October 2, 2025 • 16 mins
Really excited for the race this year. Its the 5th anniversary for it. Its going to be BIGGER and BETTER than ever before. If you participated in the past your not going to recognize this addition. I have completely revamped and reimagined the race and theme. Its now more spooky but fun.
Wanted to talk about the race and the new things I bought for it. Also show off the awards and stickers.
Tons of more information can be found on the registration website and facebook pages.
registration link: https://runsignup.com/Race/PA/Vintondale/QUARRYSHACK5MILER
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
Hello everybody, I want to do a promo for the Quarry Shack 5
Miller race which is held on theGhost Town trail, more
specifically the Rexis Branch mile 0 which is right next to
the Liza Furnace in Ventondale, PA.
It's a race that I race direct myself.
My name is Dean Banco so I will be your race director.
(00:22):
I want to get out some information about the race.
If anybody had any questions, please ask away.
Send me an e-mail, get a hold ofme on Facebook.
This race is going on it's fifthyear now it's ghost town trails
only night time race. I know a lot of people like
night time races and they won it's more in the area so that's
why I came up with this five years ago.
(00:45):
I'm really excited about it. Each year I try some new things
and this year I guarantee you this it's bigger and better than
it's ever before. So if you did it, it's inaugural
year. It's completely different and
revamped from years past. Things have changed.
I went from like smaller items, like numerous smaller items to
(01:08):
now lesser but huger items. As you can see for a couple of
tents down on the trail. Again, it's it's ghost town
trails only night time race. And with that being said, being
a night time race you will need a headlamp since it is at night
and the trail is not lit up. So make sure you bring a
headlamp. So this year as I said already,
(01:30):
I'm going bigger and better. I bought 8 huge inflatable like
Halloween inflatables to put along the trail this year.
You're not going to be missing them at all.
They're like 6 to 10 feet tall and then wide.
They're going to light up a little bit.
I got some portable batteries that actually inflate them so
(01:50):
they're stand alone and it's just really exciting to have
these on the trail. They're kind of more of a
scarier inflatable than say yourWalmart decorations, so it's
kind of cool as well. I sort of went into that like
spookier inflatable decoration theme this year, even with the
(02:12):
finish line arch. I know in years past I just used
2 inflatables at the start finish line, but this year I got
a arch. It's going to be a nice big arch
for everybody to go under for the start and finish line.
I'm going to put some cool Halloween decorations on the
pillars and then over the top like scary Halloween type
(02:32):
things. I actually got pictures of all
this stuff on the Facebook page if you want to check it out to
see the specifics of the inflatables.
But before I forget this and this shirt design, pretty cool
design. I don't know if I can zoom in
any closer than this to get a better look, but there is a
better picture again on the Facebook page, my only I
(02:55):
athletics Facebook page if you want to check out the shirt
design, but make sure you register by what is it October
5th. So it's this coming Sunday at I
think 5:00 PM is the shirt deadline.
So you really have to jump in and get on it if you want to get
a shirt because we don't order extras after the fact.
(03:18):
And the awards this year are pretty cool.
As you see. We're with like a coffin type
deal. These are pretty cool.
Different age groups. I think these you can ruler out
real quick. I forget what they were offhand.
They had like 10 by sixes. Did they give you a quick idea?
(03:41):
You know, it's not the best, butI did get them measurements up
online as well. These are like 4 by what, 6?
So pretty cool big awards. So you got like 10 by 6, like 4
by 6. It's a very nice, cool award.
(04:02):
Something unique everybody gets.And then you'll have a choice of
stickers as well. This is an older version.
This is the newer version of thesticker, so you can choose when
you get to the race which one you want.
Those are free of charge that they give out every year because
(04:23):
I think it's cool to have stickers for every race that I
hold. So yeah, the shirt, that's what
the shirt design is, that's whatthe award design is, and the
sticker design. I talked about the inflatables
already. Again, they're going to be huge.
