To paraphrase an old and wise saying: "you can learn more in defeat than in victory."  Such was the case when Tim Donovan of Ohio Canal Corridor convened a team of local agencies (Cleveland Metroparks (Dick Kerber) , Trust for Public Lands (Dave Vasarelhyi) , City of Cleveland (George Cantor) , Cuyahoga County Engineer's Office (Stan Kosilesky) , and Cuyahoga RAP (Jim White) in the Spring of 2009 to rush a grant application for federal stimulus funding for the Towpath Trail project.  The opportunity was provided through NOAA; it carried a short turn-around time - 21 days.  The request of $9.2 million asked for funding to purchase 2 parcels along the Scranton Road Peninsula, rid them of any contamination and restore a natural stream bank treatment to the river's edge.
 
The application failed.  The announcement came in July of 2009.  The lesson learned was an easy one - asking for funding to restore property when you don't have site control is a losing proposition. 
 
The lesson was not lost on this team. 
 
During this same period, the announcement was made that President Obama's $450 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding was approved and a grant program would be introduced which would include funding opportunities for projects that addressed mitigation of "beneficial use impairments" in Areas of Concern (AOC) as defined by the US EPA.  The Cuyahoga River is an AOC.  The project outlined in the NOAA grant focused on restoration of "fish habitat" - a recognized, existing "benefical use impairment" in the Cuyahoga.
 
In simple terms, the team recognized that there would be real funding opportunity available under this initiative and felt that we had outlined a realistic approach in the project description included in the NOAA submission.  But, just like NOAA, we believed that we needed to secure ownership of the property to find success.
 

The inaugural Towpath Ten-Ten was a success!  Held ealy on Father's Day morning, we welcomed more than 600 registered runners to explore the northern section of the Towpath Trail in Cuyahoga County. 

 

Despite the heat, we saw some really impressive times!  Katie Hauenstein from Ahsland, OH won the 1st overall in the females for the 10-miler with a time of 1:04:52.  The male overall winner, Ryan Kienzle from Canton finished in 49:49. 

 

For the 10K, Francesca Brunello of Lakewood took first in the females with a time of 44:30.  Scott Schulte from Cleveland finished first in the male division in 37:11.

 

Thank you to all of the runners who supported us in this new race and also the sponsors who helped to make this possible:

OECA, Northeast Ohio Regional Serwer District, Cleats - Old Brooklyn, New Balance, Vertical Runner, Cleveland Metroparks, Village of Valley View, City of Cuyahoga Heights

 

Remember to mark your calendars for the Towpath Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K on 10/10/10 in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

 

Also, stay tuned for a potential NEW race coming in spring of 2011...

 

Visit www.towpathmarathon.net for upadred information

Cycle Canalway is just around the corner!  Choose one of three distances (16-mile, 24-mile, or 38-mile) and experience two of the three modes of transporation the Ohio & Erie Canalway has to offer.  Riders (except for the 38-milers) will enjoy a ride on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad as you take advantage of their unique Bike Aboard program.  All riders will start and finish at Quaker Steak and Lube in Valley View.  For $35, you will receive a t-shirt, goody bag, ride on the train, lunch, entertainment, and beer coupon (ages 21 and over only).  Click here for more information.