glow cup

Zak and Abby Jantzi, representing Bontrager Auction and Real Estate, on Thursday, became the first married couple in GLOW Corporate Cup history to combine for wins in the male and female divisions.

Zak, who also won in 2023 and placed second in 2022, finished in first place with a time of 16:15. Abby topped all female competitors with a time of 20:41.

"We love this race," Zak said. This is, I think, our third year. Bontrager has been really competitive with it. I feel like it's sort of like the main event on our calendar. We're both post-collegiate runners, so just doing community events is really great for us. It's something that, as a couple, we really enjoy to run and train, so it's really just a great event to enjoy."

The first GLOW Corporate Cup was in 2014.  It is a fundraiser for the YMCA. Besides the race, the event features a picnic in Centennial Park, called After GLOW, with each participating company setting up a tent and sharing in a meal.

More than 800 runners and walkers signed up for the event this year, said key organizer Steve Tufts, a broker with a primary corporate sponsor, Merrill Lynch.

"I'm really thrilled that we're practically back to where we were (before the pandemic)," Tufts said. "We didn't have a race in 2020. Most races across the country took about 40% hit on participation. We only took 20% in 2021. ... We're looking for it to be another record again next year."

There is no accurate count on how many people were present for the After GLOW, which includes company employees who didn't run and family members, but this year's music entertainment, the Fleetwood Mac tribute band Songbirds drew an unprecedented crowd—at least 100 people not affiliated with any of the participating businesses. No previous bands have anywhere near that draw.

"Our first responsibility is to raise funds for the YMCA," Tufts said. "They're the beneficiary of all our efforts. So, our goal is to make sure we raise adequate funds (for the Y). The secondary goal might be, as you said, benefit to the general community, whether it's a free concert or whatnot. There is no Picnic in the Park any more. Maybe that'll come back some day. I think people miss that. And maybe live music. Maybe there's another company out there in the Batavia/GLOW region that would like to take on another project. We certainly encourage other companies to do something."

With Abby Jantzi's win, an interesting streak among female winners was broken.  It's the first time since at least 2015 that a woman with a name other than Kimberly won the female division.

Kimberly Mills has won the race seven times, including in 2023 (Abby finished second in 2023 and 2022). Kimberly Vona, with Batavia Downs, won in 2018 and 2017.  Mills did not run this year nor in 2018.  She came in second in 2017. Records for the 2014 race are not available online and The Batavian, in its coverage of 2014, did not include the name of the female winner.

In the male division, Zak joins two other men who have won in consecutive years. Collen Mulcahy won in 2016, 2017, and 2018. John Schnitter also recorded consecutive wins in 2019 and 2021 (there was no race in 2020).

Press release:

The 9th annual GLOW Corporate Cup was run this August with over 700 participants registering for the annual 5K run and walk.  The race brought in $21,000 in support of the GLOW YMCA.  This money will support the YMCA Scholarship program, ensuring that no one is turned away from the Y due to their inability to pay.

In addition to the race, teams design their own T-Shirts and compete for the most creative design.  Each year the local Merrill Lynch office makes a $500 donation to the winning team’s charity of choice.  This year, US Gypsum won the contest for the second year in a row and elected to direct the donation to Mercy Flight of Batavia.  Mercy Flight is an independent, not-for-profit provider of emergency and non-emergency air and ground medical transport and supporting services; ensuring rapid, safe and cost-effective delivery of expert response teams. 

Pictured above from left to right are Duane Van Duuren of US Gypsum, Calvin Klemmer of Merrill Lynch, Jennifer Crotty, Flight Nurse for Mercy Flight, Blake Leddick of US Gypsum and Jeff Abbott, Flight Paramedic for Mercy Flight.

Press release:

The 8th annual GLOW Corporate Cup returned this year with 718 participants registering for the 8th annual 5K run and walk.  The race brought in $20,000 in support of the GLOW YMCA.  This money will provide support to the YMCA Scholarship program, ensuring that no one is turned away from the Y due to inability to pay.

In addition to the race, teams design their own T-Shirts and compete for the most creative design.  Each year the local Merrill Lynch office makes a $500 donation to the winning team’s charity of choice.  This year, US Gypsum won the contest and elected to direct the donation to Purple Pony Therapeutic Horsemanship based in Le Roy. Purple Pony provides equine opportunities to persons with disabilities and diverse needs.

Pictured above are Duane Van Duuren and Nancy Havens of US Gypsum, Olivia Rogers of Merrill Lynch, and Gail Enhmann, Karen Reeverts and Daniel Kilker of Purple Pony Therapeutic Horsemanship.

John Schnitter, 32, of Geneseo, representing Genesee Valley BOCES, won the GLOW Cup 5k on Thursday with a time of 17:33.

John Bruggman, 22, of Batavia, came in second and Logan G. Clark, 18, of Batavia, came in third.

The women's race was won by Kimberly Mills, 30, of Oakfield, representing Batavia City Schools.

Team results:

• FIrst, Batavia City Schools, with William Buckenmeyer, Kimberly Mills, and James Patric
• Second, Silver Fox Crossfit, with Jason Harasimowicz, Michael Harasimowicz, and Mark Marasimowicz
• Third, Intergrow Greenhouses, with Tyron Wallace, Athumani Jonathan, and Adrian Rios.

Press release:

The fifth annual GLOW Corporate Cup was a great success again this year as close to 900 runners and walkers participated in this 5K event. The goal of this event was for local businesses to form racing teams, compete in a fun atmosphere, and crown a winner of the Corporate Cup.

The race brought in more than $22,000 in support of the GLOW YMCA. This event would not be possible without the support of the premiere sponsor, Merrill Lynch. The money provides support to the YMCA’s scholarship program. At the Y, no one is turned away due to the inability to pay. Last year the Y provided more than $200,000 in scholarships to youth, families, and seniors in need of support to better benefit their lifestyles through health and wellness.

Part of the GLOW Corporate Cup race is for local businesses to design T-shirts to show their creativity. The first place T-shirt winner receives a $500 donation to the charity of their choice. Sharpe Training LLC won the T-shirt contest and owner Holly Sharpe graciously donated the $500 back to the YMCA.

The YMCA would like to extend its deepest gratitude to both Merrill Lynch and Holly Sharpe for their donations and dedication to the Y scholarship program.

Pictured above are Chris White, Holly Sharpe, Rob Walker and Olivia Rogers.