Journal Jog to step off on Aug. 4; sign up now – The Morning Journal
Journal Jog to step off on Aug. 4; sign up now The Morning Journal
The Journal Jog has become a summer tradition in Lorain, and the event is celebrating its 10th anniversary Aug. 4 when runners from all over Northeast Ohio …
The Journal Jog has become a summer tradition in Lorain, and the event is celebrating its 10th anniversary Aug. 4 when runners from all over Northeast Ohio gather at Black River Landing for a race that has become a way to raise funds for several local causes while providing fun and a little competition.
The actual day, however, is a culmination of months of planning and preparation.
According to runnersworld.com, there are a lot of decisions to be made before the official planning process can begin and it starts with several key questions:
What type of race will you have? A road race? A triathlon? A run/walk?
Then, what course will best suit your race and its participants?
What time of the year will be most conducive for your race?
The Journal Jog has been featured as a run/walk style race with a 5K kicking off in the early morning and a 3K walk starting shortly after.
The race generally is scheduled at the end of July or early August with proceeds benefiting the Mary Lee Tucker Clothe-A-Child Program and the mayor’s scholarship funds.
The MLT-CAC program provides several hundred school-aged children in Lorain County with new, warm winter clothing.
City construction prevented the race from taking its normal course in 2017, but the Journal Jog has kept its original route for nine of its 10 years in existence — starting at Black River Landing, continuing down Broadway before heading west on West Erie Avenue, through Lakeview Park then up West First Street before reaching the finish line back at Black River Landing.
Organizing a race on city streets requires proper action be taken in terms of notifying Lorain officials and coordinating with local police and fire departments, with both volunteering their time each year to ensure the runners’ safety.
Once all necessary parties have been informed and the course cleared for race day, Runner’s World suggests race directors begin drafting volunteers to help promote the event, register runners, pass out awards and help with post-race clean up, among other tasks.
One of the most important aspects of organizing a 5K according to Athlinks Services is to find an established timer or race management company to work with.
Since its inception in 2009, the Journal Jog has partnered with Greater Cleveland XC as the official race timers.
Greater Cleveland XC specializes in the staging of athletic events and chip timing/scoring for anything from 5Ks to marathons and ultra distance races, and is involved in countless events across Northeast Ohio including the Glow with the Flow 5K in Medina, the St. Gabriel Sprint 5K in Mentor and the Rock Hall Half Marathon, Relay, 10K and 5K in Cleveland — and that’s just in August.
After teaming up with a race timer, the course must then be properly marked to keep runners on track and amenities, including refreshments and plenty of space for runners to relax after the race, must be secured.
And all this happens prior to the runners making their way to the starting line.
Race day itself includes on-site assembly of any necessary equipment, registration, refreshments, awards and any post-race cleanup.
For all the effort it takes to host a race, the end result is a day dedicated to raising money which will benefit the city of Lorain and beyond, and in its 10th year, the Journal Jog will be a fun, community-oriented event bringing runners to Lorain from all over the area.