Halfway To 50 States!

With only a couple of weeks to go before Amelia and Matt moved away from Pittsburgh, we finally arranged a race in nearby Ohio. Matt’s M.B.A. graduation from Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University offered the perfect opportunity to coordinate a visit and a race.

Perusing our traditional trusty race resource, Runningintheusa.com  failed to locate any Ohio races in the area close to Pittsburgh.  But after doing a little research, I found the Austintown Lion’s 21st Annual “5K in May”.  With less than an hour and a half drive from Pittsburgh and a 9:45 a.m starting time, this seemed like exactly what we needed to check Ohio off of our quest list.

Matt’s parents, Bill and Terry, kindly offered to accompany us to the race.  We all enjoyed the scenic rolling farmland and the opportunity to visit during the drive to Austintown. Thanks to excellent details on the race entry form,  we arrived exactly at the starting location right on schedule, thus sparing Terry and Bill the “excitement” of navigation challenges that we have endured when traveling to a few other races.

The rainy forecast made us particularly thrilled to discover that registration and other race activities took place in an attractive heated building with indoor facilities. It proved to be the perfect spot for our spectators to be able to watch the race and stay cozy and dry.

We seldom have companions for our races so this was a real treat. Bill had the foresight to take a photo of us before we headed out into the rain to document our pre-race status.

He even got a shot of us at the starting line. Normally if we have any visual documentation at the start it’s an awkward selfie or a random shot of the crowd.

The group of runners who lined up at the start may have been small but it was undeterred by the weather.  After a few brief announcements, we were off and running.

The race took place at the Austintown Township Park and was run on a pleasant gravel trail that wound through woods and past a small pond.

The route  is a double loop that goes past the main building where registration and awards took place. Terry and Bill were able to see us four times during the race without having to leave the building. But being the great sports they are, they even popped out to cheer us on as we ran by.  There was excellent volunteer support along the route, including a water stop which we ran past twice.

We loved the course, despite the rain, and were pleased with our time.  Here is our post- race shot where we are looking (and feeling) decidedly soggy.

Numerous door prizes were distributed and Mike and I were lucky enough to both win something.  I  won a bucket packed with Avon treats.

The prizes also included many gift certificates to local restaurants. Since we were all getting hungry we were keeping our fingers crossed that Mike would receive one of those…and he did, which allowed us to later redeem his prize at the Korner Restaurant on our way home.

I was thrilled  to win second place in my age group.

As I went up to receive my medal I commented to the announcer that we had chosen their event for our Ohio race in our quest to run a race in every state.  There was a kind response from the other runners and spectators when he shared this with the group.  I think it drives Mike crazy when I do this but I can’t resist sharing our enthusiasm for our adventure. I also have found that people seem to appreciate knowing that their race had a special attraction.

What started out as a random race to check Ohio off of our quest list, once again became an event filled with unexpected bonuses.  It was a well organized race with a pretty course and generous awards and prizes. We had an opportunity to meet wonderful people, including the woman who won my age group who is on her own quest to run twelve races this year. Having Terry and Bill join us made the trip much more fun and provided vastly better race photography!

Ohio is the 25th state in which we have run. It seems fitting that rather than marking this halfway point milestone with a fancy race in a flashy destination, we once again were treated to the unexpected pleasures of a small race in a less famous location. Our experience here solidified the philosophy that has emerged during our adventure. It is the journey, not just the destination, that truly matters.

State: Ohio

Quest Race #: 25

Date Run: May 14, 2016

The Bottom Line: We loved everything about this race!  We only regret that it’s unlikely we will have a chance to see the people we met again and that Bill and Terry aren’t going to be able to accompany us to and provide outstanding support at the next 25 races.