment, anger and concern, who suddenly found themselves without a nearby hospital.

Yet, here was ChristianaCare – one of the finest medical care facilities in the world - committing to open a neighborhood hospital that would offer emergency care, behavioral health emergency care and provide diagnostic capabilities including ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), X-ray and laboratory services, an emergency department, and patient access to ChristianaCare’s large network of specialists and support services such as neurology and cardiology.

“We are excited to share our plans to restore important local health care resources to the southern Chester County community,” said Janice Nevin, M.D., MPH, ChristianaCare president and CEO.

“We are committed to our neighbors in southern Chester County for the long-term, serving them as expert, caring partners in their health.”

In the days and weeks that followed the announcement, ChristianaCare did not wrest on the laurels of its formal announcement. Rather, they began knocking on doors, met with local officials, sat down with non-profit agencies and began partnerships throughout southern Chester County. One of those relationships they began was with Kennett Run Charities, and this year, for the second year in a row, they will sponsor the 5K Race at the Kennett Run.

“We are thrilled to support the 5K race at the Kennett Run, because it really aligns with our vision of creating health together so ever person can flourish,” said Pauline Corso, ChristianaCare’s regional executive director, who provides oversight

Photos courtesy of Kennett Run Charities

ChristianaCare sponsored last year’s Kennett Run that included runners and families of all ages.

of the hospital’s presence in southeastern Pennsylvania. “We’re highly committed to the long-term wealth and well-being to all of our neighbors in all the communities we service, including our neighbors southern Chester County. We saw the Kennett Run as an event that supports and benefits the health and well-being not only of the people who are participating but to the broader well-being of the entire community.

“When we think about our vision of not only helping people get healthy but stay healthy and flourish, there is nothing better than events that encourage healthy lifestyles such as 5K runs, fitness challenges and wellness fairs.”

A commitment to everyone

ChristianaCare’s commitment to the neighbors its serves extend far beyond the walls of its medical facilities. The breadth of its Community Health programs is engaged in a variety of areas including women’s health, adolescent health, heart health, obesity, and many other public health priorities. These programs focus on health and wellness, teach consumers to identify health risks, and provide them with strategies to address those risks for themselves and their families. During any given week, it’s a road show of information and prevention, whether it is seen in the Mobile Health Services van at a school or library, the Cancer Outreach Team at a community event, or its multidisciplinary teams that provide services ranging from prevention education and train-the-trainer classes to advocacy and wellness programs.

Since 2019, ChristianaCare’s Community Investment Fund has provided more than $5.6 million to 64 organizations, addressing social, behavioral and environmental health factors. In southern Chester County alone - in addition to its partnership with the Kennett Run - ChristianaCare has sponsored the Penn Township Fall Festival, the Chester County Hot Air Balloon Festival, the Empty Bowls event for Kennett Area Community Service, and recently became a supporter of the Jennersville YMCA.

Corso said that at ChristianaCare’s table at this year’s Kennett Run, it will be filled with hospital staff who live in Kennett Square and West Grove and other towns in southern Chester County who are proud to share information about ChristianaCare.

“That connection is priceless,” she said. “Christiana Care has been committed to serving our communities since 1888, and we have extended our care outside of our bricks and mortar walls. As we grow in various communities, we are very intentional about how engage our neighbors and care for these communities.

“It’s not just about sponsorships and partnerships, but about building awareness about how we are, the services we provide, where these services are located and how we are making it

ChristianaCare sponsored the Chester County Balloon Festival that provided fun for families. Pictured are caregivers from ChristianaCare.

easier for our neighbors to access these services close to their home.”

