Running for a reason
· Yahoo Sports
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — The countdown to the region's biggest footrace is on, and the 29th annual Steamtown Marathon steps off in two days. This year, one dedicated runner is racing to honor one of the original founders.
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Downtown Scranton is preparing the finish line, volunteers are ready to work aid stations, and one runner in particular is gearing up to honor a northeastern Pennsylvania running legend.
Patrick O'Malley of Scranton is counting down the hours until this year's Steamtown Marathon, and this year, he's doing it in honor of someone special.
"There's no one else that I would be running this race for except for him this year because Jim Moran impacted my family through my dad's race, the annual Hook O'Malley Firecracker Run for 33 years. We missed him deeply at the 34th this year, and he'll always be in our hearts," O'Malley said.
Jim Moran was one of the marathon's original founders and a devoted volunteer to hundreds if not thousands of running events in NEPA.
"He's on the mount rushmore of running legends in northeastern pennsylvania, no doubt about it," Jim Cummings, the Steamtown Marathon Assistant Race Director, said.
Fire closes Burger King in Scranton for the dayCummings said Moran had a massive influence on not just runners, but volunteers and committee members, too.
Cummings went on, "He's being named the Honorary Race Chairperson of the Steamtown Marathon, and Saturday, as part of our race expo at 2:00 p.m., we're presenting a plaque to his family and friends just to let them know how much we appreciate Jim and how much we miss him."
It's all part of the community the marathon has fostered over three decades.
"You're going to have the elite runners that are out there running against each other, but there's a lot of people that are running against the clock and against themselves. This is an accomplishment, and they want to prove they can do it," O'Malley explained.
Cummings added, "People develop lifetime friendships and close bonds just because they're out there running together, laughing, running races, and training together."
They say, to honor one of the greats makes it that much more special.
"I know the running community, especially the Steamtown Marathon Committee, deeply misses him. He was just a great man," O'Malley said.
The Steamtown Marathon begins at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday at Forest City Regional High School.
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