I'm not doing any of that small stuff any more than I did in the
(04:44):
first couple years. I might still have a couple of
the animatronics and stuff near the start line, but I'm going
bigger and bolder because that way you actually get to see it
and enjoy it more and longer along the trail.
Actually bought some cool lanterns this year as well.
I got on sale. I think about like 24, between
(05:08):
24 and 30 of them total. Now I'm going to have like near
the start line and then if you've seen the race before,
near the turn around at the far end and then on that bridge.
So it gives it a little bit moreof a spookier Halloween, like a
Headless Horseman type feel for the race itself.
So it's pretty cool. Something different again, just
(05:28):
making things bigger, better andmore advanced as the years go
on. Trying to make this, this when I
put on a race, it's not just a race.
I'm giving you a race experienceon top of that.
So you're getting like a twofoldthing when you come to one of my
races. So you come in the race, have a
(05:50):
good time, but you're also getting a race experience as
well. And I also always have some
things at the start slash finishline for you to take pictures
with some decorations out that art on the race course itself.
So that way people can take a bunch of pictures.
And I always encouraged people to take pictures.
I always encourage people to dress up.
(06:12):
And I always say the scarier thebetter, even though you don't
have to dress up as a scary Halloween thing.
But you know, if somebody has something from like the 1960s,
seventies, it's really scary, you know, like an onion sack
type scary mask. You know, more the scarier, the
better to be just something different because I know other
races, you know, it's a little bit more fluffy and fun, but I
(06:38):
kind of want to try to make us alittle bit darker, giving it
more of a Halloween scary type theme.
Make it stand alone from different races in the area.
Again, being a night race and Halloween, there's really
nothing else on the West side ofthe state, so that's pretty
cool. So we do have some different
(07:02):
things this year that I tried out as well.
I got some children pricing, so check that out.
So basically children 10 and under are free, but they still
would have to purchase a T-shirtseparate.
So that way it's just alleviate some of the burden for parents
to come. You know, you don't have to pay
(07:22):
for like a little kid, but I will say that for kids to be
eligible for awards, they must run and participate in the race
under their own power. It's not fair to say like a six
year old who runs the whole race, you know, to take an award
away from them when a little kidwas getting pushed on a stroller
(07:43):
the whole time. So that's sort of why I say you
have to run the race under your own power for that.
The course itself is a straight out and back on the Rex's
branch. It's a completely closed course.
You're not going to be going over any roads.
There's a couple like little bridges, but that's on the trail
itself. So you're not crossing again,
(08:04):
any roads. It's safe, the trail smooth.
You're not going to fall into like some big pothole or
anything like that. But still, just in case, you
know, there might be a stick that falls or something.
That's the way I was telling you, bring a light.
You must have a light to be ableto see anyhow where you're
going. But again, it's 2.5 miles out
(08:26):
and back. Just right before you would hit
a road crossing is where the turn around is, we'll say like a
tenth before the Red Mill Bridge.
That's where you turn around that.
So you get to go past the QuarryShack itself.
That's what the race is named after.
It's a cool old haunted, not haunted but broken down type
(08:46):
quarry shack along the trail about 2.2 miles into the race.
There's actually a movie filmed there a couple years ago called
The Boonies. It was like a cannibal tape
movie. But sort out why I want to go
with the more scarier theme to play off of that movie.
The independent movie, the shot there again, it's smooth.
(09:07):
The rail trail type course, it has a slight grade going out,
nothing real hilly, it's just a steady grade of maybe like 100
feet at the most. Well, you have 115 feet of gain
on the way out as I'm looking atthe information.
So on the way back you're running down 115 feet and 2.5
(09:29):
miles. So it's a very slight, maybe
like 2-3 percent grade at the most than any one point, but
you're not going to really notice it at all.
There's a water stop at the end of the course trying to think
what else real quick. You know, we have a lot of
(09:50):
awards to give out, you know, top three, male and female for
the run and walk divisions. We actually added two age groups
for the walk division to try to give out some more awards.
You can see all that informationonline.
And then there's age groups for the run as well.
(10:11):
Basically in 10 year age groups,except for some of the younger
ones like 10 and under, 11 to 1415 to 19.
