Sancta Clara Monastery Nun Run 2026

At the Sancta Clara Nun Run, nuns cheer participants as the 5K enters the monastery grounds. The Saturday morning run/walk starts at St George Byzantine Catholic in Canton, Ohio. Registration is capped at 300 due to fire-code and parking limitations. The event benefits the Poor Clares sisters, with proceeds supporting the nuns and the renovation of Sancta Clara Monastery. The course includes local streets, the Middlebranch trail, and the monastery grounds, giving it the feel of a parish-and-neighborhood fundraiser rather than a typical road race. Strollers are permitted, and those not participating in the run or walk can opt for a shirt-only package. A kids fun run precedes the 5K, followed by awards, refreshments, food, face painting, and a balloon artist. All finishers get a running nun medal, and the race marks the start of the Poor Clares' anniversary observance in Canton.