Ohio > Mill Creek Distance Classic Half Marathon
& 5K
Youngstown,
OH
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Date
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Event
Details
Nearly 500 runners and walkers laced up, ran the course and crossed the
finish line at this year's running of the Mill Creek Distance Classic
Half Marathon & 5K Run/Walk, which celebrated its 19th annual
running this year. The first local road race event on the calendar each
year for the Youngstown Road Runners Club, which organizes the event,
the race is a hilly and challenging one with few flat stretches to
speak of through the city's Mill Creek
Park, which was established in 1891 and is the oldest city-owned park
in the state.
The out-and-back course starts at the park's northern end, near the
pavilion in the part of the park known as the Wick Recreation Area.
From there -- at the 8:45 AM starting time -- the 13.1-mile route
follows a winding course through the park, curving around Bears Den
Drive, West Drive and West Cohasset
Drive, as runners follow a long stretch along the northern shore of
Lake Cohasset, which fills up the center of the northern section of the
park.
Participants run west and south along the shoreline of the lake,
following High Drive and then Chestnut Hill Drive along the waterway
that gives the park its name, Mill Creek. Runners reach the turnaround
point at the intersection of Chestnut Hill and Highway 62, where they
cross the bridge over the creek and then run north along East Cohasset
Drive, following it along a long, winding path that skirts the
residential developments near the park.
The last few miles of the race take the field along the upper section
of Mill Creek that empties into the lake, curving around on West Drive
and then back onto Bears Den Drive for the last couple of miles to the
finish. Along the way, runners are treated to plenty of parkland
scenery, from waterfalls and cascading waterways to the park's lake and
creek sections, as well as the grist mill.
In addition to following a winding course through the park, the race
also features plenty of hilly trails for participants, ranging from a
high of about 1,038 feet above sea level to a low of 868 feet above sea
level. Virtually every mile along the course features some kind of
hill, with the most significant uphills and downhills occuring at the
beginning and the end of the race (thanks to the out-and-back nature of
the course) and just after the half-way point in the race.
Race
Weather & Climate
Conditions are often cool and sometimes quite cold with occasional wet
weather in the late winter/early spring in Youngstown, set in Ohio's
northeastern corner just a few miles from the state line with
Pennsylvania and about 60 miles southeast of Cleveland. In March,
average area temperatures range between 51°F and 28°F,
while precipitation amounts average around 2.66 inches for the month.
Fees
$20 for pre-registered runners
$25 on the day of the race
Registration
Registration for the 2009 running of the Mill Creek Distance Classic
Half Marathon & 5K is not yet available. Please check back
later
in the year for updated information and links to register for the race.
Website
Youngstown Road Runners Club
Course Map
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Larger Map
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Your Race Story
Ever run in Youngstown's annual Mill Creek Distance Classic?
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your impressions and read fellow runners' stories and tips for the
event.
Discuss it in the HalfMarathons.Net
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