Then you get into the 20 to 2930to 39.
And then we do a 70 plus as well.
But I try to make things pretty cool again.
(10:32):
We're trying to do that child registration to try to get some
more people in. Of course, this is a drug free,
smoke free, alcohol free course and we also want people to clean
up all their garbage. You're you are allowed to wear
headphones, but please be courteous to other runners since
it is night to make sure you canhear people coming and don't get
(10:55):
in people's way. And we always tell people to
stick to the right hand side of the trail on on the way out and
then on your right hand side coming back.
Just get again because it's night time.
Just make things easier and the course is 5.0 miles exactly.
I measured on a couple times each year to make sure I have
(11:18):
all the markers done. I actually have mile markers
along the trail. We do have electronic timing as
well, provided by smiley mouths.And one of the cool things about
this race, even though it does, you know, it's like one of the
only nighttime races in the Western PA and it's the only
nighttime race on Ghost Town Trail where it's at in
(11:40):
Vintendale. There's some very cool features
nearby. Again, there's like the Eliza
Furnace. There's some little geysers in
the Creek right there. If you go up on the main branch
of the Ghost Town Trail, a couple of tents, there's like an
old jail cell and a coal miners memorial, couple tents up.
(12:00):
So if you get there a little bitearly, which I encourage people
to do, and just come and walk the little area, you don't have
to go more than 1/2 mile. Just walking back and forth, you
get to see these cool little features.
So that's another reason why I have it on this specific part to
promote the trail a little bit and get people to see some of
these cool features, which I find cool like the Eliza
(12:23):
Furnace, it's well known, like the coal miners Memorial, like
right up the road, stuff like that.
It's just really cool to see. Trying to think what else here
real quick, all there is bathrooms like a tenth away from
the start finish line. They're actual dedicated male
(12:43):
and female bathrooms right beside the furnace.
I have all kinds of videos up online say like where to park,
how to get there, the actual race course itself, you know,
pictures of what you're going tosee and everything like that.
(13:09):
So if you have any questions, please get a hold of me.
I just wanted to get this video out a little bit to help
promote, get some more registrations in before the
shirt deadline and remind peoplewith the shirt deadline and then
show people the awards in a video form and stickers.
This shirt is what I think it's from last year.
(13:29):
Yeah. So this is like the full, I
think it's the fourth annual or third annual, 3rd annual.
So we're in our fifth year. But if you want to see this
year's shirt, it's up online. If you go to registration,
you'll be able to see it when you go to add shirt.
This is there's also custom racebibs that I have specifically
(13:50):
for the race. There'll be more information
later on down the road, but I'm looking forward to holding it
this year. I really do think people are
really going to be surprised howcool this race is this year,
giving it more of that spookier,bigger item type theme.
(14:11):
I think it's really going to draw a lot of people and you're
not going to want to miss this. I'm telling you right now, if
you come to this race this year,you're going to have fun.
You're going to enjoy yourself and again, it's revamped from
years past. Again, bigger, better since I
(14:31):
have more experience doing this now.
You're going to be blown away byhow cool this race is from the
start line area to the arch at the start line.
The cool things that you can take pictures of at the start
finish line. The inflator was on the trail.
The cool turn around. I don't want to give out too
(14:52):
much information there, but I always have something cool at
the turn around. And then some of the lighting
that I have this year and even the lighting that I have for the
quarry Shack to make it a littlesmooth here.
It's just one of those experiences you've never been.
You're definitely going to want to check it out this year
(15:13):
because you're going to be blownaway.
So if you have any questions, please reach out.
If you have any issues, I'll work with you.
If you need somebody, needs any accommodations, let me know and
I'll even work with some people.If you do need some help paying
(15:35):
for registration, we'll see whatwe can do.
But I'm trying to build this race into a really special event
for the area and the Ghost Town Trail to help promote it.
So please come. And I can't stress enough,
you're really going to enjoy yourself and you're really going
(15:56):
to enjoy it this year. If you've been to it in the
past, you're going to be blown away this year by some of the
cool things that I have. So guess that's about it.