To learn more about ChristianaCare’s Jennersville location, visit https://christianacare.org/us/en/care/primary-care/locations/jennersville

Photo courtesy of ChristianaCare

2025 5K and 10K Course Map

2025 Kennett Run Information

2025 KENNETT RUN RACES

• 5K PoweRun – PoweRunners either perform bench presses or pull-ups prior to running in the 5K. Each lift completed reduces running times by 30 seconds

6 a.m. Anson B. Nixon Park opens

6:30 a.m. Race Registration and packet pickup begin; runners may pick up their shirts and bibs

7:30 a.m. Roads through Kennett Square close (State St. from N. Walnut St. to Lincoln St., and N. Walnut St. from State St. to the Route 1 overpass)

7 a.m. PoweRunners start their exercise

8:15 a.m. PoweRunners complete their exercise

RACE DAY SCHEDULE

8:20 a.m. Last bus pickup from the high school and borough hall before races start.

8:30 a.m. Registration closes; North Walnut Street closes out to Route 1 Bypass bridge.

8:45 a.m. Runner packet pickup ends.

8:45 a.m. Bands start to play along the State Street stretch of the course – at the Kennett Library second floor deck.

9 a.m. 10K race starts; (est. slowest end time is 10:10 a.m.); beverage and food are available for runners

RACE DAY TERRAIN

9:10 a.m.: 5K race starts (est. slowest end time is 10:10 a.m.)

9:15 a.m. 1 mile walk/run starts (est. slowest end time is 9:45 a.m.)

10:20 a.m. Kids Pond Run starts

10:30 a.m. Race results announcements start (approximate time, actual will be after last 5K/10K runner has finished)

10:45 a.m. Mascot race starts 12:00 p.m. Race day concludes

All courses start and end within Anson B. Nixon Park, making it very easy to watch these key parts of the races. The 5K and 10K courses are of moderate difficulty, and feature both hills and flat terrain that lead to a downhill finish. About 70 percent of the 5K and 10K course is on the main streets of Kennett Square, and the remaining 30 percent on Anson B. Nixon Park trails and roads and the road accessing the park. The 1-mile course is flat for the first half, then features a few moderate hills.

The Kids Pond Run is a flat course around the ponds within Anson B. Nixon Park.

COURSE RECORDS

19:56.1 Average: 26:09.2

Women’s 5K PoweRun Time adjusted for pre-run lifts: 15.29.8

The 10K course is new this year because of increasing concern for runner safety on N. Walnut Road above the Route 1 Bypass. The new course is two laps of the 5K course. Men’s 5k PoweRun Time adjusted for pre-run lifts: 6.23.3

23:11.0 Average: 28:39.6

PoweRun Rules

• Women lift 60 percent of their body weight

• Men under age 19 and over age 65 lift 60 percent of their body weight

• Men 19 through age 65 lift 100 percent of their body weight

• Resulting percentage of body weight is rounded to the nearest 5 pounds

RULES AWARDS

Pull-up Requirements

• There is no time limit, but you may not disengage from the bar and then jump back up.

• The form is “strict,” so no kipping, etc. allowed.

PoweRun time adjustments

Whatever weight or method the runner uses, the time reduction is:

• 30 seconds per rep for the 5K runners

• 1 minute per rep for the 10K runners

DIRECTIONS

Traveling South on Route 1: Take the first exit on the Route 1 Bypass - identified as the Kennett Square exit. Turn left onto Route 82 and drive through Kennett Square to Kennett High School. Parking is available in the front parking lot of Kennett High School (entrances to the lot are on East South Street and South Union Street). Buses will take you to the park.

Traveling North on Route 1: Take the Kennett Square exit. At the end of the ramp turn right onto Route 82. Follow the directions above to park at Kennett High School.

Travelling south on Route 82: Drive into Kennett Square. Turn left on to East Linden Street. Park in the Kennett Square Parking Garage on your right and walk to Anson B. Nixon Park. Or, at the intersection of Routes 82 and 926, turn left onto Route 926. Drive about a mile and turn right onto North Walnut Road. Just after the Route 1 Bypass bridge, turn right into the parking lot for the Tino Leto fields and park. Walk into Anson Nixon Park to the stage area.

