COLUMBUS, Ohio — At 8 a.m. Saturday, 19-year-old Riley Fackler toed the OhioHealth Capital City Half & Quarter Marathon starting line along with a crowd of elite runners.
He was unfamiliar with the course, and he wasn't sure what the outcome would be, but he was motivated by his late coach.
"I'm trying to run a bunch of races for him. He meant a great deal to me. He was like a grandfather to me," he said.
Fackler was among a group of more than 10,000 runners who braved the rain and chilly forecast for the OhioHealth event. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was the first time the event was held in person since 2019.
Runners like second-timer Allison Walls said training for the big day was a challenge.
"There's a lot of early mornings, and getting up, and being on the treadmill early in the morning and late at night," she said.
For both Walls and Fackler, the end goal was the same, but their motivation was different.
"I hope to set an example for my kids so that hopefully one day they will want to be out here doing these things with me," said Walls.
"His [his late coach] motto was 'go to the next telephone pole. When it hurts, just keep picking out the next one and keep going.'" Fackler said.
The OhioHealth Capital City Half & Quarter Marathon has been going on since 2004. The annual economic impact is estimated to be at $7.5 million.