Hope to see you there and don't forget October 25th 6:30 PM The
Quarry Shack 5 Miller Ghost TownTrails only night time race so
(16:18):
we'll see you then.
Hello everybody, I want to do a promo for the Quarry Shack 5
Miller race which is held on theGhost Town trail, more
specifically the Rexis Branch mile 0 which is right next to
the Liza Furnace in Ventondale, PA.
It's a race that I race direct myself.
My name is Dean Banco so I will be your race director.
(00:22):
I want to get out some information about the race.
If anybody had any questions, please ask away.
Send me an e-mail, get a hold ofme on Facebook.
This race is going on it's fifthyear now it's ghost town trails
only night time race. I know a lot of people like
night time races and they won it's more in the area so that's
why I came up with this five years ago.
(00:45):
I'm really excited about it. Each year I try some new things
and this year I guarantee you this it's bigger and better than
it's ever before. So if you did it, it's inaugural
year. It's completely different and
revamped from years past. Things have changed.
I went from like smaller items, like numerous smaller items to
(01:08):
now lesser but huger items. As you can see for a couple of
tents down on the trail. Again, it's it's ghost town
trails only night time race. And with that being said, being
a night time race you will need a headlamp since it is at night
and the trail is not lit up. So make sure you bring a
headlamp. So this year as I said already,
(01:30):
I'm going bigger and better. I bought 8 huge inflatable like
Halloween inflatables to put along the trail this year.
You're not going to be missing them at all.
They're like 6 to 10 feet tall and then wide.
They're going to light up a little bit.
I got some portable batteries that actually inflate them so
(01:50):
they're stand alone and it's just really exciting to have
these on the trail. They're kind of more of a
scarier inflatable than say yourWalmart decorations, so it's
kind of cool as well. I sort of went into that like
spookier inflatable decoration theme this year, even with the
(02:12):
finish line arch. I know in years past I just used
2 inflatables at the start finish line, but this year I got
a arch. It's going to be a nice big arch
for everybody to go under for the start and finish line.
I'm going to put some cool Halloween decorations on the
pillars and then over the top like scary Halloween type
(02:32):
things. I actually got pictures of all
this stuff on the Facebook page if you want to check it out to
see the specifics of the inflatables.
But before I forget this and this shirt design, pretty cool
design. I don't know if I can zoom in
any closer than this to get a better look, but there is a
better picture again on the Facebook page, my only I
(02:55):
athletics Facebook page if you want to check out the shirt
design, but make sure you register by what is it October
5th. So it's this coming Sunday at I
think 5:00 PM is the shirt deadline.
So you really have to jump in and get on it if you want to get
a shirt because we don't order extras after the fact.
(03:18):
And the awards this year are pretty cool.
As you see. We're with like a coffin type
deal. These are pretty cool.
Different age groups. I think these you can ruler out
real quick. I forget what they were offhand.
They had like 10 by sixes. Did they give you a quick idea?
(03:41):
You know, it's not the best, butI did get them measurements up
online as well. These are like 4 by what, 6?
So pretty cool big awards. So you got like 10 by 6, like 4
by 6. It's a very nice, cool award.
(04:02):
Something unique everybody gets.And then you'll have a choice of
stickers as well. This is an older version.
This is the newer version of thesticker, so you can choose when
you get to the race which one you want.
Those are free of charge that they give out every year because
(04:23):
I think it's cool to have stickers for every race that I
hold. So yeah, the shirt, that's what
the shirt design is, that's whatthe award design is, and the
sticker design. I talked about the inflatables
already. Again, they're going to be huge.
I'm not doing any of that small stuff any more than I did in the
(04:44):
first couple years. I might still have a couple of
the animatronics and stuff near the start line, but I'm going
bigger and bolder because that way you actually get to see it
and enjoy it more and longer along the trail.
Actually bought some cool lanterns this year as well.
