Saturday, October 29, 2016 • Elida, OH • Course Map
Set for its 7th annual running along the largely fast and flat streets and country roads of this small village in northwestern Ohio that lies roughly halfway between Detroit, Mich., to its north and Cincinnati to its south, the Meals ‘Til Monday Half Marathon & 5K serves as a vehicle for raising both funds for and awareness of the mission of the organization from which the race takes its name.
Founded in Elida in 2010, Meals ‘Til Monday supports schoolchildren and their families in a number of small towns and villages in northern Ohio by helping to provide one of their most basic needs: food. According to Feeding America, a nationwide hunger relief charity, as many as 17 million children across the U.S. lived in “food insecure” households in 2009, meaning that they had what the organization describes as low or very low food security.
Meals ‘Til Monday was founded to try to make a difference with this immense challenge on a local level, by providing nutritional, kid-friendly meals over the weekends to children who primarily rely on their school cafeteria for their food.
This helps them not only to gain better nutrition on the days they’re not in school, the organization notes, but also to enjoy better focus on the days they are in school, as they will be less distracted and discouraged by the food issues they face outside the classroom.
The half marathon race itself starts at Elida Elementary School near the corner of Wildwood Avenue and Pioneer Road, just off Elida’s Main Street. From there, runners follow an out-and-back course that winds along the outskirts of town and into the rural farm fields just north of Elida.
Runners start the half by heading south until they reach Weger Avenue, and then follow a series of turns on Sunnydale Street, Baxter Street and East North Street before turning onto Dutch Hollow Road, which takes them northward for roughly a mile and a half, past the river on the way to Sherrick Road. At Sherrick, the race route turns right and heads east, taking runners nearly two miles along Sherrick to the turn onto Gomer Road.
The turn onto Gomer begins the trek out to the turnaround point, taking runners along Gomer to Bussert Road and then turning again for another stretch on Dutch Hollow Road, where they’ll hit the turnaround point between the mile 7 and 8 markers. Once runners make the turn, they then head back to Elida Elementary for the race finish.
Race Weather & Climate
Located in the northwest corner of the state, Elida lies just a few miles from nearby Lima, which typically sees mild to moderately cool weather in the mid-fall season, and usually drier than the summer months.
On race day (Oct. 29), the average low is 39ºF and the average high is 57ºF.
Past Results
- 2015 Meals ‘Til Monday Half Marathon Results
- 2014 Meals ‘Til Monday Half Marathon Results
- 2013 Meals ‘Til Monday Half Marathon Results
- 2012 Meals ‘Til Monday Half Marathon Results
- 2011 Meals ‘Til Monday Half Marathon Results
Course Map
See the race route map for the Meals ‘Til Monday Half Marathon here.
Starting Time
9:00 AM
Fees
- $42 for the half marathon, until September 30
- $52 on race day
Registration
To reserve your spot in the 2016 running of the Meals ‘Til Monday 5K & Half Marathon, register online at Active.com here.
Official Race Website
Comments
Ever run in the Meals ‘Til Monday Half Marathon? Share your impressions here, or post your review in the Comments below.
