Path of the Johnstown Flood
Races provide unique running experience through history
If you know anything about Johnstown, you’ve heard of the Great Flood of 1889.
After torrential downpours drenched the steel-making town on May 31 that year, 20 million tons of water crashed through the South Fork Dam at Lake Conemaugh 14 miles upstream of the city. What followed remains Pennsylvania’s deadliest disaster.
When the poorly maintained dam broke in late afternoon, it sent a rolling hill of water and debris moving with the force of Niagara Falls toward the city, flattening everything in its path. By the time the floodwaters receded, more than 2,200 people were dead. Many perished in a subsequent fire that raged through the tons of accumulated debris, which included entire houses.
It’s a tragic tale that sticks with you, but it’s also a story that’s ultimately inspiring, say organizers of Cambria County’s Path of the Flood Historic Races, which follow the route of the flood through the Little Conemaugh Valley.
“It speaks to the human spirit of resiliency and courage,” says Melody Tisinger, development director of Johnstown Area Heritage Association, a cosponsor of the annual event with Cambria County Conservation & Recreation Authority.
Scheduled this year for May 27, the three footraces include a half marathon, a 12K and a 5K. The two longer distances feature a hybrid crushed limestone trail/ paved road course with some short climbs
and an eerie run through the 900-foot Staple Bend Tunnel, the first railroad tunnel in the U.S. The 5K, which begins at Franklin Borough ballfield, is almost entirely on paved surfaces.
Started in 2014 to honor the 125th anniversary of the flood, the races have steadily grown in popularity, says CCCRA program coordinator Leanna Bird. Last year’s races drew close to 700 runners from 17 states, “and we’d love to see that increase,” she says.
The races’ charms are twofold: Its views of the Allegheny Mountains are spectacular, especially when the trail reaches the highest point overlooking the former site of the Conemaugh Viaduct, and runners get to experience the region’s rich history. For example, all participants finish at Johnstown’s Old Stone Bridge, whose seven arches withstood the floodwaters.
This year, the event will serve as the kickoff for the 2017 Cambria County Trails Series, which includes the 32-mile Ghost Town Trail Challenge from Blairsville to Ebensberg June 17 and the Jim Mayer Trail Family Fun 5K Run in Johnstown Sept. 9. Proceeds will be divided between the two nonprofits to expand and enhance their projects.
The race is the brainchild of Whitehall native Mark Voelker, who moved to Johnstown from San Diego in 2006 for his job as a Cobra helicopter pilot for the Marine Corps. Wanting to learn the history of the region, he read David McCullough’s “The Johnstown Flood.” It got him thinking.
In 2010, he came up with a crazy idea: Why not have a race that follows the same course that floodwaters took in 1889?
A longtime runner who was familiar with Cambria County’s trail system, he already had one gig as race director under his belt: In 2006, he started the Run the Park 5K in Stackhouse Park.
The race follows the 11- mile Path of the Flood trail along the Old Allegheny Portage Railroad and Southern Cambria Trolley Line, with two miles added at the beginning to make it a halfmarathon.
Among the many obstacles in getting it up and running was figuring out which government entity owned each section of the course. (Completed in 2007, the trail was funded through the Pittsburgh-to-Harrisburg Mainline Canal Greenway project.) What he initially thought was three municipalities morphed into six. Other race directors were skeptical people would come.
Almost 500 did the first year, including runners from as far away as Colorado and Arkansas, Mr. Voelker says. Some are super-intense about their times, he notes, although most treat the race as a fun run.
The half-marathon starts within view of the Johnstown Flood National Memorial in South Fork, and at Mile 6 joins the 12K as it winds through the historic Staple Bend Tunnel. The last three miles follow the 5K course along public roads.
“We want to connect our heritage with recreation,” Ms. Tisinger says. “The trail itself is a sight to see, and you get to live the pages David McCullough wrote and discover the human parts of our city.”
And if you’re looking to make a weekend of it? Rangers with the National Park Service will offer two free tours on race weekend to further mark the 128th anniversary of the Johnstown Flood:
• Guided tours of the clubhouse of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club on May 27. The 50-minute tours include stairs and will run every half-hour from 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Walking tours of Cottage Row on May 28. The 50minute tours will be offered on the hour from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Reservations for both tours are required by calling 1-814-886-6170.
For those who’d rather celebrate with food, Discover Downtown Johnstown Partnership will hold the fourth annual Taste & Tour event showcasing local restaurants, bars and retailers from 4 to 8 p.m. May 27. Tickets cost $ 30 on eventbrite.com (search “Johnstown”).
There also will be a prerace pasta dinner at 6:30 p.m. May 26 at Peoples Natural Gas Park Oilhouse, 90 Johns St. It costs $10 and includes pasta, salad, rolls and drinks plus free admission to the Johnstown Flood Museum, 304 Washington St. A postrace celebration at the Peoples Natural Gas Park includes complimentary pizza and one complimentary beverage for all participants.
All three distances in the 2017 Path of the Flood Historic Races start at 8 a.m. May 27. Cost until midnight Saturday is $50 for the halfmarathon, $35 for the 12K and $25 for the 5K; price goes up $10 on Sunday. All races are free to ages 17 and under. To register or more information, go to www.jaha.org/ events/path-flood-races.