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Maryland > St. Michaels Running Festival Half Marathon, 10K & 5K
St. Michaels, MD • Saturday, May 18, 2013 • Course Map
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Known for its rolling green farm fields, gorgeous homes on the water and a rich, colorful history that dates all the way back before the founding of the nation, this small coastal town in the region known as Maryland's Eastern Shore plays host in the spring of 2013 to the 2nd annual St. Michaels Running Festival, with a half marathon and 10K for runners as well as a 5K for both walkers and runners.
The town of St. Michaels played an important role in early colonial America going back all the way to the mid-1600s, when it served first as a trading post for tobacco and fur trappers, and later as an important shipbuilding center, as it lies along the Miles River about halfway between the source of the Susquehenna River to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. Many of the homes that were built along its seaside streets in that period still stand today, some 200 years later.
In fact, you're never far from the water when you're on St. Michaels, it seems, and the half marathon course will take runners near, along and over water at several points during the race, giving runners a chance to take in the scenery that no doubt made it attractive for the filmmakers of both 1998's Clara's Heart and 2004's Wedding Crashers, which featured a number of scenes filmed on the waterfront in and around St. Michaels and nearby Easton, Md.
Runners will start all three races at St. Michaels High School, which lies on Seymour Avenue, less than a mile from the town center. From there, runners start off by heading first southwest along Seymour and then north along South Talbot Street, which will take them right through the heart of the town and St. Mary's Square.
This early stretch will also take runners past the town's famed Cannonball House, which absorbed the impact of a cannonball fired by the British during a battle in the War of 1812, the only house in town to suffer a direct hit -- and inspired the town's nickname as "the town that fooled the British."
From there, runners continue north and head out of the town center and into more rural terrain, making their way around the fairways of the links golf course near Porter Creek and Hambleton Cove. They'll make their way around most of the course, within view of the water all the way around, before heading back to St. Michaels Road, where they'll continue west toward McDaniel and make a left turn onto Tilghman Island Road.
The race turnaround point lies just before runners reach McDaniel, and then sends them back eastward along Tilghman Island Road back in the direction of St. Michaels. They'll follow South Talbot Street all the way to Dodson Street, where they'll make a right and turn into the side streets just off Talbot, heading over to Railroad Avenue.
Just after passing the mile 12 marker, the course then turns left onto the trail just off the road, which runners will follow for the remainder of the race all the way to the race finish line in the field across Talbot Street from the high school.
Scheduled starting times for the races are 7:30 AM for the half marathon, 7:45 AM for the 10K and 8:15 AM for the 5K. The race is also a fundraiser for the St. Michaels Family YMCA and for the summer programs for kids organized by the St. Michaels Community Center, in addition to a number of other local nonprofits and community organizations.
Race Weather & Climate
Nestled along the Miles River on Maryland's Eastern Shore, just over 70 miles southeast of Baltimore and roughly 80 miles east by car from Washington, D.C., Saint Michaels typically sees May temperatures that average between 75°F and 56°F, while rainfall totals average just over 4.1 inches for the month.
On the day of the race (May 18), the average high is 76°F and the average low is 56°F.
Course Map
View the race route map for the St. Michaels Running Festival Half Marathon
Fees
$65 for the half marathon, if registered by December 31, 2012
$75 between January 1 - February 28, 2013
$85 between Feb. 28 - March 31
$95 between April 1 - May 15
Registration
To reserve your spot in the late spring 2013 running of the St. Michaels Running Festival Half Marathon, 10K or 5K race, register online at Active.com.
Official Race Website
www.stmichaelsrunningfestival.com
Leave a Comment
Ever run in Maryland's annual St. Michaels Running Festival Half Marathon? Share your impressions, stories and tips from the event.
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