STATE COLLEGE — Organizers of the 26th Tussey Mountainback, a regional footrace held in Central Pennsylvania’s Rothrock State Forest, announced that the Mountainback’s events of 2025 raised over $7,500 in support of the year’s beneficiary, the Jana Marie Foundation. The donation was presented Jan. 10 in Boalsburg.
Since 2012, Jana Marie Foundation has devoted its energy to opening minds and saving lives through educational programming and community mobilization to empower young people in the Centre County region. For more information about or to donate to Jana Marie Foundation, visit https://janamariefoundation.org/
“Partnering with the Tussey Mountainback this year has been fun and inspiring,” said Marisa Vicere, executive director of the foundation, “and this donation will help ensure that our programs continue to reach individuals and families in our communities.”
“We are thrilled to have this opportunity to support Jana Marie Foundation’s important work,” said Tom Lechleitner, president of Nittany Multisport Inc., which puts on the event. “We’re especially grateful to Marisa, her team, and Jana Marie Foundation for their help with our races during this year. It’s truly a win when we can provide memorable events for runners of all levels and also give back to our local community.”
In 2025, ownership of the Tussey Mountainback passed from local runner and organizer Mike Casper to Nittany Multisport. Under Casper’s 25-year tenure as race director, The Tussey Mountainback raised more than $170,000 for area nonprofit organizations. The Tussey Mountainback hosts recreational and competitive runners, relay teams, and ultramarathon runners from throughout the region and beyond with events throughout the year.
More than 100 ultramarathon runners and 44 relay teams registered for the organization’s signature weekend of events last October. Those events included ultramarathons of 100 miles, 50 miles, and 50 kilometers, a 50-mile relay, a half marathon race, and a kids’ mile run.
“We’re honored to receive the baton from Mike to put on the Tussey Mountainback and continue the tradition of charitable giving,” said Lechleitner. Information about event details for 2026 will be forthcoming on the Tussey Mountainback’s website, www.tusseymountainback50.com, and through social media.
The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau is a major sponsor of the Tussey Mountainback events. Additional sponsors include Geisinger, Wegmans, Appalachian Outdoors, The Bicycle Shop, Rapid Transit Sports, Stocker Chevrolet, and Boal City Brewing. For more information about the Tussey Mountainback, send email to tusseymountainback50@gmail.com.
