Maple City Half Marathon & 5K

Update Saturday morning 10/10-

Hello! We are currently monitoring the weather forecast due to impact from remnants of Hurricane Isias. 

Currently we are still ON for Sundays race as it looks like it will be just small pockets of isolated rain showers 🤞. 

We are monitoring the situation and will discuss with our safety partners leading up to the race. Any significant updates will be communicated via participant emails. We look forward to hosting everyone for a wonderful second installment of the Maple City Half and 5k and can’t wait to host you for a fun, safe, but maybe a little soggy race.

Reminder regarding early packet pick up Saturday 3-5pm at the Norwalk High School (350 Shady Lane) parking lot with packet pick up on race day at 6am-7:30am. Please be sure to arrive on time as the pre-race festivities will start promptly at 7:30.

Welcome to the 2nd annual Maple City Half Marathon / 5K presented by the Norwalk Area United Fund, taking place in historic Norwalk, Ohio Sunday October 11, 2026. Proceeds will benefit the Norwalk Area United Fund. Have a great race and support the greater Norwalk area while doing so!

Please see the 2026 Participant Guide here --> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wvOnGDuTvQQK-m6JUlPYD_zIJk3WWFuq/view?usp=drive_link

Thank you to our sponsors!

Title Sponsor - Fisher Titus

Gold Maple Sponsors:

• Payne, Nickles & Company, CPAs
• Pat Spettel - RE/MAX Quality Realty
• Junior Explorers Childcare Centers

Silver Maple Sponsors:

• Todd Lillo Team - Union Home Mortgage NMLS #224237
• Friendship Kitchen

Prize Money Sponsored by Dr. James Kasten 

https://www.facebook.com/share/16QAgZ73FV/

Here we will answer some common questions about the event. If you have any questions on anything not covered here, please reach out to Pat @ pspettel@gmail.com . Thank you!

Where is the race located?

Norwalk, Ohio in North Central Ohio. Norwalk is a wonderful small city with a population of about 20k , located between Toledo and Cleveland, and about 30 minutes south of Lake Erie's shore. 

Is there a time limit?

To allow for streets to open up in a timely manner, participants will be asked to follow a 15 minute per mile pace. Runners falling behind this pace will be asked to move to the sidewalks. 

Is the race certified? Can I qualify for another race based on my time in this event?

YES!

Why should I sign up?

SO MANY REASONS. Come experience small town slice of life and charm here in Norwalk! Fast - fun - and CERTIFIED race course with a small field. Competitively priced! The course is a one-loop course and will take you through the heart of our small town. 

Who is putting on the race?

The race is being presented by the Norwalk Area United Fund, a non-profit charitable organization whose mission is to serve by connecting people with needed resources and focusing on the greater good of the community. Proceeds from the race will go towards supporting their work. More information about the organization can be found at https://www.norwalkareauf.org/about

How will the race be timed?

DMC Timing, a GREAT race director out of Rocky River will be assisting with the race logistics and will be handling chip timing on bibs. 

Tell me about the stuff I get! 

Runners for both the 5K and the Half Marathon will receive a t-shirt and post-race refreshments. Half Marathon runners will also receive a custom finisher medal. We are also working on putting together a swag bag with other goodies.

Important note - All results made by the race director are FINAL! By participating in this race, you are acknowledging that you accept any decisions pertaining to individual or group awards made by the race director.