AROUND THE COMMUNITY
As an observer, one nice thing about the Akron Roadrunner Marathon is bumping into so many local people. In its fifth year, more and more participants enter each year. This year it was barely daylight when the race began. Watching so many runners as they head down Broadway is quite impressive. My next vantage point is the corner of Church and High Streets, with posters and camera in hand, ready to cheer on my favorite relay team. After five years I find old friends, still running, and more friends who are new to the event. Finally we are off to Canal Park Stadium and the finish line. It was really nice to see the Petrak boys sporting their Peninsula shirts cross the finish line. Dave and Dan were part of the Peninsula team in the Nike national competition where their team finished in seventh place. As individual runners in the Roadrunner, David finished second and Dan finished in sixth place.
The real star of this event is race director Jim Barnett. For the past five years, Jim, a Peninsula resident, has been standing at the finish line shaking hands with each participant. With over 7,000 participants in all categories, my guess it was around 1,000 hand shakes. Jim is already busy at work planning next year’s event. I’m sure it will be more spectacular than ever.
Jim Barnett at the finish line of the Roadrunner Marathon
| Amy Anderson |