Run for Home events support Habitat for Humanity
The Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital Run for Home supports Habitat for Humanity East Central Ohio. In the past 15 years, the event has generated $245,000 for Habitat projects in Tuscarawas County.
The 16th annual Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital Run for Home will feature a busy weekend of family activities and road races on Saturday, April 1 and Sunday, April 2.
The Run for Home Community Fitness Festival benefits Habitat for Humanity East Central Ohio. In the past 15 years, the event has generated $245,000 for Habitat projects in Tuscarawas County.
Saturday, April 1 is Country Club Rehabilitation Campus Family Day. Doors will open at the Tuscora Park dining hall building at 8 a.m. The day will include face painting, a free egg run for kids at 9:15 a.m., an appearance by the Easter Bunny and more. Kids participating in the egg run will collect Easter eggs in the park and receive a ribbon at the finish line.
The 1-mile fun run/walk will step off at 9:30 a.m. Registration for the event includes discounts for families and groups. The 1-mile run will be followed by 5k and 10k races sponsored by Route 250 Health and Performance. Both races will begin at 10:30 a.m. and start and finish at Tuscora Park.
The park dining hall will be open from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday for registration and packet pickup for all events.
Run for Home activities will continue Sunday, April 2 when the half-marathon and team relay begin at 7:30 a.m. The Sunday race route will take participants from Tuscora Park to Dover City Park and back to Tuscora Park to the finish line inside Woody Hayes Quaker Stadium.
About 10 runners who have qualified for the Boston Marathon will compete in the race, and organizers are offering a $200 prize to any first-place finisher who beats the men’s or women’s course records.
The weekend schedule and registration information are at www.runforhome.org. Registration is open for all Run for Home events.
“From the half-marathon to the egg run, all the participants appreciate the support and cheers of spectators during the races,” Matt Ritzert said. “We also want to make everyone to know that we’ll have hundreds of participants and volunteers on the roadways Saturday and Sunday. We’re asking drivers to be patient and cautious with the disruption to the normal flow of traffic. If you’re not participating in the Run for Home or watching the race, you might want to avoid the park area Saturday and Sunday morning because there will be some traffic restrictions.”
While most roads will remain open during the races, some traffic controls will be in place including closed lanes and changes in traffic light signals. Some of the major roads on the route for the half-marathon on Sunday include North Broadway, Ray Avenue Northwest, Union Avenue Northwest, Third Street Northwest and Fourth Street Northwest in New Philadelphia.
In Dover the route includes South and North Wooster Avenue, Race Street, Tremont Avenue, Black Snake Hill Road, state Route 800, Front Street, Iron Avenue, and the boulevard. In addition to more than a dozen police officers on the route, Smith Ambulance will provide additional support and traffic control to assist race participants.
A variety of businesses, youth groups, church groups and civic organizations will staff aide stations along the route to offer the runners and walkers water and sports drinks.
Organizers say about 150 volunteers will support the activities.
“The Run for Home could not happen without the community groups and individuals that volunteer race weekend,” volunteer coordinator Sheila Samson Witt said. “We’re very thankful for all the volunteers who do everything from staffing our aide stations, to directing the participants along the route, to serving the refreshments after the race.”
Call Ritzert at 330-827-5710.