I got on sale. I think about like 24, between
(05:08):
24 and 30 of them total. Now I'm going to have like near
the start line and then if you've seen the race before,
near the turn around at the far end and then on that bridge.
So it gives it a little bit moreof a spookier Halloween, like a
Headless Horseman type feel for the race itself.
So it's pretty cool. Something different again, just
(05:28):
making things bigger, better andmore advanced as the years go
on. Trying to make this, this when I
put on a race, it's not just a race.
I'm giving you a race experienceon top of that.
So you're getting like a twofoldthing when you come to one of my
races. So you come in the race, have a
(05:50):
good time, but you're also getting a race experience as
well. And I also always have some
things at the start slash finishline for you to take pictures
with some decorations out that art on the race course itself.
So that way people can take a bunch of pictures.
And I always encouraged people to take pictures.
I always encourage people to dress up.
(06:12):
And I always say the scarier thebetter, even though you don't
have to dress up as a scary Halloween thing.
But you know, if somebody has something from like the 1960s,
seventies, it's really scary, you know, like an onion sack
type scary mask. You know, more the scarier, the
better to be just something different because I know other
races, you know, it's a little bit more fluffy and fun, but I
(06:38):
kind of want to try to make us alittle bit darker, giving it
more of a Halloween scary type theme.
Make it stand alone from different races in the area.
Again, being a night race and Halloween, there's really
nothing else on the West side ofthe state, so that's pretty
cool. So we do have some different
(07:02):
things this year that I tried out as well.
I got some children pricing, so check that out.
So basically children 10 and under are free, but they still
would have to purchase a T-shirtseparate.
So that way it's just alleviate some of the burden for parents
to come. You know, you don't have to pay
(07:22):
for like a little kid, but I will say that for kids to be
eligible for awards, they must run and participate in the race
under their own power. It's not fair to say like a six
year old who runs the whole race, you know, to take an award
away from them when a little kidwas getting pushed on a stroller
(07:43):
the whole time. So that's sort of why I say you
have to run the race under your own power for that.
The course itself is a straight out and back on the Rex's
branch. It's a completely closed course.
You're not going to be going over any roads.
There's a couple like little bridges, but that's on the trail
itself. So you're not crossing again,
(08:04):
any roads. It's safe, the trail smooth.
You're not going to fall into like some big pothole or
anything like that. But still, just in case, you
know, there might be a stick that falls or something.
That's the way I was telling you, bring a light.
You must have a light to be ableto see anyhow where you're
going. But again, it's 2.5 miles out
(08:26):
and back. Just right before you would hit
a road crossing is where the turn around is, we'll say like a
tenth before the Red Mill Bridge.
That's where you turn around that.
So you get to go past the QuarryShack itself.
That's what the race is named after.
It's a cool old haunted, not haunted but broken down type
(08:46):
quarry shack along the trail about 2.2 miles into the race.
There's actually a movie filmed there a couple years ago called
The Boonies. It was like a cannibal tape
movie. But sort out why I want to go
with the more scarier theme to play off of that movie.
The independent movie, the shot there again, it's smooth.
(09:07):
The rail trail type course, it has a slight grade going out,
nothing real hilly, it's just a steady grade of maybe like 100
feet at the most. Well, you have 115 feet of gain
on the way out as I'm looking atthe information.
So on the way back you're running down 115 feet and 2.5
(09:29):
miles. So it's a very slight, maybe
like 2-3 percent grade at the most than any one point, but
you're not going to really notice it at all.
There's a water stop at the end of the course trying to think
what else real quick. You know, we have a lot of
(09:50):
awards to give out, you know, top three, male and female for
the run and walk divisions. We actually added two age groups
for the walk division to try to give out some more awards.
You can see all that informationonline.
And then there's age groups for the run as well.
(10:11):
Basically in 10 year age groups,except for some of the younger
ones like 10 and under, 11 to 1415 to 19.
Then you get into the 20 to 2930to 39.
And then we do a 70 plus as well.
But I try to make things pretty cool again.
