Akron Marathon going strong
By Mike D’Agruma
AKRON — Like watching the development of a small child, Steve Marks has been watching his “baby,” the Road Runner Akron Marathon & Team Relays, grow and change throughout the past three years of its existence. With the fourth annual race set to take place Sept. 30, Marks is expecting even bigger things and considerable growth from his creation.
“It’s been very rewarding,” said Marks, who helped found the marathon. “Since the beginning, we’ve tried to run this like a business. We’ve tried to treat our customers by listening to what they have to say, and it’s paid off.”
The 26.2-mile marathon, as well
as the relay featuring five-person and two-person teams
and a business challenge,
will begin in front of Morley Health Center, on South
Broadway in downtown Akron, at 7:30 a.m. The finish
line is at Canal Park Stadium, located on South Main
Street in downtown Akron. The course includes a four-mile
stretch on The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail and
will pass through a wide variety of diverse neighborhoods
and scenic spots in the city of Akron. Sights will include
Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, the National Inventor’s
Hall of Fame and the Mustill Store at Lock 15 of the
Canal. The course will take runners as far north as
Sand Run Metro Park and as far south as Wilbeth Road.
As of Sept. 15, a total of 3,002
runners had registered for the event, according to Leigh
Greenfelder, marathon spokesperson. That number is a
65.3 percent increase over last year’s total at
that date. She added marathon officials are expecting
to host somewhere between 6,000 and 6,500 runners.
Marks said that expecting another
3,000 runners to sign up before the event is not out
of the question, as the majority of the field fills
out about 10 days beforehand.
“We’re expecting
this to be the biggest year yet for the Road Runner
Akron Marathon — it’s really becoming a
favorite community event for runners, businesses, kids
and spectators,” Greenfelder said.
One way Marks said marathon organizers
are looking to increase local participation is by offering
a $75 Etonic shoe coupon to all individual marathon
runners who cross the finish line. (Relay runners are
not eligible for this prize.) This added incentive comes
in addition to receiving hats, T-shirts and other running
supplies in a “goodie” bag, plus a medal
and access to post-race festivities.
Marks said the shoe promotion
came from trying to find a way to make the race “so
compelling to local runners that
they couldn’t possibly have an excuse not to come
out.” He added that the prospect of new shoes
seems to be of more interest than competing with athletes
from all over the world.
Charles Kamindo, of Kenya, and
Maria Portilla, of Peru, won last year’s men’s
and women’s individual events with times of 2
hours, 18 minutes and 48 seconds and 2:39: 09, respectively.
Damon Blackford, of Akron, and Laura Murphy, of Rochester,
Mich., finished first in the Masters race (age 40-plus).
Blackford finished with a time of 2:40:56 and Murphy
in 3:01:14. In addition to a cash prize, it qualified
each runner for the Boston Marathon.
The deadline for online registration
is Sept. 27 at midnight. Runners also can register at
The University of Akron (UA) Health & Fitness Expo,
which will take place at UA’s Athletics Field
House, Sept. 29 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The
following is additional information on activities and
events associated with the race, as well as details
on road closures and spectators’ sites. For more
details and a look at the course map, visit www.akronmarathon.org or
call (877) 375-2786.
• A free noncompetitive
Kids Fun Run will take place the day of the marathon
at 9 a.m. The 1-K (0.62-mile) run is for children under
the age of 14. Parents are encouraged to run or walk
with their children. Children who participate will receive
a T-shirt, goodie bag and runner’s medal. The
starting line is in the west end of the Spaghetti Warehouse
parking lot, 510 S. Main St. Prerace activities will
include head-to-toe stretching. Postrace entertainment
will take place at Lock 3 Live! Park, the finishing
point for the run. Registration is available online
until tomorrow, Sept. 22, or the day of the race. For
more information, call (330) 374- 0025.
• Only a few streets will
be completely closed, and traffic will be restricted
on several other streets. Runners will be given the
right of way over vehicles. Police are asking motorists
to obey police officers who are directing traffic at
intersections, even if the signals are operating.
Downtown Akron: South
Main Street between State and Exchange streets from
State Street to Buchtel Avenue will close to traffic
Sept. 29 beginning at 3 p.m. and will reopen Sept. 30
at about 6 p.m. West Market Street eastbound traffic
will be restricted to runners from Portage Path to South
Main Street; vehicles will be able to travel west from
South Main to Portage Path on West Market, however.
Merriman Valley: A
section of Sand Run Parkway from Sand Run Road to North
Portage Path will be closed Sept. 29 at 10 a.m. to Sept.
30 at 4 p.m. The road will be closed to allow crews
to build a temporary pedestrian bridge at
the ford crossing. Sand Run Metro Park from Revere Road
to North Portage Path will be closed to the public Sept.
30 from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. That includes the Parkway
Jogging Trail. Sand Run Parkway between Merriman Road
and Revere Road will be closed during the marathon.
Fairlawn: residents
living in Revere Village will have limited access to
Revere Road during the marathon. With the help of marathon
volunteers and police officers, they will be able to
exit and enter Revere Village. Revere Road from Sand
Run Parkway to West Market Street is expected to be
closed from 9 to 11:45 a.m.
The Road Runner Akron Marathon
& Team Relays will take place Sept. 30 throughout
Akron. Photo: Krista Galloway
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