Bonnie Hoffman • Special to The Current
Sunday, September 28, 2025 will mark the 54th Annual Switchback Scamper 10K race and 5K walk. The Lutheran Church of St. John, 319 South Avenue, Jim Thorpe is the sponsor of the race for quite a few years. But it’s origin is as follows:
In 1969 Rich Benyo and Ed Gildea, both employed by the Times-News, learned of a plan to sell the land from Summit Hill to Jim Thorpe upon which the abandoned tracks of the Switchback Railroad, long abandoned, lay. The sale of the land was to a local developer who would build homes on the hilly ridge that overlooked the beautiful valley. At the time there was also a proposal to develop the valley into what is now Mauch Chunk Lake Park. Both Benyo and Gildea were in favor of the proposed lake as it would forever prevent the flooding of downtown Jim Thorpe/Mauch Chunk each spring. However, they were fiercely opposed to the selling of the land to a developer who would tear up the historic gravity railroad bed resulting in a part of the local history being lost forever.
Since the developer had loads of money, and the two had none, their only saving grace was the fact that they worked at the Times News and had plenty of page space to influence the public to save the local history. Their plan was to run a race from the main street of Summit Hill departure point of the rail cars loaded with coal and later with tourists, to the top of Mount Pisgah.
Chapter Four “Got Decay If You want It,” of Rich Benyo’s 1978 book Return to Running (World Publications, Mountain View, CA, Library of Congress 78-55787 ISN 0-89037-128-8) gives a very detailed description of Rich and Ed’s efforts to save the trail.
The first annual running of the Switchback Scamper was a relay run from Summit Hill to the crossover bridge. Ed carried a golden spike which he passed after the downhill portion to Rich, who ran uphill to the top of Mount Pisgah.
There was no finish line banner to break, no bands played, no fans cheered. Rich finished and walked down the hill and went home with a railroad spike painted gold half of which was on his sweaty palm.
Many changes took place over the next several years. Most important was the change of the finish area from the remote, isolated finish at the top of Mount Pisgah to the newly completed Mauch Chunk Lake Park. Also important was the involvement of the Carbon County Tourist Promotion Agency. From a grand total of 15 soaked runners who started the Second Annual Scamper (Page 66, Return to Running) to just over 100, the Carbon County group advanced the cause.
In the mid-1980s a devoted group of local runners formed the Switchback Road Runners Club. Affiliated with the Road Runners Club of America, they devised a plan to institute a local Triple Crown Race Series.
The Road Runners recruited Miller Lite Beer, Quality Beverages of Hazleton, PA and Mr. Rocco Colangleno to help fund the series. Adding the Switchback Scamper to the already established, but later dropped Jim Thorpe Memorial Run, and the newly established Race Street 10-mile and 4-mile race was a natural tie-in.
The Switchback Scamper, under the Switchback Road Runners peaked out with 525 runners in 1992. As often happens, interest and devotion to the cause fades. The Switchback Scamper has endured, but never again to be close to the peak years.
If you have never run the trail and would like to join the racers who come back year after year you can sign up at runsignup.com type in 54th Annual Switchback Scamper. Also an application is available at the church website: stjohnsinjimthorpe.org or for further information contact Walt Schlenner at 484-553-1556.
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