SCRANTON, Pa. — Runners from 35 states and five countries filled the streets of downtown Scranton for the annual Steamtown Marathon.
Over the past 26 years, this marathon has allowed runners to take the scenic tour of Lackawanna county while raising money for children and residents of St. Joseph's Center. They're dedicated to helping those individuals with special needs.
"There's no greater cause in my mind than to support the St. Joseph's Center. We've raised 2.1 million dollars so far, and we're hoping to bump that up to 2.2 million; we'll see afterward," said race director Bill King.
Nearly 1,000 runners crossed the finish line on North Washington Avenue, including Taryn McAndrew, who works at St. Joseph's Center.
"I got to see them at mile 24 cheering me on, I got to see some of the clients and my coworkers, so it was great to see all of them," she said.
To put their training to the test, a group of Naval Academy midshipmen traveled from Maryland for the Steamtown Marathon. Conrad Davis was the first midshipman to finish the 26-mile trek.
"We are definitely not natural-born marathoners. A mix of PT and our training and team training. We all train together by running 20 miles on Saturdays," he said.
The group of 20 midshipmen say they ran in honor of their coach's 100th marathon. Making it a race they will always remember.
"My favorite part is just the shipment that runs with us. It really makes it feel like a family. It's a great group of guys, we did great work, and we're going to be friends for life," said Joshua Doughty, Naval Academy midshipman.
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