Run For Home racers brave wet and chilly conditions, women’s record falls
NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) (April 7, 2025) – The less-than-ideal weather wasn’t enough to discourage hundreds of participants from competing in this year’s Run for Home races over the weekend.
Race director Matt Ritzert says about 530 people had registered in all for the 5 and 10k races Saturday and the half-marathon events Sunday, and most of them showed up.
Israel Merkle of Akron was the first half-marathon finisher in just over 1 hour and 12 minutes.
Megan O’Neil of Rochester, Michigan, won it on the ladies’ side and was the third finisher overall with a time of about 1 hour 17 minutes.
Ritzert says that was a new women’s course despite dealing with the rain, cold, wind, and even mud.
He says it’ll now take a few weeks to tally the proceeds for Habitat for Humanity to partially fund the construction of a new home in Dennison.