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Florida > Orange Blossom Half Marathon & 5K Fun Run
Tavares, FL • Sunday, March 3, 2013 • Course Map
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The mostly flat, gentle elevation of the roads along the shoreline of Lake Dora in the central Florida city of Tavares are the setting for the Orange Blossom Half Marathon & 5K Fun Run, which makes its fifth annual running in the late winter/early spring of 2013.
Featuring an out-and-back course that keeps runners along the lakeshore for nearly the entire race, the Orange Blossom Half starts and finishes in Tavares's Wooten Park, which lies in central Florida's Lake County, home to more than 1,000 lakes within the county borders.
Connected via canal with several of the lakes that surround it as well as the St. John's River, Lake Dora was once used for steamboat travel before the advent of the railroads, and visitors today can take boating trips to retrace the route of those famous steamers from yesteryear.
From the starting line at Wooten Park on East Main Street, runners first head westward and make a loop around Ruby Street, North Sinclair Avenue and then return to Main Street and head out to Colley Drive and back, where they begin the next portion of the race, a roughly five-mile stretch that takes them largely along Lake Dora Drive and Lakeshore Drive all the way out to the race turnaround point just to the east of Mount Dora, another picturesque lakefront town that's known for its relaxing pace, art galleries and antique shopping.
After they reach the turnaround point on Lakeshore Drive, runners then head back westward along the road, making their way all the way back to the finish line at Wooten Park. While the terrain for the race is made up of paved surfaces throughout and is largely flat, runners can expect to encounter a few hilly stretches along the course.
Just over 420 runners crossed the finish line in both races combined in 2012, including 278 finishers in the half marathon alone. The scheduled starting time for the 2013 race is 7:30 AM -- the course will be closed after 3 hours, so runners who haven't yet completed the race by then will be asked to move from the roadway onto the sidewalk.
Race Weather & Climate
Located among the many lakes in central Florida, roughly 35 miles north of Orlando, the city of Tavares typically experiences mild to moderately warm weather conditions in the early spring season, with drier conditions on average than in the summer months.
In March, the city's average monthly temperatures range between 76°F and 52°F, while rainfall amounts average just over 4 inches for the month. On the day of the race (March 3), the average high is 74°F and the average low is 50°F.
Course Map
View the race route map for the Orange Blossom Half Marathon
Fees
$45 for the half marathon, for early registrations
$55 during the week of the race
Registration
To reserve your spot in the spring 2013 running of Tavares's Orange Blossom Half Marathon & 5K, register online at Active.com.
Official Race Website
www.triflorida.com
Leave a Comment
Ever run in Florida's annual Orange Blossom Half Marathon or 5K? Share your impressions, stories and tips from the event.
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