The WEC race committee gathered before the race.
The third annual Run for Women began at 8:00 a.m. on August 25, 2024, near Penn State Behrend’s Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Center. Nearly 200 runners and walkers registered for the 5K, hosted by the college’s Women’s Engagement Council (WEC).
The 3.1-mile course looped through Behrend’s Knowledge Park before participants crossed the finish line and celebrated with Penn State Berkey Creamery ice cream.
“Women give so much of themselves to others,” said Heather Cass, publications manager at Behrend and founder of the Run for Women. “This race is a chance for them to do something just for themselves.”
Cass, a longtime runner, directed Erie’s Her Times 5K for 15 years before moving the event to Behrend in 2020, the year WEC was established.
“For many women, this is their first race—sometimes their first step into any kind of running or walking event,” she said. “Crossing that finish line is powerful. It reminds them, If I can do this, what else can I accomplish?”
The Run for Women has become a signature event for WEC, which has continued to grow since opening membership in 2022. The council now includes more than two dozen board members and an expanding network of women across the region.
2024 Results
Top Women’s Finishers
- #1 - Corinne Petrus, Monaca, PA, 45, 23:18
- #2 - Pam Wassell, Erie, PA, 60, 23:13
- #3 - Baylee Dernar, Wattsburgh, PA, 18, 23:22
- First Master (over 40): Carol Crandall, North East, PA, 54, 24:17
Top Men's Finishers
- #1 - Will Strassburg, Russel PA, 20, 20:02
- #2 - Peter Guzman, Elmwood Park, NJ, 18, 20:22
- #3 - Levi Loomis-Adams, Boalsburg, PA, 19, 20:36
- First Master: Dave Kahl-Fairview PA, 44, 24:24
Complete race results can be found at Big White Trailer Timing.
2024 Race Photos
See photos from the 2024 Run for Women 5K at the event's Facebook page.