Towpath Half Marathon & 5-Mile

Sunday, April 16, 2023 • Cuyahoga Heights, OH • Course Map

Inspired by the success of nearby Peninsula’s annual Towpath Marathon in the fall, a few years ago the organizers of the race created what they call the “Towpath Trilogy” of races along different sections of the Towpath Trail in the spring and summer, of which the Towpath Half Marathon is the newest race.

The Towpath Half & 5-mile run — which added the 3-mile distance for the first time in 2015 — takes runners on a course that’s similar to the original Towpath Marathon, which unfolds along the trail that runs through the Ohio Canal Corridor, a 110-mile stretch of recreational paths for bikers, hikers and walkers that will eventually stretch all the way from Cleveland’s Flats at Canal Basin park to New Philadelphia, in mid-state Ohio.

(MORE: 14 Scenic Photos of the Towpath Half Marathon)

This springtime race takes runners on a tour of the parkland areas just south of Cleveland known as the Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation, a park filled with hiking and walking trails, over four miles of canals and plenty of wildlife that stretches between the villages of Cuyahoga Heights and Valley View.

Runners start the race at the corner of East 49th Street and Grant Avenue just north of Cuyahoga Heights, and then head south along East 49th for a brief stretch before turning right to head onto the Towpath Trail, near the Kreiger Canalway Center.

Once on the trail, runners follow it southward and eastward as it winds its way along the route of the canal, all the way down to the turnaround point near the intersection of West Canal Road and Fosdick Road.

Along the way, runners will cross two scenic bridges on their way southward down the trail, whose pathway is made up of asphalt surface in this section of the Cleveland Metroparks system.

Runners cross both bridges again on the return route back northward, all the way back to the finish line on Harvard Avenue, just before reaching Jennings Road.

All races are open to both runners and walkers — those walking the half marathon will start an hour before the runners’ starting time. The course closes at 11:00 AM, which means runners will need to finish in 3 hours.

What Ohio’s Towpath Trail looks like. (Photo courtesy Towpath Half Marathon)

Race Weather & Climate

Located just a few miles west of the village of Brooklyn and roughly six miles south of downtown Cleveland, Cuyahoga Heights shares weather conditions quite similar to nearby Brooklyn, which usually sees chilly to mild temperatures in April.

On race day (April 16), the average low is 36ºF and the average high is 55ºF.

Past Results

Course Map

See the race route map for the Towpath Half Marathon here.

Starting Time

8:00 AM

Fees

See race website

Registration

To reserve your spot in the 2023 running of Cuyahoga Heights’ Towpath Half Marathon, 3-mile or 5-Mile race, register online at the official website below.

Official Race Website

www.towpathtrilogy.net

Comments

Ever run in the Towpath Half Marathon? Share your impressions here, or post your review in the Comments below.

See more races in: April, Ohio

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