The State-to-State Half Marathon will be held on Sunday, September 16th in Ohio and Indiana. The race begins in Uptown Oxford, Ohio and follows Contreras Road into Indiana. It then loops back into Oxford, Ohio.

The half marathon offers many opportunities for runners for different distances: from a half-marathon, a 5K run/walk, a kids 1K “fun run” and a toddler/preschool dash. The event anticipates 1,400 runners for this year’s event. 900 runners have registered so far. The race began five years ago, in 2003 with 800 runners. To celebrate the race’s fifth year prizes will be given to the top runners, and also to those who have participated each year in the event.

Cash prizes totalling $4,600 will be given to the top three runners in the men’s and women’s brackets for the 5K and half-marathon run. Fifth-year runners will be given a copy of “C.C. Pyle’s Amazing Footrace” by Geoff Williams. Williams’ story is an actual account of a coast-to-coast run across the U.S.A. in 1928. The first 850 runners will get free T-shirts from New Balance.

Last year’s event raised $13,000 for Butler County charities and this year’s event is anticipated to raise at least that amount for charity. This year funds will be donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training - Southern Ohio Chapter and other local charities. The State-to-State Marathon is completely run by volunteers.

Sources: The Oxford Press, State-to-State.org