25th Anniversary Towpath Marathon Logo & More

In This Issue

25th Anniversary Towpath Marathon Logo

Towpath Marathon an International Draw

Introducing the Trilogy Trail Team

How can I help?

The Towpath Trilogy

Race Series

The Towpath Half Marathon
April

The Towpath Ten-Ten

June

The Towpath Marathon

October 9th, 2016

The

25th Anniversary
Towpath Marathon Logo

The Towpath Marathon will celebrate its 25 year anniversary in 2016. For this occasion, Canalway Partners will abandon its traditional "shoe" logo to feature a logo that calls attention to this 25 year mark, using a mix of colors, shapes and minimal text. The logo was designed by George Coghill, and will be featured on our Finisher Medal and race tee.

Towpath Marathon
an International Draw

Each year the Towpath Marathon draws runners from across the country and even internationally. So far in 2016- the 25th Anniversary of the Towpath Marathon- we have registrants from 36 states and Australia, Canada, India and Jamaica.

We spoke with Kim Stevenson who will be participating in the Towpath Marathon while in town from Australia.

So Kim, where are you from?
I am traveling from Melbourne, Australia where I have lived for the last 29 years. I was born in the USA.

How did you find out about the Towpath Marathon?
I was following some links, looking for information about Cuyahoga and Brandywine Falls, as my sister and I were looking for a nature-based getaway for after her daughter's wedding. I had also been looking for a 'fun run' or a 'trail run' as an incentive to maintain my fitness while traveling. So the two things came together nicely!

Have you traveled far for other races?
I haven't traveled this far for other races, no. Probably about 2hrs would be the furthest I'd traveled for a race prior to this. We have a family wedding in Columbus to attend, so I think the driving time is a little over two hours...but if you count the trip from Australia, well that's a fair bit further!

Do you have a favorite marathon so far?
I'm not really a marathon runner, but I participated in a very lovely, very hilly 13km run called the 'Puffing Billy' in Australia. The Puffing Billy is an old Steam Train that the runners race against; the race raises funds to maintain the train and tracks.

The Puffing Billy, by Michael Greenhill

What are you looking forward to doing while you are in the area?

I'm looking forward to enjoying the fall colour and finding out more about Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the history behind the Towpath trail. My family lived in Detroit when the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie were so badly polluted that the river caught fire, I vaguely remember learning about that.

It will be great to see the results of the environmental efforts that eventually led to the cleanup of the waterways. I was also attracted to the opportunity of running through such a scenic area. We might even get a look at Brandywine falls while in the area. My brother-in-law is quite skeptical that a place so close to Cleveland/Akron would be a draw card for nature enthusiasts, so I'm looking forward to taking a few photos to share...

Introducing the Trilogy Trail Team

The Towpath Trilogy Race Series relies on the participation of many volunteers to make great events. We are thankful for these hard workers who help distribute water, set up the finish line and do the many things needed to make our races so fun and successful.

Sometimes our day jobs at Canalway Partners, where we work on the development of the Towpath Trail and the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area, prevent us from "pounding the pavement" to bring new runners to our race series.

We are looking for some Towpath fans that are willing to help us spread the word about the Towpath Trilogy! This might entail helping distribute postcards, attending fun runs as a Trilogy ambassador or just sharing your experience online. Let us know if you can help or have ideas on how we can share our events with new audiences.

President John F. Kennedy said: "Success has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan." This is certainly the case for the Towpath Trail project in Cleveland. As we continue to push forward on the completion of the Towpath Trail and Canal Basin Park, it is quite evident that success is deeply rooted in the widespread community support for our goals. We have heard from folks wanting to help.

Sign up to help

The Towpath Marathon
is October 9th

The Towpath Marathon, the conclusion of the 2016 Towpath Trilogy Race Series, is Sunday October 9th. The event features three race lengths, half-marathon, marathon and 10k.

From Runner's World:

"Savor autumn in all its saturated hues at one of the most beautiful marathons on the fall racing calendar, which also happens to showcase one of the Midwest's few national parks. Named for the Native American word for "crooked river," the 33,000-acre Cuyahoga Valley National Park provides the brilliant backdrop for this trio of races, which started with a relay in 1992. The flat, fast events-including a marathon that's popular as a Boston qualifier-feature a winding, scenic out-and-back on the park's 85-mile Towpath Trail. The crushed limestone path meanders along the Cuyahoga River, complete with wooden bridges and resident wildlife like otters, herons, and even bald eagles. At the finish line, live music and $4 pints from a local brewery keep the fun rolling."