Pennsylvania > Garden Spot Village Marathon, Half Marathon & Relay
New Holland, PA • Saturday, March 31, 2012 • Course Map
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The pastoral beauty of Pennsylvania's Amish countryside -- with its
horse-drawn buggies, rolling farmlands and simple family-centered life
-- is found throughout the area at the annual springtime running of New
Holland's Garden Spot Village Marathon & Half Marathon, which
was run for the first time in 2009 and added a half marathon race for
the first time in 2010.
The race takes its name from Garden Spot Village, a retirement
community for seniors in New Holland, where the race starts by the
village's Legacy Garden. From there, those running the half marathon
follow the same route as those running the 26.2-mile race for the first
six and a half miles of the race, starting out with turns out from the
village onto Ranck Avenue and Earl Road, and then onto Stauffer Road.
After the stretch along Stauffer, the course turns next onto Sheep Hill
Road, and then onto Ranck Road and Wallace Road, a stretch that brings
the first significant uphill stretch of the race, along miles 3 through
5. As Wallace Road becomes Hill Road through mile markers 6 and 7, the
course then hits a downhill stretch and then hits the loop portion
along Custer Avenue which marks the turn to take those running the half
back toward the finish line.
Once they make the loop around Custer, Peters Road and Mentzer Road,
runners then run back along the route they've already run on Hill Road,
making another uphill stretch from mile markers 9 through 10. The
course then flattens out between miles 10 and 11 and then unfolds
downhill again for the last couple of miles, along South Kinzer Avenue
back to Garden Spot Village for the finish.
Both races are open to runners as well as walkers, and the full
marathon will also be open to relay teams of 2, 3 or 4 runners each.
Organizers add that runners (and walkers) can expect to see many of the
sights for which the region is famous, such as farmers using
horse-drawn plows to cultivate their fields, and plenty of beautiful
green rolling farmland throughout. Just over 750 runners crossed the finish line in the marathon and half marathon combined in 2011, and the scheduled starting time for the race is 8:00 AM.
Race
Weather & Climate
Nestled among the Amish country of southeastern Pennsylvania, roughly 60 miles west of Philadelphia, the town of New Holland typically experiences mild to moderately cool and sometimes cold weather conditions in the mid-spring season, and relatively steady precipitation throughout the year. In March, average monthly temperatures range between 51°F and 31°F, while rainfall amounts average just over 3.2 inches for the month. On the day of the race (March 31), the average high is 57°F and the average low is 36°F.
Course Map
View the race route map for the Garden Spot Village Half Marathon
Fees
$70 for the half marathon, if registered before January 31, 2012
$80 between Jan. 31 - February 28
$100 after Feb. 28
$35 for runners under age 18
Registration
To reserve your spot in the early spring 2012 running of New Holland's Garden Spot Village Marathon, Half Marathon or Relay race, register online at Active.com.
Official Race Website
www.gardenspotvillagemarathon.org
Leave a Comment
Ever run in Pennsylvania's annual Garden Spot Village Marathon or Half Marathon? Share your impressions, stories and tips from the event.
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