Maryland Running Festival Will Feature Half-Marathon

Organizers who hope to have running events in every state are starting this fall with the Maryland Running Festival in Prince George’s County.

Registration opened last week for a half-marathon, a 5-kilometer (5K) run and a run for kids to be held Oct. 20 near Six Flags America in Landover.

Clay Anderson and Ernesto Calderon, the organizers of the running festival, said they're working to attract 7,500 runners for the half-marathon, with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation named as the chief charitable beneficiary.  

“We really wanted to do something special,” Calderon said. “I thought to myself, ‘What can I do as a father, as a resident of Maryland, to make things better for the next generation?’”

Anderson and Calderon are partners in Siena Productions, a company that organizes racing events. Race-day logistics on Oct. 20 will be handled by Charm City Run, which operates five athletic shoe stores in the area and has an event management division.

The half-marathon will start and finish at the gate of the Six Flags America theme park. The 5K and the “Little Crab Run” for children are scheduled to take place inside the park, where organizers plan a “Crabtown Village” area with vendors and entertainment. Anyone who registers for the half-marathon will get tickets to the park and buffet lunch and will be entered to win one of two Carnival Cruise vacations.

Organizers plan to award two college scholarships to participants in the childrens’ run and have partnered with the President’s Challenge Program to encourage physical fitness.

The entry fee for the half-marathon is $85, with the 5K costing $30, and the “Little Crab Run” costing $10. Of each entry, $3 will be set aside for programs that benefit the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article misspelled the last name of Ernesto Calderon. Patch regrets the error.

What other running events do you plan to participate in around the area? Leave a comment to let us know.