T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA Ohio Valley residents take off from the starting line of the inaugural Run For Justice 5K Run last year.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Adam Myser, Belmont County Northern Division judge and lead event organizer, is gearing up for the second annual Run For Justice 5K Run on May 3.

“We’re going to start at the divisional court complex, and we will finish right in front of the main courthouse in downtown St. Clairsville,” Myser said of the route. “The entire course will be on National Road, and we will start all runners and walkers at the same time. We’ll start at 7:45 in the morning — runners first, walkers right behind — and then the portions of the intersections on National Road and the road itself will be closed during the trek.

“And then once we get into city limits of St. Clairsville, we’ll funnel traffic onto the sidewalk of St. Clairsville to finish out the race and then come down right in front of the main courthouse in St Clairsville.”

He added that the route from the divisional courthouse to the main courthouse is the perfect distance — from courthouse steps to courthouse steps it’s exactly 5K.

Registration will begin at 6:45 a.m., and it costs $25 per person to register for the walk or run. The registration cost will also include a Run For Justice T-shirt while supplies last, so Myser encourages everyone to either pre-register or be at 52160 National Road at 6:45 a.m.

He also said that local law enforcement will close the needed section of National Road to ensure the safety of the participants.

After the race, doughnuts, coffee, pizza and drinks will be provided for no additional cost.

“We have a lot of individuals so far. We have 156 that are pre-registered, but we will be open to registration that morning. Last year we had 210 participants, and this year, at this time, we have more participants already signed up than last year at this time. So we are on track to have more participants than last year … we had a lot of people walk up and register,” he said. “Last year we raised over $11,000. This year we’re hopeful again to raise the same.

“All of the proceeds go to benefit local legal and government educational programs. So it’s kind of an umbrella of what that encompasses, but it helps with a lot of things. It helps with a mock court that we take to fourth-graders. There’s a program where we have a traveling court that helps offset some of our expenses.”

He added that the money also supplements different programs that high schools offer to students in regards to local legal and local government education.

“It’s just a variety of different programs in the community that really try to partner with the schools to promote local legal education and local government education,” he said. “A lot of people, especially when we see them as jurors, they’re kind of seeing the court for the first time or they’re involved in the process for the first time. And so we want to do the best we can to educate them young, expose them to the court, and kind of let them understand that we are certainly a house of justice, but we are here to really assist and to help a lot of individuals.

“It’s a fun course and a good course — it’s straightforward. It’s kind of neat to be on National Road on Route 40, that’s something that you always drive past every day of your life. Well, now you get to do a 5K on it, so that’s cool. And to be able to tie in the court systems for this cause is really a unique event that we’re grateful that the county and the city are willing to host and work with us. Really, really grateful for law enforcement to help keep this a safe course while we have this event, I’m very excited for it,” Myser said.