Traveling North on Route 82 or Route 7/Kaolin Road: Drive to Kennett High School and park in the lot at the front of the school. Buses will take you to the park.

Awards are presented to the fastest man and woman of each race. In addition, there are age bracket winners recognized for the 5K and 10K races. The age brackets are: Under 10, 10-13, 14-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70-99.

PARKING

Anson B. Nixon Park, 405 North Walnut Road, Kennett Square, Pa.: There is limited parking at Anson B. Nixon Park available on a first-come, first-served basis but keep in mind that space is usually exhausted by 7:30 a.m. One lot is off the entrance road near the center of the park. The other is the Tino Leto Field on North Walnut Road.

Kennett High School, 100 E. South Street, Kennett Square, Pa.: Your best bet for parking on race day is to drive to Kennett High School. There are entrances off South Street and Union Street and there will be shuttle buses from the high school parking lot to and from Anson B. Nixon Park.

Kennett Square Parking Garage, East Linden and North Union Streets, Kennett Square, Pa.: Metered parking is available at the centrally-located Kennett Square Parking Garage on East Linden and North Union Streets. Mapping software can show you the way. For more information, please visit: www.kennettsq.org/departments/parking/ index.php

Kennett Borough Offices, 600 South Street, Kennett Square, Pa. : This parking lot is across South Street from the Kennett High School parking lot. The shuttle bus serving the high school will also provide transportation to the park from this lot.

Additional parking is also available at Tino Leto soccer fields, 413 N. Walnut Rd., from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.

From the Chester County Press, May 8, 2024:

Through raindrops, 965 runners compete at 2024 Kennett Run

By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer

AsRachel Bilotta waited for the start of the 35th Kennett Run at Anson B. Nixon Park on May 4 beside her mother and two children, she was both anticipatory and apprehensive.

For the Downingtown resident, running had only come into her life last October, and while her newfound fitness journey took her to several bootcamp training classes, the Kennett Run would serve as her first competitive race, but instead of selecting to run a 5K, she chose otherwise.

“I had heard about the Kennett Run in the past, and when I registered for this year’s race, I decided to go big or go home,” Bilotta said of her decision to run the 10K. “At first, my decision to begin running was merely to stay in good shape, but over the past several months, it’s become so much more. My goal today is just to finish in an upright position.”

For the majority of the 965 runners who competed in this year’s Kennett Run, they shared the same sentiment as Bilotta: to cross the finish line and enjoy the spirit of competition, but in a déjà vu scenario reminiscent of the splashdown Kennett Run in 2022, the morning’s gray skies quickly gave over to a light but consistent rain that followed the 5K and 10K competitors through the park onto North Walnut Street and along State Street. While the rain was not as torrential as it was two years ago, it did serve as a slight hindrance, as did road construction barriers in the borough.

As the top finishers for the 5K event began to cross the finish line less than 20 minutes later, the weather gave way to a sense of frivolity that was heightened by a kicked-up version of the Kennett Run’s annual Party in the Park that saw it extend to 1 p.m. and include not just the usual back-end races such as the 1-mile walk and Kids Pond Run but performances by local high school bands, a mascot race and live music.

10K competitor Bernie Mullen greets his own cheering section along State Street during the 35th Kennett Run on May 4, 2024.

Photos by Richard L. Gaw

The 2024 Kennett Run attracted 965 runners to Anson B. Nixon Park, as well as several hundred area residents and supporters.

Top finishers

In the 5K PoweRun, first-place finisher Jack Reichert, 18, won with a time of 19:23/54 reps, followed by 16-year-old John Reichert (21:17/50 reps) and 14-year-old Gavin Bariletto (24:00/48 reps). In the 10 K PoweRun, 65-year-old Bill McGurk finished with a time of 52:16 and 62 reps, followed by Andrew Charney, 32 (44:16/50 reps) and 32-year-old Morgan Jaffe (53:28/41 reps).

