Participants sought for 10th annual Home for the Holidays 5K in Medina

Photo by Tom Rivers: Ryan Czaja of Middleport wears a Santa suit while running a 5K in Medina on Nov. 27, 2021. He was one of 75 participants in the 9th annual Home for the Holidays 5K. Czaja has worn the Santa suit for the race several times. This year’s race will be Nov. 26.

MEDINA – The committee planning the Home for the Holidays 5K run in conjunction with the Olde Tyme Christmas celebration in Medina is making a plea for participants to sign up for this year’s race Nov. 26.

Teresa Wilkins and Debbie Tompkins have chaired the event since 2016 and want to make this one the biggest ever in celebration of its 10th anniversary.

The race signals an early start to a day full of special events, which includes holiday activities throughout the village, sales, a Cutest Little Elf Contest, a pet parade, arrival of Santa Claus, band performances, fireworks and more, topped off by the magnificent Parade of Lights at 6 p.m.

A full schedule of events can be found on the Christmas in Medina website.

Race participants can start registering at 7:30 a.m. at the YMCA, for the USA Track and Field-sanctioned race, which begins at 9 a.m. in the canal basin behind Captain Kidz. Registration forms and more information can be found on the Christmas in Medina website.

Prizes are awarded for first, second and third for men and women in a variety of age categories, starting with 10 and under and going up to 70 and older in increments of five years. For example, 11-14, 15-19, etc.

Wilkins said they are very grateful for more than a dozen Medina High School seniors who have volunteered to help this year, manning the route and directing runners. She is also thrilled to have several runners sign up this year from Canada.

Wilkins and Tompkins are both runners and in the past have run 10 to 15 races together a year.

The YMCA has not only offered use of its facility to host registration for the race, but it has invited racers who may be from out of town and want to stay for the day to come back after their run and use the facility’s showers.

The race ends at the American Legion Post on North Main Street, which opens up for racers to come in and have a donut, donated by Dunkin’ Donuts, and/or an apple, donated by local farmer Dale Root.

All the proceeds from the race go to a local charity, and in the past they have donated to the Knights-Kaderli Fund, Hands 4 Hope, the Warrior House and the library. This year’s proceeds will be given to a new local charity, Cat by Cat Inc., led by Shannon Blount in Medina. The group in Medina works to humanely “TNVR” cats through targeted trapping. Those cats are then neutered, vaccinated and either returned or adopted out.