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Maryland > LEAD Strong Half Marathon
Freeland,
MD
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Date
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Event
Details
Hosted by Maryland's Towson University and run along the Northern
Central Rail Trail that stretches all the way from the Hunt Valley in
the south to the Pennsylvania border in the north, the LEAD Strong Half
Marathon saw just under 100 runners cross the finish line at its spring
2009 running, along a course that's considered an optimal choice for
first-time half marathoners thanks to its mostly flat and forgiving
stone dust surface along the trail.
The race features an out-and-back course that starts and finishes in
Freeland, Md., a small town that lies just a mile south of the
Maryland-Pennsylvania state line, just off Freeland Road near the
entrance to the trail. From there, runners make their way along the
winding trail all the way southward past the town of Parkton, which
lies just north of Gunpowder State Park. Once they hit the turnaround
point between Parkton and Graystone, runners then turn around and run
the exact course they've just run in reverse, all the way back up to
Freeland for the finish.
With its 10-ft.-wide trail surface and mostly very gradual elevation
change throughout
the race (there's a long, gradual decline in the race's first half,
followed by a long, gradual incline in the second half as
runners are making their way back to the finish), the trail offers
plenty of natural beauty through the woods of northern Maryland, and
follows the Gunpowder Falls River for much of its winding route through
the rural countryside in this part of the state.
Proceeds from the race go to benefit the Alex’s Lemonade
Stand Foundation, named in honor of Alexandra "Alex" Scott, an
eight-year-old who battled childhood cancer and raised money for the
hospital that was helping to fight her disease by selling lemonade.
Though she sadly passed away in 2004, a foundation lives on in her name
to help fight childhood cancers.
Race
Weather & Climate
Located in central northern Maryland, just south of the state line with
Pennsylvania and roughly 38 miles north of Baltimore, the town of
Freeland typically experiences mild to moderately warm weather
conditions in the late spring, and usually sees its wettest weather of
the year on average during the month the race is held. In May, the
town's average monthly temperatures range between 72°F and
48°F, while rainfall totals average just under 4.8 inches for
the month.
Fees
N/A
Registration
Registration for the spring 2009 running of Freeland's LEAD Strong Half
Marathon is now closed, as the event has completed. Please check back
for updated information on how to sign up for the 2010 running of the
race.
Website
www.towson.edu
Course Map
View Larger Map
Share
Your Race Story
Ever run in Maryland's annual LEAD Strong Half Marathon?
Share
your impressions and read fellow runners' stories
and tips for the event.
Post your comments in Runner Reviews for the LEAD Strong Half
Marathon
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