Before the half and full marathon runners take their mark for the Community First Fox Cities Marathon, 5K runners and walkers crossed the finish line Saturday in Neenah in front of crowds of cheering supporters.
1,061 people participated in the 5K, the second race of the weekend after the Kids Fun Run Friday night at Fox Cities Stadium.
For marathon organizers, the sights and sounds of cheering fans and accomplished runners is what they look forward to every year.
"[Marathon weekend] is sort of like Christmas for us," said Amanda Secor, Senior Vice-President of Marketing for Community First Credit Union. "I think it brings excitement, it brings pride."
Jana Smith said she felt both those emotions Saturday as she participated in her first 5K.
Smith, who only has one leg, participated as a captain with myTeam Triumph. The group pairs a person with a disability with runners, called "angels," to run the race and cross the finish line as a team.
"I wanted to come to inspire everybody," said Smith. "I met myTeam Triumph and I was like, this is awesome, I'm hooked!"
myTeam Triumph groups also run the half and full marathons.
"That kind of spirit at our events is so uplifting and so motivational and inspirational for everybody that gets to see them," said Secor.
Organizers and participants both said the best part of the weekend is that there's an event for everyone. Athletes of all ages and skill levels are welcome to compete.
"They've got a different reason and motivation that brought them to the start line, and we're here to make sure that we can support them all the way on their journey to the finish line," Secor explained.
The marathon course takes runners through six Fox Valley communities. An estimated 6,500-7,000 runners will take part in the weekend's races, according to organizers.
The half and full marathons both begin at 7 a.m. on Sunday, September 18th, at UW-Fox Valley in Menasha.
For parking and road closure information, visit http://foxcitiesmarathon.org/.
