Puzzle Dash 5K

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!

Clocktower is back for year 6!!!! This is a fast out and back course that will start at Coventry High School, take you down Portage Lakes Drive, almost to the Clocktower, a quick jaunt through a neighborhood, and then back down to the high school. There will be prizes, awards, awesome medals, and most importantly; FUN!!! This race supports the Coventry Cross Country Team and the proceeds from this race will help send them to XC camp this summer and will buy them new shoes and spikes this fall! We will have a fastest stroller and fastest dog category!!! We will also host a 1 mile fun run on the road immediately following the 5k.

On Saturday, June 6, Akron Promise will host the fifth annual Kenmore Cowbell 7k, which highlights the Summit Lake Trail as well as Akron’s Music Row, Kenmore Boulevard, where guitar shops and percussion are plentiful.

The Cowbell 7k is unique not only in its distance but in its combination of natural and urban experiences. The race will kick off at 8 a.m. at the historic Rialto Theatre to the sound of guitars and cow bells. It will continue east on Kenmore Boulevard to the south end of Summit Lake, Akron's only glacial lake, where runners will connect to the Towpath via the Summit Lake Trail. A bridge will take them across the water past Summit Metro Parks’ Summit Lake Nature Center and Summit Lake Park. Runners will cross the Ohio & Erie Canal via a second bridge and head west, then south along the north side of the lake through a picturesque neighborhood. Runners will experience a slight uphill roll on Kenmore Boulevard which will level out, then head slightly downhill to finish to a bevy of Will Ferrell wannabes cheering them on with more cowbell than the Blue Oyster Cult can shake a drumstick at.

The finishers’ medal will include a literal cowbell: complete with ringer and all. Runners who finish five of the Akron Promise City Series races will receive a specially designed medal by an Akron Artist.

According to the race’s organizer, Nick Korora, a 1996 graduate of Kenmore High School, the origins of the cowbell theme are all local. Ellen Benn, known to Kenmore residents as “Grandma Benn,” was known as Kenmore High School’s biggest cheerleader. For over 60 years, she was a fixture at Kenmore High School sporting events, ringing her signature cowbell for the likes of the country’s longest-serving Mayor Don Plusquellic and former New York Jets players Dave and Don Buckey.

Although Benn died in 2006, Korora sees the race as an opportunity to keep her spirit alive.

“Spectators are a huge part of this race, just as Grandma Benn was a huge part of our childhoods,” Korora explained. “We offer a variety of race packages, so whether you want to be an athlete, Grandma Benn or Will Ferrell for the day, there’s an opportunity for everyone to participate and have fun.”

Proceeds from the race will provide resources, mentorship and post-secondary scholarships to Akron Public School students in Kenmore and surrounding communities.

Discounted registration is available until April 5, 2026

Aware Categories

Top 3 Active Military of Veterans

Top 3 Kenmore High School Graduates

Top 3 Breast Cancer Survivors

Top 3 Female and Male Adult and Youth Champions

Top 3 Male And Female in these Age Categories

18-24

25-29

30-34

35-39

40-44

45-49

50-54

55-50

60-64

65-69

70+

Event Overview

We’ll once again feature community resource tables, along with activities for all ages. The event is designed to celebrate community connections, wellness, and fun for everyone.

5K Challenge

This 5K offers friendly competition for athletes of all ages and abilities. The course features winding trails, hills, and other obstacles, symbolizing the challenges many individuals overcome on their recovery journey. All participants receive a medal.

1-Mile Family Fun Walk

The Family Fun Walk is a great way to get everyone involved! Each paid participant receives a custom shirt. Kids under 5 years old are $5.

Event Schedule

Saturday, June 6, 2026

• 8:00 AM – Packet Pickup & Registration

• 9:00 AM – 5K Start

• 9:15 AM – 1-Mile Start

Awards

5K Awards

Top 3 in each age group:

• 10 & Under

• 11–18

• 19-30

• 31-45

• 46-55

• 56+

War Within Challenge: Honoring Anthony Salem

Run • Walk • Ruck

When: July 26, 2026 8 AM Start

Where: Tuscarawas Shelter at Firestone park in Akron

2620 Harrington Rd

Akron, OH 44319

Fighting the Silent Battle: A 2 mile, 4 mile, or 8 mile for Addiction, PTSD, & Recovery

The 2nd Annual Anthony Salem Challenge is more than a race—it is a movement.

Created in honor of Iraq Combat Veteran Anthony Salem, who tragically lost his battle with addiction and the invisible wounds of war on September 24, 2023, this event stands as a public declaration that no one should have to fight alone.

Every day, veterans and individuals in recovery wage an unseen war—against PTSD, addiction, trauma, and the weight of experiences most will never understand. Too many lose that battle in silence.

This challenge exists to change that.

On race day, participants will run, walk, or ruck a scenic 2 mile course, each step symbolizing the burdens so many carry quietly.

Your participation—and your fundraising—become part of someone’s survival story.

All proceeds power Running2bWell, helping provide:

• Bicycles for transportation

• Fitness clothing

• Running shoes

• Race entries

• Community support and connection

Every dollar fuels hope. Every mile lifts a warrior. Every fundraiser becomes part of the fight.

Join us as we honor Anthony’s legacy, uplift those still fighting, and ensure that no warrior battles alone.

Welcome to The War Within Peer-to-Peer Challenge—where your courage becomes someone’s lifeline.

Peer-to-Peer Challenge Fundraising Levels

War Within Challenge: Honoring Anthony Salem Run • Walk • Ruck

Fighting the Silent Battle: Addiction • PTSD • Recovery

The Challenge Entry — $40

“Answer the Call”

This is your basic registration or “sign-up challenge.”

Includes:

• Event entry for Run • Walk • Ruck

• Participant bib

• Exclusive Anthony Salem Challenge T-shirt

• Access to fundraising platform

• The opportunity to dedicate your challenge “In Honor Of” a loved one

1. Battle Buddy Level — $100-499 Raised

“No One Fights Alone”

• Official “Battle Buddy” digital badge

• Exclusive Anthony Salem Challenge T-shirt

• Fundraisers who raise $100 or more will receive a food truck voucher as a thank-you for their impact

• Name included on event website supporters page

• Helps provide fitness clothing or race entries to someone in recovery.

2. Strength in the Struggle Level — $500-999 Raised

“Every Mile Helps a Warrior Fight Another Day”

• All previous rewards

• Salem Challenge wristband

• Supports a pair of running shoes for a veteran or person in recovery.

3. Warrior Shield Level — $1,000- 2499 Raised

“Your Support Becomes Their Shield”

• All previous rewards

• Name listed on event “Honor Field” signage

• Sponsors a full fitness-support package: clothing, shoes, race entries, and community programming.

• Helps fund a bicycle for transportation to work, meetings, and recovery groups.

4. The Salem Hero Level — $2,500 Raised

“Fight the Battle They Can’t Fight Alone”

• All previous levels

• Personalized certificate presented at the event

• Funds nearly all components for the Sponsor a Warrior program.

Additional Fundraising Components

• Ruck-Weight Fundraiser (Add-On Option)

• Participants can collect pledges tied to their effort:

• $5 per pound rucked

• $1 per minute run

• Great for teams and high-impact fundraisers.

Memorial & Honor Field (Event Day).

Supporters can donate to add a name to the 2026 Honor Field:

• A veteran

• A loved one lost to addiction

• Someone fighting PTSD or rebuilding in recovery