The Haunted Forest Marathon

The Run to the Beach 5K and One-Mile Easter Eggs Scramble on April 11, 2026, features beautiful courses that loop around Portage Lakes State Park.

Great swag! Finisher medals for ALL 5K runners and walkers.

The Run to the Beach 5K and 1-Mile Easter Egg Scramble is set to take participants for a mostly flat and fast run or walk along the lakeshore of Portage Lakes State Park, where more than 2000 acres of lakes, camping sites and hiking trails make it a popular recreation spot for boating and fishing here in northeastern Ohio.

Both races start in the parking lot near the beach area with a mix of road and trails and end on the sand on the beach.

Entrants will also receive a tech tshirt in the 5K, food and a goodie bag.

The event benefits the Portage Lakes Advisory Council. Become a race sponsor or donate to our organization by going to our fundraising page HERE. Donations can also be made through the registration process.

Location/Schedule

Portage Lakes State Park (5031 Manchester Road, Akron, Ohio 44319)

7:30 AM - Packet Pickup Begins

8:30 AM - 1-Mile Easter Egg Scramble Starts

9:00 AM - 5K Run & Competitive Walk Starts

1-Mile Easter Egg Scramble

• A one-mile race, with Easter eggs along the course. Participants finish on the beach!

• The Easter eggs then can be redeemed for prizes after the race. Parents of children running may run with their child for no additional charge.

• Participants receive a cotton shirt.

• Awards to the Top 3 Overall Males and Females.

5K Run

• Finishers receive a very unique finisher medal!

• Participants get a technical t-shirt.

• Awards to Top 5 Overall Males and Females.

• Additional awards to Top 3 in Age Categories: 11 & Under, 12-15, 16-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70 & Over.

5K Competitive Walk

• All participants must walk the entire event, no running/jogging!

• Finishers receive a very unique medal.

• Participants will get a technical t-shirt.

• Awards to Top 5 Overall Male and Female.

Team Challenge

Largest team wins no matter the time or event!

Winning team will enjoy a team prize. The team leader will be given details of the team prize.

Gather up everyone you know to be on your team. Participants can do either the 5K, 1-Mile, or the Virtual Run/Walk. Each team member signs up individually for their event and can create/join a team when registering for the event. Get your friends and/or co-works together, come up with a unique team name, and come on out! Team members must cross the finish line at the race to count! Virtual members must turn in their completion of event by Friday, May 2nd, at 5:00pm.

Your team leader should create the team and then you can choose it from the dropdown list of existing teams so that no spelling errors occur!

Who We Are: Healthy Kids Running Series is a five (5) week running program in the spring and fall for kids Pre-K through 8th grade. Each HKRS Series takes place once a week and offers age-appropriate running events including the 50 & 75 yard dashes, the 1/4 mile, the 1/2 mile and the 1 mile run. Kids will earn points for each race they complete based on their finish.

Pricing: The registration fee covers the entire five (5) weeks of the Series which includes race bibs for each week, a runner shirt, a finisher medal and any sponsor giveaways. Registration is non-refundable and non-transferable. Online Early Bird registration increases three weeks prior to the first race event.

Challenger: This Series offers a Challenger Division which is an adaptive 75 yard race for children with disabilities and/or special needs. This allows for parents, siblings, and friends to be on the course with runners to provide support as well as bringing their own supportive devices such as crutches, braces, wheelchairs, etc. to be used by runners.

Makeup Date Information: 5/24/2026

Single Day Racing: Single day race registration opens one hour prior to the start of each race. The registration fee covers one single race to be run on the day of registration. ALL single day registrations should be completed onsite at the race location. Single day racers will have the option to upgrade to the full series (see tab on the left side of the page for instructions). There is a strict no-refund and no-transfer policy.

Awards: All participants receive a medal on Week 5! Trophies will be awarded to the overall top finishers in each of the divisions listed below (broken out by boys and girls respectively):

Pre-K 50 Yard Dash

Pre-K 75 Yard Dash

Kindergarten & 1st Grade

2nd & 3rd Grade

4th & 5th Grade

6th to 8th Grade

Challenger

Share your running photos with our community! Find us on Facebook @HealthyKidsRunning or Instagram @healthykidsrs!