This year’s 5K race was won by 16-year-old Chase Kalesh of Landenberg, with a time of 18:29, who was followed by secondplace finisher, 32-year-old Josh Topper of Landenberg (18:46) and third-place finisher Josh Poulton, a 16-year-old from Landenberg (19:05). Thirteen year-old Kaitlin Kipp of Avondale was the top female finisher with a time of 19:44.

In the 10K category, 19-year-old Caden Young of Kennett Square won with a time of 37:32, followed by 15-year-old Aarnav Behari of Landenberg (38:19) and 43-yearold Juan Carlos Alvarez of Kennett Square (38:25). Oxford resident Jennifer Dangelo, 46, was the top female finisher with a time of 45:44.

As Bilotta crossed the finish line one hour, seven minutes and three seconds later, she knew that it would not be her first and only competitive race, just the first one. She has already booked a hotel room for her and her family in Philadelphia for the last weekend in November, when she plans to enter the Philadelphia Marathon.

One runner receives a congratulatory hug after finishing her 10K race.

Two runners sprint toward the finish line. Mandy Weave and her daughter, Maryn, of Avondale.

Thank you to the Kennett Run

Since its inception in 1989 - from local organizations to youth groups to civic-minded initiatives - the impact of the Kennett Run has been an immeasurable reminder that charity begins at home. On May 3, the sounds of the Kennett Run will be heard throughout Kennett Square but the work of Kennett Charities will resound in our local communities for years to come. Here are testimonials from just a few of the many organizations in Southern Chester County who wish to say to Kennett Run Charities, “Thank You.”

“Meals on Wheels of Chester County greatly appreciates the faithful support of the Kennett Run Charities organization. Their funds have helped purchase hot, nutritious meals for homebound seniors in the Kennett Square, Avondale and West Grove areas since 2013. We are grateful for our partnership with the Kennett Run to make sure no senior goes hungry!”

Jeani D. Purcell, Director, Meals on Wheels of Chester County

“The Kennett Run is important to our community because it brings attention to our community, attracting runners from near and far, while raising both awareness and money for many local charities.” Mary Hewes, Executive Director, Young Moms

“After-The-Bell is grateful for the Kennett Run’s support because it has given us the ability to provide afterschool activities to thousands of Kennett Middle School students that keep them safe, active, and engaged for almost 25 years!” Paola Rosas, Executive Director, After-The-Bell

“The Kennett Run makes DREAMS COME TRUE for the children served by Camp Dreamcatcher. Over the past 16 years, the Kennett Run has sponsored TWENTY children to attend our therapeutic camp session for HIV/AIDS impacted youth.”

Patty Hillkirk, Founder, Camp Dreamcatcher

Written into the business plan of the following companies is a belief that contributing to the local community is essential to building a strong business. With their support, Kennett Run Charities invests the proﬁts of the Kennett Run into Southern Chester County non-proﬁt agencies – vital agencies who strengthen our community by providing education, health, social, and environmental services to everyone.

We hope you will again join Kennett Charities in thanking this year’s Kennett Run sponsors as we continue our efforts to build an even stronger community by running, walking, volunteering, or simply cheering the runners on as they pass you on the course.

The 2024 Kennett Run

Photos courtesy of Veronica Chavez and Richard L. Gaw

in Photos

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2025 - CHESTER COUNTY

Kennett Run Charities Board of Directors

The Kennett Run Charities Board of Directors is made up of volunteers from various Kennett Square service organizations including the Rotary Club of Kennett Square, the Rotary Club of Longwood,

2025 OFFICERS

Dr. Albert J. Schmitt, Vice President, Acting President

Tom Neale - Treasurer

Becky Devestine - Secretary

John Ramagano - Race Director

2025 Kennett Run

the Lions Club, the Kennett Area YMCA and various Kennett area citizens who give their time and resources to make the Kennett Run a successful, fun event for serious runners as well as for family fun.