MANSFIELD — A mass escape is planned Saturday at the Ohio State Reformatory.
Not to worry, however.
Everyone who runs and walks away will return as fast as they can.
The 4.6-mile Shawshank Hustle returns to Mansfield for the 12th time, an event that will see an expected 2,000 runners and walkers come to the site where much of the famed “Shawshank Redemption” was filmed in 1993.
The race, which rolls out onto Ohio 545 and into downtown Mansfield before returning to the historic prison, is scheduled to start at 8 a.m. at 100 Reformatory Road on the city’s north side.
The race returns to its usual route in 2026 after being re-routed last year due to the Main Street improvement project.
It begins at OSR on Ohio 545 and turns right onto Longview Avenue. The course then turns left on Main Street and into downtown. It turns left on North Park Street at Central Park and then left again on Diamond Street. The course then turns right on Longview and left onto Ohio 545 for the return to the finish line at the prison.
It’s a race, but many of those participating are also there for the fun along the route. The first “Shawshank Hustle” was in 2015.
Those interested in participating can click here for registration information.
Thanks to Destination Mansfield, participants will again have chances to snap selfies at standup cutouts of characters from the movie, including “Brooks” on his own bench in Central Park. They can also stop for a free ride at Richland Carrousel Park.
The race benefits the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society, which operates the prison-turned-museum that opened in 1989 and closed at the end of 1990.
Jodie Puster Snavely, special projects director Destination Mansfield, has run in every Shawshank Hustle race, officially making her a “lifer.”
“The energy on race morning never gets old. I think what keeps it fun for me is the energy of everyone around me. There are serious runners, walkers, Shawshank fans and people who are just there to enjoy the experience, and we feed off that energy throughout the race,” Snavely said.
The course includes a run uphill on Main Street coming into Mansfield. The runners — and the crowd — makes it more fun, she said.
“While we’re out on the course, everyone is cheering each other on and offering encouragement, especially when we hit ‘Redemption Hill.’ That climb up Main Street is tough, so you definitely appreciate the extra encouragement along the way,” she said.
“But there’s also a lot of fun happening on that hill. I love watching someone’s face light up when they spot one of their favorite Shawshank characters along Main Street and stop for a selfie. I’ve even watched people jump off the course to take a ride on the carousel,” Snavely said.
The celebration continues after the race is over.
“It’s a challenging course, and when it’s over, everyone is ready to celebrate. We end up at The Phoenix Brewing Company for the after-party with our medals around our necks, giving high fives, meeting up with friends and making new ones. It’s just a really fun way to finish the day,” Snavely said.
One of the attractions to the annual “Shawshank Hustle” is the unique medal every participant receives, even those who can’t make it to Mansfield and enter the race “remotely” by running the distance from home.
The medal is tied directly to the movie and is different each year.
(Below are photos from the 2025 Shawshank Hustle, courtesy of Destination Mansfield.)
