We run to raise funds because the world runs on literacy! Walkers can do the 5k path that loops though Snyder Park and runners can choose the same 5k route or the 10k route that also winds its way through Ferncliff Cemetery and Arboretum.
The Race for Literacy is nearly 15 years old and getting stronger! It always has taken place in beautiful Snyder Park, located in the heart of Springfield, Ohio, along the banks of Buck Creek. The 5k race begins with a shotgun start near the duck pond next to the Oval Shelter House. It dips under Bechtle Avenue and then follows the lagoons until taking a u-turn at the railroad tracks. Looping back toward the start line, it takes a path along Buck Creek, under Bechtle, and then around the Oval to begin again. 5k-ers repeat the route before crossing the finish line.
The 10k race starts out with the 5k racers, following the same path until reaching the railroad tracks. Crossing the tracks the 10k route goes out of the park and up into Ferncliff Cemetery where it follows Buck Creek and then winds its way through the arboretum grounds. At the half-way point, the route doubles back on itself until reaching the railroad tracks where the route finishes on the same path as the 5k route finishes.
An awards ceremony begins promptly at 10:15 with the top three winners in each category receiving a winners medallion. There also are awards for the top male and female 5k and the same for the 10k.
