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Marietta Y5 Road Race set for Saturday

Shawn and Deana Farrah try to run The Marietta Times Y5 Road Race every year.

“We’ve run it now five or six times,” said 44-year-old Shawn Farrah. “I think we may have missed one year.

“But it’s local, and it’s a nice, flat, fast course. It’s a well-run race.”

The 15th annual event is scheduled to start at 8 a.m. Saturday in Muskingum Park. It includes both a 10K run/walk ($30 race day registration) and 5K run/walk ($20). Race day registration begins at 7 a.m. For online registration, visit mariettaymca.org.

“We have about 100 signed up (pre-registered) now,” said Suzy Zumwalde, the executive director of the Marietta Family YMCA.

Saturday’s weather forecast is 81 degrees with a 40 percent chance of showers.

“I’m hoping it will be a little cooler in the morning,” Farrah said.

As for the course itself, it starts and finishes at Muskingum Park on Front Street in Marietta. The course goes down to the Washington County Fairgrounds, and then runs back along the River Trail.

Participants will repeat the route in the 10K run/walk.

Farrah and his wife, who is the Marietta YMCA Youth Running Club director , will be competing in the 5K run. Last year, both finished third in the Y5 men’s and women’s division, respectively.

“I’m going to try to get under 20 minutes in the 5K,” said Farrah, a Williamstown grad and former wrestler.

He said that his wife went to Warren High and was a gymnast.

“I never ran (long distances) in high school,” Farrah said. “And Deana and I didn’t start running until 2011.

“We train quite a bit. I run 30-45 miles a week, and Deana does 20-25.”

Like last year, the Farrahs will be running with the Youth Running Club as part of team.

“There’s about 30 of us,” he said, “and you won’t be able to miss us in our green singlets.”

After the Y5 event, the Farrahs are planning to run in the Parkersburg News&Sentinel Half Marathon on Aug. 19.

Rhonda Hower of Marietta said that she’s done the Y5 and also Half a few times. But not the Half anymore.

“I’ll be doing the 5K walk Saturday,” said Hower, a part-time Marietta YMCA group fitness instructor. “But I’m not competing anymore. I’m a casual walker. It’s more of a hobby.”

Hower will actually be walking with her friend Judy Kuhn, a first-time Y5 participant.

“It’s just time to be out with friends and the community,” Hower said. “And, it’s a good way to support the YMCA on a nice day.”

The Y5 event started in 2003 and was in Devola before moving to Marietta in 2011. The races are a major fund-raiser for the Marietta Family YMCA. Proceeds raised go to the general fund to support scholarships for children at the Y.

The Marietta Times Y5 Road Race is sponsored by The Marietta Times and co-sponsored by the Marietta Family YMCA. Some of the other race sponsors are J.D. Byrider, First Settlement, Subway, TheisenBrock, Joe Momma’s Kitchen, Marietta College, CRJ Vending, Amrine Awards, Physical Med. Dept. at Marietta Memorial Hospital, and McDonald’s of Marietta.

According to Zumwalde, River City Runners Club of Parkersburg will once again be assisting in the timing and tabulation of the results.

“We’re still looking for more volunteers,” she said.

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