Every year, nearly 100,000 people are involved in the Akron Marathon one way or another.
Maybe you’re one of the nearly 2,500-plus volunteers helping to run the show or one of the 15,000 folks running in the show. Then again, you may be one of the tens of thousands on the sidelines Saturday morning in support of friends and loved ones, or cheering on athletes as they pad through your neighborhood, or simply taking advantage of Friday’s free Health & Fitness Expo.
Whichever category you fall into, here are some things you need to know:
Kids Fun Run
Akron Marathon organizers moved the annual Kids Fun Run to Friday last year and found it to be “an overwhelming success,” marathon Executive Director Anne Bitong said.
“By having the kids race on Friday, it allows parents who run in [Saturday’s] marathon, half marathon or relay the opportunity to watch and cheer on their children,” she said.
So it’s back on Friday this year, with check-in starting at 5 p.m. at Lock 3 Park in downtown Akron and runners setting off at 6:30 p.m.
The free, noncompetitive 1-mile fun run for kids 14 and younger is capped at 2,000 participants. Register online at akronmarathon.org through Thursday evening or take your chances and show up at 5 p.m. Friday.
New this year: Instead of T-shirts, all the runners will get a Kids Fun Run superhero cape, as well as the traditional commemorative medal.
The cape is in keeping with the theme of Saturday’s marathon, which will feature “Hero Zones” staffed by kids who had been patients at Akron Children’s Hospital, the sponsor of the summer-long Akron Marathon Race Series.
Health & Fitness Expo
Also Friday is the annual Health & Fitness Expo, which is returning to the John S. Knight Center, 77 E. Mill St. in downtown Akron.
The event is free and open to the public from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with exhibitors showcasing the latest health and fitness information and products.
The expo will conclude with its traditional Pasta Party, where runners can fuel up from 5 to 9 p.m. for the next day’s race. Tickets can be purchased at the expo for $22 for adults, $10 for ages 4-12 and free to children 3 and under.
Meb Keflezighi — who will receive this year’s Akron Marathon Ambassador Award — will meet runners and sign autographs in the Official Merchandise Store.
Keflezighi was born in the African country of Eritrea and immigrated to the U.S. with his family in 1987.
He is the 2004 Olympic marathon silver medalist and winner of the 2009 New York City Marathon and the 2014 Boston Marathon — a unique achievement in the running world.
Online registration for the marathon, half marathon and team relay is closed, but if there are any available spots Friday, you can attempt to register at the expo in person.
Saturday’s race
This year’s marathon course is the same as last year, with the action beginning at 7 a.m. Saturday at the starting line on High Street near the Akron Police Department.
Runners will cross the All-America Bridge using the southbound lanes and pass Summa St. Thomas Hospital before burrowing deep into North Hill. This leg includes the “Milkshake Mile” with a fluid station featuring actual milkshakes near Swensons.
Runners will return to downtown via the Y-bridge and loop through the University of Akron campus before being set up with a special intersection downtown: As the eastbound frontrunners turn left from Exchange onto High, they’ll be close enough to exchange high-fives with the westbound Exchange runners that just left the UA loop.
While half-marathoners split from the group to head toward their Canal Park finish line, the full marathoners and relay teams will take a trip to Highland Square. That journey features the stately manors of Merriman Road and a spin through historic Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens.
The course continues into West Akron on streets surrounding Firestone High School, where athletes run a gauntlet through over-the-top block parties. Residents here have been known to drag out decorations, inflatables, balloons, bubbles, confetti, live music, unusual fluid stations (snow cones, anyone?) and lots and lots of noisemakers.
Runners will race through Hardesty Park and eventually face the notorious “Heart Rate Hill” of Garman Road before returning to downtown by way of Market and Main streets and, finally, into Canal Park.
If you’re a spectator, you’ll see the most nonstop action if you work your way into downtown. You could see the same runner multiple times by simply strolling between High and Main streets as the athletes advance along the course.
2017 registration
Are you already looking forward to next year?
It will be the 15th anniversary of the event, and race organizers are already psyched about celebrating.
Early registration for the Sept. 23, 2017, Akron Marathon is running now through Oct. 1. Visit akronmarathon.org for special offers during this promotional period.
Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/paulaschleis.