#GetUpandGo

Join us for the 2026 Race Judicata on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at 5:00pm from the University of Akron School of Law. All proceeds benefit the Akron Bar Foundation that provides scholarships and law related grants.

Course: The course is on the University of Akron Campus.

Awards: Top Male and Female Finishers in the following categories: Top Overall and Top Age Groups: 24 and under, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65-74, 75+, and Tortoise (last to cross)

Law Student Team Competition - Join your class members and compete as a team! Time to race for bragging rights!

Join us for our FOURTH annual “Keyed Up 5k” walk/run on FRIDAY, April 24th, at 8pm, sponsored by the Vocal Patrons Association at GlenOak High School!

Our 5k is a relaxed evening event and walkers, joggers, and runners of all ages and abilities are welcome to join us! The 2026 edition features a return of last year’s popular "GLOW MODE", powered by neon, loud colors, and your own energy and style as you run, walk, or crawl along the course starting and ending at GlenOak stadium.

Back this year is the "fun run" for kids 12 and under who aren't ready to walk or run through the 5k!

This year we are moving away from timing all runners, and focusing on moving, music, and celebrating our choral arts programs together. The top 3 men and top 3 women runners will have recorded times and receive trophies, and all other participants will note their own times as they cross the finish line and join the celebration!

Vocal Patrons Association raises funds to support the vocal arts programs at GlenOak, and 100% of money raised goes to provide direct financial support for the choral programs throughout Plain Local Schools. We hope you will join us as we move in harmony together!

Join us on April 25, 2026 for the Puzzle Dash 5K at Columbia Woods Park!, a fun-filled run supporting autism awareness and benefiting Kids First, Tops School! Lace up, dash for a cause, and help make a difference for children and families in our community. 💙🧩 The race/walk will take participants on a scenic route from Columbia Woods to Norton City High School and back. For children with disabilities or those looking for a fun stroll through the park, a smaller, accessible path within Columbia Woods will host a separate race.

All runners and walkers will receive race medals, t-shirts, water, and bananas. The 5K will receive race numbers and trackers so family and friends can track their progress.

🏁 Puzzle Dash 5K Race Day Schedule

Friday, April 24, 2026:

Columbia Woods Pavilion

8:00 AM-6:00 PM - Pre-race packet pickup

Saturday, April 25, 2026:

7:30 AM – Race Day Sign-Ups & Packet Pick-Up Opens

8:30 AM - Kids Fun Run

8:45 AM – Pre-Race Announcements

8:55 AM – National Anthem

9:00 AM – 5K Race Start!

9:45 AM – Post-Race Refreshments & Fun Zone Open

10:15 AM – Awards Ceremony

10:45 AM – Community Fun & Wrap-Up

Event Highlights:

-Vendors will be set up throughout Columbia Woods

---Food and Drink

---Petting Zoo

---bouncy house

-50/50 and Potential Raffle Baskets

-Halfway Water Station provided by Aaron Greene.

-Entertainment includes DJ Abner Santiago

---John Dugos, our Official Photographer

T-Shirts:

We offer the following shirt sizes Youth Small-Large, Women X-Small-2X-Large, & Men Small-2X-Large. We also offer a no shirt option for a $5 discount. To be guaranteed a shirt size please register by April 3. Limited selection will be available after!

Awards:

5K:

Top 3 - Overall Female & Male

Top 1 - Female & Male in the following age groups 14 & Under, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, & 70+

Volunteer Support:

-Athletico: Pre-race stretching tent & support on the smaller track

-Race Penguin staff

Safety & Support:

-Norton City Police: Road security

-Norton City Fire Department: First aid support

Promotion & Media:

-Social Media

-WEOL Wadsworth Radio Station will provide on-air advertisements

Giving Back:

All proceeds from Race Penguin will go to Kids First Tops Copley. For more information please visit their website at https://www.summitesc.org/AboutUs1.aspx.

We are actively seeking major donors to help make this event a success and support our community goals.

Thank you for supporting the Puzzle Dash 5K!