LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Little Rock Marathon is a tradition that has gone on for about two decades.
“Our first race was 2003 and we welcome people from around the world, all 50 states,” said Executive Director of the marathon, Geneva Lamm.
Lamm said that around ten thousand runners participated in the marathon this year.
“How people find out about us, I do not know, but they come and they come to experience Little Rock and to get that big medal that we give them when they finish,” Lamm explained.
One of the thousands of runners is Colin Boerger— who like many people that participated, isn't from the Natural State but was drawn here to join in on the tradition.
“I've been training for this for a while,” said Boerger. “Since prior to 2020, my senior year of college, I wanted to do a fast marathon. And it's just the first-time times have lined up.”
Boerger was the first to complete the full marathon on Sunday.
“I just knew that I had the training in me,” said Boerger. “I had the gas in the tank, and I was just ready to go.”
The full marathon is 26.3 miles, which he completed in under three hours.
Boerger explained that like many people who participated, was proud to make it across the finish line.
“My coach always tells me that like you just got to put one foot in front of the other and you just got to finish and I knew at that 23 I knew all that was left to do is to finish,” said Boerger.
Lamm said that the tradition will continue and she hopes that those who raced got more than just a medal from the event.
“Having the ability to just create a great tradition, something positive,” Lamm added.