SCRANTON HALF-MARATHON: Runners ready to tackle new course

A new course awaits the field for the 13th annual Scranton Half-Marathon on Sunday.

Part of the reason for the new course is due to the replacement project of the Elm Street bridge that connects South Scranton and West Scranton. But race organizer Matt Byrne said the change is also due to some feedback from runners about that area of the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail.

“They’ve mentioned about trying a year without that out-and-back section of the trail,” Byrne said. “It’s a little tight, a little boring. They love the crowd, our spectators bring such energy on the streets that it gets a bit quiet back there and they want to keep that energy going. So it was a little bit of both. Yes, the bridge being out allowed us to request to the city and the police department if we could block off three more miles and they were nice enough to do that for us. So we’re grateful and looking forward to this new course.”

The first change to the course is immediate. Instead of beginning on Providence Road outside Scranton Veterans Memorial Stadium, the starting line was moved to in front of Scranton High School on Mike Munchak Way. Runners will then turn left onto Providence Road, merge onto North Main Avenue, turn right onto Green Ridge Street, then turn left onto Sanderson Avenue.

This is where the next change comes in. Rather than doubling back to Sanderson Avenue after running through the Plot Section of Green Ridge, the runners will head to Parker Street and turn onto the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail in the Marvine section of the city, then head back to Green Ridge via Boulevard Avenue.

Byrne said it was a no-brainer to add that part of the trail to the course. That gave them about two miles, so they still needed to get an additional mile to reach the 13.1-mile distance. The easiest place to do that was the Providence / Green Ridge section.

“We know our boundaries and where the officials don’t want us to go,” Byrne said. “Stay away from the hospitals in case of emergencies. Do the best to try not to disrupt any church services. So once we got that trail on there, it became pretty obvious where to get one more mile.”

After making its way on Electric Street, Sunset Street, Delaware Street, Capouse Avenue, Ash Street, Wyoming Avenue and Marion Street, the course hits North Washington Avenue and has been as in years past. Runners will hit Adams Avenue, turn right onto Biden Street, left onto Franklin Avenue, left onto Lackawanna Avenue, right onto Cedar Avenue and right onto Elm Street.

Here is the final change to the course. Instead of heading straight on Elm Street and turning onto the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail, runners will turn right onto South Washington Avenue, turn left onto Hickory Street, then access the Heritage Trail by the University of Scranton athletic fields.

From there, the course finishes as it has in the past. Runners will exit the trail on Olive Street and head into Scranton Veterans Memorial Stadium where the finish line is set up on the track.

Approximately 65 feet of elevation has been added to the new course. Byrne said most of that is in the first five or six miles and necessarily isn’t a bad thing.

“I think it flows really well as a quick course,” Byrne said. “I think you’re going to see some really fast times. I think it’s good to change it up a bit. Utilize different muscles as you go. I think it’s more spectator friendly as well and it showcases our city a little more too. Show some more turns, show some more neighborhoods, show a new section of the trail, which is gorgeous.”

Residents and motorists are advised that some roads may be closed or traffic stopped for an extended period to allow runners to pass. There is a cutoff time for runners and walkers to reach the intersection of North Washington Ave. and Olive Street (8.3 miles) by 10:30 a.m. so that the city streets can safely reopen. Participants who don’t reach the cutoff time will be directed to turn right onto Olive Street and head back to Memorial Stadium. They will not be able to complete the full course and not have a finish time recorded.

More than 2,800 runners in all categories are entered from 26 states as well as Kenya, Germany, Puerto Rico, Ireland and Costa Rica. Fifty-six percent of the runners are female, 44 percent male. There are 666 first-time participants between the run and the walk.

Things get started Saturday at 3 p.m. with the 5K race, which has been renamed the Jim Moran Memorial 5K. Moran was active in the area’s running community and one of the co-founders of the Steamtown Marathon. He died Dec. 8 at the age of 76.

“He was our finish line director, so we’ve renamed the 5K after Jimmy,” Byrne said. “Maybe he’s looking down and notices it and kind of appreciates it. His name will be on the finishers’ glass we give out to all the 5K finishers. It’s something simple and subtle but extra special meaning.”

Those who finish the 5K and the Half-Marathon will complete the Dougherty Double. About 160 runners have signed up to do both.

On Sunday, the Half-Marathon walk begins at 6:45 a.m. and the run gets the starter’s gun at 8 a.m.

Among the elite runners entered are last year’s runnerup Ciaran Fisher from Marion Heights as well as third-place finisher Brandon Fleschut from Dallas and fifth-place finisher David Haines of Madison Twp. Two Kenyans — Rogers Rop and Felex Cheruiyot Rop — are entered. Others to watch include Durham, North Carolina’s Josh Izewski, who won the Wyoming Valley 10-Miler in 2024; Nathan Couse from Camillus, New York; and Greg Jaindl of Dunmore.

Three-time champion Rachel Schilkowsky from Providence, Rhode Island (2019, 2023, 2025), six-time winner Heidi Peoples of Clarks Summit and 2024 winner Trisha Byler of Honeoye Falls, New York, headline the women’s field along with former Holy Cross and Rider University standout Mackenzie Greenfield and Alyssa Vassallo from Durham, North Carolina.

“I think it’s going to be competitive and fast on both sides,” Byrne said. “The weather looks very favoring toward quick times, too. I think the humidity is going to be low.”

Forecast calls for partly cloudy skies in the morning with a high of 61 degrees and 48 percent humidity.

This also is Year Two of the four-year medal series for all Half-Marathon finishers that when put together displays the skyline of downtown Scranton with the city’s iconic landmarks. Last year’s medal featured the Scranton Times building and radio tower, Geisinger Hospital, Cooper’s Seafood Restaurant and Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel. This year’s medal depicts The Ritz Theatre.

Scranton half marathon

More than 2,800 people are entered in the Scranton Half Marathon on Saturday, which begins at 8 a.m. at Scranton High School. Entrants’ ages range from 11 years old to 77 years old. Scranton leads the way with 293 entrants, followed by Clarks Summit (139), Dunmore (65), Dallas (57), Pittston (53), Wilkes-Barre (51), Mountain Top (49), Moscow (44) and Archbald (41), to name a few of the local communities represented.

For a complete list of entrants, go to thetimes-tribune.com.