From the starting line at the Akron Art Museum to the finish line at Lock 3 Park, the thousands of runners who took to the roadways Saturday for the FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon and Relay enjoyed cool temperatures and blue skies.
But the relay and marathon racers who came through Wiltshire Road in Northwest Akron also got to enjoy the deep blue sea.
Sarah and Michael Noll have been organizing themed block parties for their neighborhood’s leg of the marathon since they moved to Akron from Youngstown 10 years ago. This year’s theme was SpongeBob SquarePants, marked by a cardboard cutout of SpongeBob’s pineapple house for racers to run through after high-fiving the Nolls’ neighbors, who were dressed as SpongeBob characters.
“If [the runners] are going to go by our house anyway, we might as well make something out of it,” Michael Noll said. “This theme so far has been pretty fun. The kids really liked Minecraft, but I think this might be our favorite.”
Michael Noll said the marathon has been an opportunity for neighbors and their children, who know each other from school, to get together and do something fun for the community. The Nolls’ son, Quinn, dressed up as Fred the Fish, known in the show for repeated gags in which he hurts his leg and cries, “My leg!” A sign on the side of the race track depicted the character and read, “Don’t hurt your leg!”
Up the road, Marshall Goudy blasted music from his front yard lined with rows of lawn chairs. Goudy and his neighbor, Bob King, have organized their own neighborhood festivities for as long as they can remember. Goudy and his neighbors prepared food to share with partygoers — this year’s party featured a Bloody Mary bar in the backyard.
“I like getting recognition from the runner coming by and giving us thumbs-ups and stuff,” Goudy said. “We had one lady stop by one year and she was almost in tears, saying, ‘We heard your music from blocks away; it lightened my footsteps and made it so much easier to run.’ I like getting to inspire them somewhat.”
Strangers supporting strangers on race day
Running became a part of Mary Anderson’s life when she enlisted in the Army. It’s remained that way since she retired in 2015. She’s a fitness instructor with Downtown Akron Partnership, the founder of the West Akron 5K Race and a member of Solely Responsible Run Club.
“I’ve got a strong military background, and running in races when I came home was how I overcame adjustments to being back,” Anderson said. “This kind of thing is what inspired me to start my own race.”
Even though she could not run this year because of an injury, she resolved not to let it stop her from participating and showing up to support others. She set up a chair on South Broadway Street downtown and turned on her workout playlist while shouting words of encouragement at passers-by through a megaphone.
“My favorite part is watching people from different age groups and different abilities come out here and be a part of something big,” Anderson said. “You see family members, managers, children; that’s a really big thing to me. Our friends come out and run — it’s healthy, and it’s a way to help with stress levels.”
This year was the first time Sammy Brown from Cuyahoga Falls came to race day. While she showed up to support a friend, she ended up cheering for dozens of strangers and became enamored with the infectious, supportive atmosphere among the other bystanders on the track.
“I love the environment of race day; it’s just the best way to spend a Saturday morning,” Brown said. “It’s a super supportive environment, and I love seeing people cheer on runners that they don’t know. I brought tissues, but I’ve been crying myself.”
Akron Marathon events are a family affair
Rachelle Shaffer came from Lima to support her twin sister, Renee Conley, and her nephew, Evan Conley, who were participating in the half marathon. Evan Conley is a sophomore at the University of Akron who is studying chemical engineering. Shaffer held a cardboard cutout of his face toward the starting line downtown.
“He went by quite a while ago, but it cheers [Renee] up to see me holding his sign, too,” Shaffer said.
Kat Finley’s husband, Andrew, ran his first marathon today. Kat and their daughters, Harlow, 6, and Isla, 9, were holding signs just off the Towpath Trail near the intersection of North Portage Path and Merriman Road in the Merriman Valley while waiting for Andrew. Kat said the girls’ favorite part of the day was getting to draw their own signs.
“I think it’s inspiring to watch the runners; it’s a hard race,” Kat said. “It’s hilly. But it’s fun to see the whole community come together and support everybody.”
Colleen Bisesi volunteered near a checkpoint for the relay racers on Fairfax Road and to cheer on members of her family who were running. This year is far from the first for her or for the rest of her family.
“I’ve done this race, various versions of it, many times in my life, and I just wanted to be able to continue,” Colleen said. “It does such great things for Akron. So many people are involved and benefit from it, and we get to show off our beautiful city.”
Colleen’s husband, Jeff Bisesi, is a member of the Akron Marathon’s 15-Year Club. Their sons, Brad, Josh and Dan ran the half marathon. “It’s beautifully run,” Colleen said of the event, “absolutely streamlined, and a great opportunity for everyone.”
“It’s fun to be the cheerleader. It doesn’t hurt as much.”
