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Habitat for Humanity of Mahoning County hosts 15th annual Home Run 5K
POLAND
Habitat for Humanity of Mahoning County’s Home Run 5K has become a tradition to runners and Habitat for Humanity volunteers in the Valley.
Larry Jenson, the race’s director and an avid runner, said a lot of little races come and go, but he said the Home Run 5K is one race that managed to stay in the Valley for 15 years.
“The race is pretty established in the area,” Jenson said. “We got a lot of support coming from the same faces every year.”
On Saturday, about 200 people will run along Center Road in Poland for the nonprofit’s 15th annual Home Run 5K.
The race starts at 9 a.m. in the Holy Family Church parking lot on Center Road and loops Diana Drive, Edna Street and Evergreen Drive.
The day’s events also include a 2-mile walk and a kid’s race.
Jenson, who co-designed the race, said the course is fairly flat.
He added that the race is easy to understand: If you run, it’s two loops. If you walk, it’s one loop.
People of all ages, backgrounds and cities run in the event.
Stephen Hanzely, a Habitat for Humanity volunteer, said the race “always seems to get a loyal 200 runners and volunteers.”
He added that some of the regular runners and volunteers include members of the Youngstown State University track team and a woman who was an Olympic m arathon prospect a few years ago.
Kris Harrington, Habitat for Humanity of Mahoning County’s resource development manager, said the Home Run 5K is the nonprofit’s biggest fundraiser of the year. She said the nonprofit raised about $8,000 from the event last year.
“We hope to bring up what we raise a bit this year,” Harrington said. “While it’s a smaller percentage of our budget, the race is absolutely necessary money to us.”
Harrington said the nonprofit gets most of its money from the mortgage payments on Habitat-built homes and from items sold in the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Struthers.
The race costs $15 per runner in advance of the race and $18 the day of the event.
Jenson said the Home Run 5K is one of the cheaper races to enter in the area.
“Most races now cost $20 to $25,” he said. “We like to keep it cheap since we know races can be expensive. Just as long as we can raise some money from it and have sponsors to keep it going, we’re happy.”