Paul Richey Memorial Run Half Marathon & 5K

Saturday, June 10, 2017 • Oil City, PA • Course Map

runsignup-blueJust over six and a half miles of flat, paved biking and running trails along the Allegheny River here in western Pennsylvania will be the terrain for runners and walkers at the annual late spring running of Oil City’s Paul Richey Memorial Run Half Marathon & 5K.

Like its counterpart the 5K — which is open to both runners and walkers, while the half is open to runners only — the half marathon follows an out-and-back course that starts and finishes at the Venago Campus of Clarion University, which lies along Oil City’s 1st Street on the western side of town.

From there, runners head west along the river, following the largely shaded pathways along what is known as the Samuel Justus Recreation Trail.

Stretching more than 30 miles between the towns of Oil City and Emlenton, the trail is made up of an 8-ft.-wide paved surface for the entire race course, built on what was once a railroad line that ran parallel to the river.

Along much of the trail, there is also a hard-packed dirt access road for horseback riders who wish to enjoy the trail without subjecting their horses’ hooves to the hard surface of the paved trail, and runners can choose to run on either the paved trail or the dirt access road during the race.

Runners follow the trail all the way westward to the nearby city of Franklin, where they reach the half-way turnaround point for the race near the local landmark known as the Salt Box House.

Once there, runners then turn around and retrace their steps along the route they’ve just run, all the way back to the Clarion University campus for the race finish. Organizers note that the course will remain open to bikers during the race, so runners are encouraged to remain aware of non-race participants during the race.

There will be restroom porta-potties at the start and the half-way turnaround point, organizers add, as well as water & gatorade stations at each mile marker out on the course.

Race Weather & Climate

Nestled along the winding Allegheny River in western Pennsylvania, just over 90 miles north of Pittsburgh and roughly 130 miles east of Cleveland, Ohio, Oil City typically sees mild to moderately warm weather in June, which is this city’s second-rainiest month of the year.

On race day (June 10), the average low is 52ºF and the average high is 78ºF.

Past Results

Course Map

See the race route map for the Paul Richey Memorial Run Half Marathon here.

Starting Time

  • 7:45 AM – kids fun run
  • 8:00 AM – half marathon
  • 8:15 AM – 5K

Fees

  • $25 – $35 for the half marathon
  • $15 – $25 for the 5K

Registration

To reserve your spot in the 2017 running of Oil City’s Paul Richey Memorial Run Half Marathon or 5K race, register online at RunSignUp.com here.

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Official Race Website

www.theprrun.com

Comments

Ever run in the Paul Richey Memorial Run? Share your impressions here, or post your review in the Comments below.

See more races in: June, Pennsylvania

1 comment… add one
  • Nathan May 4, 2016, 9:47 pm

    I ran the Half Marathon in June of 2015.

    Course: Out-and-back. Slightly uphill grade on the way out, but I made up time on the way back. Very shady and nice, wooded scenery.

    Spectators: Sparse. Some crowd support at the Start/Finish and near turnaround point. Bring headphones to this one.

    Amenities: Water/Gatorade stations are good in terms of number and how well they are run. There are very few port-a-potties.

    Medal: Nice, wooden medal. Very appropriate and keeps with the spirit of the race.

    Value: For only $25, you get a well-organized, scenic run through the woods. I just signed up to run it again in 2016.

    Reply

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