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Ohio > Towpath Marathon & Half Marathon
Cleveland, OH
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Date

Sunday, October 12, 2008



Event Details

Named for the Native American word for "crooked river," the 33,000-acre Cuyahoga Valley National Park just outside nearby Cleveland and Akron is the setting for the annual autumn Towpath Marathon & Half Marathon, whose 13.1-mile race takes runners from the Brandywine Ski Resort just outside the park onto a winding tour of the valleys and wooded trails inside the park, as well as along the Cuyahoga River itself.

The race was first run in 1992 to showcase the park's then-new Towpath Trail, a combination paved and crushed limestone trail pathway that runs along what locals know as the Ohio Canal Corridor, a 110-mile stretch of recreational paths for bikers, hikers and walkers that will, when it is one day completed, all the way from Cleveland's Flats at Canal Basin park all the way to New Philadelphia, in mid-state Ohio. It has since been named by Runner's World magazine as one of the nation's most beautiful race courses, and now attracts upwards of 1,200 runners and more than 3,000 spectators to the park for the event each year.

For the half-marathon, runners begin the race at Brandywine Ski Resort in nearby Sagamore Hills, which lies just outside the park on its eastern boundary. From there, participants run westward along Highland/Vaughn Road to Riverview Road, where they then turn south and head along Riverview to Boston Mills Road. After a quick stretch along Boston Mills, runners then enter the Towpath Trail, beginning a several-mile stretch that will take them north all the way to the turnaround point at Station Road Bridge.

Fast and flat throughout, the courses for both the half and the full marathon are described by race organizers as having no hills to speak of, really anywhere along the course. There's lots of scenery along the way, from the slow-moving canal waters to wetlands you can see off in the distance, as well as plenty of trees and vegetation to shade and cool your run.

The race is open to both runners and walkers, who will each have their own starting times -- runners will start both the half and full marathons at 8:00 AM, while walkers are encouraged to take advantage of the special 7:00 AM starting time for walking. The course will be supported with aid stations for 6 hours, and transportation will be provided to shuttle participants back to their cars from the finish line at the Boston Store near the southern tip of the park.


Race Weather & Climate

Nestled just to the south of nearby Cleveland, the Cuyahoga Valley National Park enjoys much the same weather as its neighboring city to the north, with fall days that bring a welcome relief from summer's heat, with plenty of cool to cold nights. In October, the city sees average monthly temperatures ranging between 61°F and 44°F, while rainfall amounts average around 2.74 inches for the month, among the area's lowest average rainfall for the year.


Fees

$40 if registered by September 15, 2008
$45 from Sept. 16 - Oct. 10
$50 at the race expo on Saturday, Oct. 11


Registration

To sign up for the 2008 running of the Towpath Marathon or Half Marathon, register online at Active.com or print out and mail in this downloadable form.


Website

www.towpathmarathon.net


Course Map


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