(10:32):
We're trying to do that child registration to try to get some
more people in. Of course, this is a drug free,
smoke free, alcohol free course and we also want people to clean
up all their garbage. You're you are allowed to wear
headphones, but please be courteous to other runners since
it is night to make sure you canhear people coming and don't get
(10:55):
in people's way. And we always tell people to
stick to the right hand side of the trail on on the way out and
then on your right hand side coming back.
Just get again because it's night time.
Just make things easier and the course is 5.0 miles exactly.
I measured on a couple times each year to make sure I have
(11:18):
all the markers done. I actually have mile markers
along the trail. We do have electronic timing as
well, provided by smiley mouths.And one of the cool things about
this race, even though it does, you know, it's like one of the
only nighttime races in the Western PA and it's the only
nighttime race on Ghost Town Trail where it's at in
(11:40):
Vintendale. There's some very cool features
nearby. Again, there's like the Eliza
Furnace. There's some little geysers in
the Creek right there. If you go up on the main branch
of the Ghost Town Trail, a couple of tents, there's like an
old jail cell and a coal miners memorial, couple tents up.
(12:00):
So if you get there a little bitearly, which I encourage people
to do, and just come and walk the little area, you don't have
to go more than 1/2 mile. Just walking back and forth, you
get to see these cool little features.
So that's another reason why I have it on this specific part to
promote the trail a little bit and get people to see some of
these cool features, which I find cool like the Eliza
(12:23):
Furnace, it's well known, like the coal miners Memorial, like
right up the road, stuff like that.
It's just really cool to see. Trying to think what else here
real quick, all there is bathrooms like a tenth away from
the start finish line. They're actual dedicated male
(12:43):
and female bathrooms right beside the furnace.
I have all kinds of videos up online say like where to park,
how to get there, the actual race course itself, you know,
pictures of what you're going tosee and everything like that.
(13:09):
So if you have any questions, please get a hold of me.
I just wanted to get this video out a little bit to help
promote, get some more registrations in before the
shirt deadline and remind peoplewith the shirt deadline and then
show people the awards in a video form and stickers.
This shirt is what I think it's from last year.
(13:29):
Yeah. So this is like the full, I
think it's the fourth annual or third annual, 3rd annual.
So we're in our fifth year. But if you want to see this
year's shirt, it's up online. If you go to registration,
you'll be able to see it when you go to add shirt.
This is there's also custom racebibs that I have specifically
(13:50):
for the race. There'll be more information
later on down the road, but I'm looking forward to holding it
this year. I really do think people are
really going to be surprised howcool this race is this year,
giving it more of that spookier,bigger item type theme.
(14:11):
I think it's really going to draw a lot of people and you're
not going to want to miss this. I'm telling you right now, if
you come to this race this year,you're going to have fun.
You're going to enjoy yourself and again, it's revamped from
years past. Again, bigger, better since I
(14:31):
have more experience doing this now.
You're going to be blown away byhow cool this race is from the
start line area to the arch at the start line.
The cool things that you can take pictures of at the start
finish line. The inflator was on the trail.
The cool turn around. I don't want to give out too
(14:52):
much information there, but I always have something cool at
the turn around. And then some of the lighting
that I have this year and even the lighting that I have for the
quarry Shack to make it a littlesmooth here.
It's just one of those experiences you've never been.
You're definitely going to want to check it out this year
(15:13):
because you're going to be blownaway.
So if you have any questions, please reach out.
If you have any issues, I'll work with you.
If you need somebody, needs any accommodations, let me know and
I'll even work with some people.If you do need some help paying
(15:35):
for registration, we'll see whatwe can do.
But I'm trying to build this race into a really special event
for the area and the Ghost Town Trail to help promote it.
So please come. And I can't stress enough,
you're really going to enjoy yourself and you're really going
(15:56):
to enjoy it this year. If you've been to it in the
past, you're going to be blown away this year by some of the
cool things that I have. So guess that's about it.
Hope to see you there and don't forget October 25th 6:30 PM The
Quarry Shack 5 Miller Ghost TownTrails only night time race so
(16:18):
we'll see you then.
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