Annual Fun Run draws international participants

The city’s Happy 5k/10k & 1 Mile Fun Run and After Party has become a branded event for Cleveland Heights. It is a major regional run attracting people not just from Cleveland Heights and other cities in Northeast Ohio but also from 10 other states and two other countries, Canada and U.K. In fact, 73% of the 665 participants were not from Cleveland Heights.

This year the event added an after party.  With Lee Road closed from Silsby to Meadowbrook, activities encompassed the street. There was a popular bouncy house, face painters, Bubblepalooza, a balloon artist who delighted the kids, and DJ Lily Jade and the band Footprints to delight the adults. There were tables in different areas on the street so parents could enjoy food and drink outside while their children participated in the activities.

This event attracts people to Cleveland Heights and promotes it as a great place to visit and an even greater place to live. It highlights a vibrant business district and the walkability and livability of the city while benefiting the Youth Scholarship Fund which provides funding for children to participate in recreation center programs and other activities provided by the city. The event raised more than $20,000 this year and around $90,000 since its inception in 2016.

Thanks go out to the city and its staff for holding the event, to the volunteers on the event committee, and to all who made this the success that it was. Hold the date for Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, for the next running of the Cleveland Heights Happy Run.