Ohio State hosts Komen Columbus Race for the Cure

COLUMBUS – More than 30,000 runners, walkers and supporters are expected to participate in the 11th annual Komen Columbus Race for the Cure, to be held on Ohio State’s campus Saturday morning (5/17).

The one-mile fun walk begins at 8:15 a.m., the 5K race begins at 9 a.m. and the 5K coed walk begins at 9:15 a.m. The event wraps up at 10:30 a.m. with an awards ceremony and celebration at Bill Davis Stadium.

Since many area streets will be closed either due to the race or due to road construction, race organizers are urging participants to plan on arriving by 7 a.m. in order to reach the starting line on time. Since the Lane Avenue Bridge is closed, those racers walking from the Schottenstein Center area should use the pedestrian bridge to reach the starting line on Lane Avenue.

Ohio State is doing everything it can to make sure racers are not slowed by traffic in reaching the event on time, but organizers’ best advice is that participants should arrive earlier than they do for smaller races.

“We are planning to open parking garages and surface lots to participants, and we’ll have shuttle service available beginning at 5 a.m.,” says Beth Kelley, associate director for Transportation and Parking.

“Participants should follow the directions of the officers to available campus parking. Traffic officers are in constant communication with each other. They know when parking lots are full and can direct motorists to the best available parking.”

Parking is available in surface lots on West Campus, the lots around Ohio Stadium, the Buckeye lots and the Fawcett Center, and shuttle service will begin at 5 a.m. from the West Campus and Buckeye lots to the Schottenstein Center. Disability parking is available in Scarlet lots near the Schottenstein Center.

Parking garages will open at 5 a.m. for race parking. Garages designated for race parking, which are accessible only until 8 a.m., include Tuttle Park Place, the Northwest Parking Garage and the Arps Garage. All parking in those areas is free. Participants are urged to avoid Medical Center parking areas.

The race has grown substantially since it began in 1993, when 875 participants raised $50,000. Last year, some 27,000 participants raised more than $935,000 to support breast cancer research.

The race course will use Lane Avenue, High Street, Woodruff Avenue, Woody Hayes Drive, John Herrick Drive, Olentangy River Road and Borror Drive. These streets will be shut down beginning at 8 a.m. (6 a.m. for Lane Avenue) to make way for racers.

For more parking information, see http://www.tp.ohio-state.edu/quickpost/raceforthecure/raceforthecure2003.html
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