 "Photo: Jason Hager")
Chants of "We are Marshall" could be heard from the estimated 850 participants as the starting gun went off for the Marshall Marathon on Sunday.
Mild temperatures and no precipitation greeted runners from five different countries and 38 different states as they began the 26.2-mile trek through the streets of Huntington for the fourth annual marathon.
The course began under the big "M" near the Cam Henderson Center and ended inside Joan C. Edwards Stadium at the goal line.
Runners were given the opportunity to carry a football the final 100 yards of the course and most participants indulged in the marathon tradition.
The majority of runners came from West Virginia and surrounding states. More than 250 of the estimated 850 runners listed West Virginia as their home state.
Official competition statistics are difficult to gather because of runners who either do not show up or do not finish, Thomas Dannals, race director, said.
"It was a good day to run," Greg Johnson, 1983 Marshall computer science graduate and current Oregon resident said.
Johnson traveled back to Huntington for his "One Marathon a Month" campaign. He is running to raise money for the American Heart Association. Johnson will run in a marathon next month in Dallas.
"All the money I am raising I am sending back to be used in this area," Johnson said referring to the fact that West Virginians are statistically at the highest risk of heart disease in the nation.
Race organizers emphasized the need for Huntington residents to get active and exercise.
"I am doing this for health," Dannals said. "I am organizing this to give people a healthy goal Good health can be fun."
Chuck Engle, 36-year-old Columbus, Ohio resident, had the fastest time in the marathon the, by finishing the course in just over two hours and 34 minutes. All official results are pending.
Jason Pyles, 26-year-old West Virginia resident, had the fastest time in the half-marathon run by finishing the course in one hour and nine and a half minutes.
"I feel great about it. The numbers are up. People are seeing us as a quality race. We have a reputation," Dannals said.
Hundreds of volunteers, coordinated by Dannals' wife Beth, helped at intersections and water stops along the course. Dannals stressed the importance of these volunteers and said this race would not be possible without them.
Jason Hager can be contacted at hager47@marshall.edu.
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