SCRANTON, Pa. — When Newswatch 16 asked some Steamtown Marathon runners the question: have you ever ran this race before?
“No, this is my first time. I've never run this race before,” said Noah Shock from Scranton.
Many said it was something they'd never done.
But in a crowd of thousands, Jeff Ginsberg from Scranton is one of the few who has never missed a race.
“I just did it, and after I completed it, I knew I was hooked,” he said.
After getting into competitive running in his 30s, Jeff was one of the first people ever to cross this finish line. And now Jeff is the only runner who has ever completed every full and half Steamtown Marathon.
“I love being a part of the whole culture, I now have a lot of running friends that do it. A lot of people in the community that cheer you on,” Ginsberg added.
What brings him back year after year is more than runners high; it's seeing the Steamtown Marathon grow since its debut in 1996.
“In the early years, it seemed like there were less people, and then as the years progressed along, it grew and grew more. And then more people in the community came out for it through the towns,” Ginsberg explained.
Just like in years past, Jeff's goal is to finish.
“The expectation of the time is not necessarily going to be a PR, a personal record. But as long as if I can do what I consider a decent time for me this year and just enjoy everybody's company while running in number 26,” he said.
Jeff did more than just cross the finish line.
His story inspired younger runners to be like him and make the Steamtown Marathon an annual tradition.
“It makes you want to come back, even though 26 is really tough, it's a lot. But starting like this and hearing the crowds behind our backs the entire way, I think it would be a great thing to do every single year,” Christian Scotti, from Scranton.
Maybe someday, these characters will make it to number 26 too.
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