GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A break in Sunday's weather made for a great day to be outside. Thousands headed out for the annual Grand Rapids Marathon.
"The runners are really happy about the fact that they all moved out," race director Don Kern said.
Grand Rapids' 20th annual marathon kicked off on the West Side of the city.
"We moved downtown when the YMCA opened here in 2005. We tried to make it a better event every year," Kern said.
The 26.2-mile course goes through a chunk of downtown and reaches as far as Grandville. The race has pacers to help runners on time to make the journey across the finish line easier.
"As a pacer, it is my job to get people across the finish line in under 3:56:00. So as a pacer, I tried to keep the group together, run, and even split. What that means is running at a consistent pace of about an 8:59 a mile," marathon pacer Cynthia Kmac said.
The race is crucial for many looking to qualify for the Boston Marathon.
"It's all about the runners going out there and working their way through a marathon or half marathon and just changing their life because they put together a big goal and are able to work the plan, get out here, and actually execute on race day," Kern said.
26-year-old Andrew Fathman from East Lansing is this year's champion with a time of 2:29:31.37. This race is more than the best of the best. The marathon also gives everyone a chance.
"The idea of inclusion hits us at many levels. And in this organization, we look at physical disability as being one of those things that's often excluded from our society as athletes and runners and races," MyTeam Triumph National Board President Terence Reuben said.
Reuben is on a mission so everyone can cross the finish line.
"We can do something to level the playing field and move that needle even just that little bit to allow someone like Cory to participate in a race like this. It is an amazing event," Reuben added.
Organizers say after a successful year, they're already planning for next year.
