Thursday, September 24th, 2015
Road closures announced for Saturday's Grand Lake Marathon
By Jared Mauch
Photo by Ryan Snyder/The Daily Standard
This Saturday's Grand Lake Marathon will follow the routes described on this map.
Drivers should expect road closures and delays on Saturday as about 1,500 runners participate in the the second annual Grand Lake Marathon, half marathon, 5K and kids' marathon races.
The Mercer County Sheriff's Office reports state Route 703 East from state Route 29 to Edgewater Drive will be closed from 7-9:30 a.m.
State Route 703 will have westbound traffic closed from 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
State Route 219 will have one-lane traffic from 219A to South Canal Street during the event.
U.S. 127 will be closed from state Route 219 to Celina city limits from 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
Lakeshore Drive will close sometime Friday, according to Celina Police Chief Tom Wale.
Market Street between Lakeshore Drive and Enterprise Street will be closed from 6:30-7:45 a.m. for the start of the race, Wale said.
The Auglaize County Sheriff's Office also reports affected roads will be closed from 7:30 a.m. until the last runners go by.
All roads in Villa Nova going south onto Edgewater or Parkway drives and Sandy Beach roads onto state Route 703 will be closed.
The Koenig Road overpass across state Route 29 will be closed.
Tri Township Road from Southland Road to state Route 364 will be closed. Drivers can cross Tri Township Road at Waesch Road and state Route 219 intersection but will be stopped for runners on Tri Township Road.
Southland Road from Tri Township and Mercer Auglaize County Line roads will be closed. Southbound traffic on state Route 364 will be open but drivers will be unable to enter Villa Nova. Traffic on state Route 364 will be stopped for runners at Southland Road.
Road closings and monitoring in St. Marys begin about 7:30 a.m. until the final runners pass, St. Marys Police Chief Mark Ernst said.
Greenville Road will be closed from state Route 364 to Webb Street, he said.
Officers will be stationed at the Wayne-South, Main-South and Front-South street intersections to let runners pass safely.
Signs will be placed in town with directions to parking locations for spectators to watch the half marathon finish line.
Ernst urges motorists to drive cautiously Saturday morning.
St. Marys will have food vendors and a band in Memorial Park for participants and visitors as runners finish the half marathon.
The park will host vendors from 8 a.m.-noon and the One-Eyed Show will perform at the park gazebo from 8:30-11:30 a.m.
Susan Crotty, St. Marys industrial and community development manager, expects the first runners to finish the half marathon about 9 a.m.
A similar event is planned along Lakeshore Drive in Celina.
From 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Buckeye Drive will play in the permanent tent along Lakeshore Drive, Roger Bowersock of Rocketship Sports Management said.
Food and other vendors will be present around the tent, he said. Big Bamboo's Dockside Grill on West Bank Road will host a post-race party starting at 11 a.m.
Awards ceremonies will begin at 9 a.m. for the 5K race, 12:30 p.m. for the half marathon and 1 p.m. for the marathon at the tent near Lakeshore Drive, Bowersock said.
