A new running event will take to the roads of Wellesley Township in 2014, but first its organizers had to convince council that the initiative would not hinder traffic in the area.
The Harvest Half marathon organized by The Waterloo Running Series will take place on Sept. 13, 2014 to raise money for The Kenyan Kids Foundation, started by local runner Tarah Korir (McKay) and her husband Wesley Korir, winner of the 2012 Boston Marathon. Councillors meeting Tuesday night were mostly concerned with the impact the event would have on local traffic.
The route was chosen partly because of its visual similarity to Kenyan rural roads, explained Blair McKay, Tarah Korir’s father and a director for the foundation. It will also use mostly small gravel roads, which should also minimize traffic concerns, he explained.
About 500 runners are expected to participate, said Jordan Schmidt, organizer of the Waterloo Running Series.
“We’ve chosen the roads fairly carefully. [They are] very lightly travelled rural gravel roads. That’s why Wesley likes to train there,” McKay added.
The Waterloo Running Series coordinated 17 races as fundraisers for various local charities this year in Woolwich, Cambridge and Kitchener. Next year, the non-profit is looking to expand with three new marathons in Waterloo, Wilmot and Wellesley.
“We have a lot of profile around Waterloo Region, and we’re hoping to draw runners from all across Ontario,” said Schmidt.
The high volume of runners would likely mean road closures for the duration of the marathon, which will take approximately three hours. The proposed route starts at Herrgott Road and travels north to Boomer Line towards Hutchinson Road, turns right on Hackbart Road and back onto Boomer Line to finish in St. Clements.
“The only major road in there won’t necessarily require a full closure. It would be from St. Clements north to Boomer Line, that one section of about two or three kilometres, and a half marathon event is a relatively short event,” McKay said.
The Kenyan Kids Foundation is based in both Canada and the United States, where the Korirs attended university; the non-profit group is currently awaiting charitable status. Funds raised through the marathon would be funneled into the couple’s charitable work in the Cherangany region of Kenya where Wesley Korir grew up. The foundation provides hospitals, emergency services, nursery schools and creates farming initiatives for local residents. Wesley Korir was also recently elected as a member of parliament in Kenya.
