Friday, April 25, 2025
Jessica Lisbeth
To feel alive. To honor a loved one. To prove the naysayers wrong. To stave off progressing illness. To begin a journey of self-care after decades of devoted motherhood.
These are just a handful of the thousands of personal reasons participants register for the Community First Fox Cities Marathon presented by Miron Construction — and it's just as founders Gloria West and Maury Dresang intended.
Thirty-three years ago, West and Dresang started a marathon with the mission to unite the people of Northeast Wisconsin in a journey toward health, wellness, and community, one step at a time. Today, the Fox Cities Marathon 3-day event has grown to encompass not only a full marathon, but also a half marathon, relay, 10K, 5K, Kids Fun Run, Diaper Dash, and Health and Wellness Expo, all driven by one clear, unifying truth:
Everyone has a story.
Come One, Come All While Fox Cities Marathon participants give the race purpose, the volunteers, residents, and community partners give it life. Over 1,800 volunteers assemble to pull off a race weekend comprised of Community First Credit Union team members, community members, families, and area athletic teams. Combined with the generosity of 50-plus sponsors and hundreds of spectators throughout the neighborhoods cheering from the sidelines, the event has truly become a cornerstone of the Fox Cities community. This is the magic behind welcoming 4,000-plus runners and walkers of all ages and abilities to share in the journey of reaching their personal goals. “Every participant comes to the start line with their own story,” said CFCU Chief of Staff Amanda Secor. “We meet them where they are at and help them get where they want to go.” This continuity between Community First’s mission as a financial institution and its role as the Fox Cities Marathon’s title sponsor is what has made the event so unique. While there are runners competing to break a personal record or qualify for the Boston Marathon, for many it’s the lack of focus on elite athleticism that makes the opportunity so attractive. Here, every participant, and every story, matters. Living Out Their Name As with most undertakings of this magnitude, reaching the current level of diversity and inclusion involved a bit of trial and error. In the early years, race winners walked away with prize money, which often attracted runners from across the country and around the globe. Over time, however, the board and marathon staff began to feel a disconnect with the choice to host a community-inspired, community-supported event, only to send money outside of the community. And so, the existing structure came to be. After race weekend wraps up, the board selects organizations in the area that will benefit from the race proceeds. It’s a change that, over time, has poured more than $1 million back into local non-profits and schools. “Now the race serves a dual purpose,” Secor said. “On one hand, the community benefits by way of donations collected from the race proceeds and, at the same time, we’ve broadened our participant base to attract people of all abilities and walks of life. How you cross the miles is up to you. What you do to make that journey is up to you. It's our goal to make it just as meaningful for the last person in as it is for the first-place finisher.” Interestingly enough, maintaining a local focus hasn’t deterred national participation. In fact, the 50 States Marathon Club has chosen the Fox Cities Marathon as one of its 2024 reunion events. Not only will the event support the members’ journey to completing a marathon in every state, it gives Fox Cities Marathon organizers a chance to leave a lasting, local impression on out-of-state participants. Personal Touch Providing that meaningful experience means no detail is overlooked. As Race Director Julie Johnson can attest, carrying that level of personalization throughout seven municipalities and three counties worth of trails and roadways is no small feat. “There is a lot of planning going on behind the scenes,” Julie said. “From working with the various municipalities and local government to acquiring necessary permits, partnering with vendors, making sure our contributing staff have everything they need, marketing and communication efforts, and coordinating all the little, personal touches that mean so much to the participants.” For starters, each participant’s first name is displayed on their bib, meaning even complete strangers can cheer for runners and walkers by name, motivating them to keep going. Their back bib displays their reason for participating, a bonding experience that has forged mid-race friendships between runners and walkers alike. And every bib donned by Kids Run participants prominently displays the number 1. But that’s just the beginning. Microchips attached to each participant’s bib allow their family and friends to track their location and progress via the race app, as well as notify race personnel when the participant has crossed the finish line so their full name can be announced for all to hear. Additionally, the shoutout board was introduced in 2023, a trailer-sized screen that broadcasts encouraging videos recorded by participants’ families and friends. The video is triggered to play when the participant (and their microchip) crosses a specific part of the course. Of course, there’s the 12 x 12, 51-pound, brass “celebration” bell cast by Neenah Foundry waiting for marathoners to ring in their accomplishment after crossing the finish line. “You’ll hear that bell ringing all afternoon,” Secor said. “For us, it’s a celebration bell. Every story deserves a celebration.” Want to be a part of the magic? Come join us in 2024 for the 33rd Community First Fox Cities Marathon taking place September 20th to the 22nd. Go to: foxcitiesmarathon.org * This story first appeared in the June 2024 print edition of Silent Sports Magazine. Keep up to date on all such stories and all things Silent Sports in the Upper Midwest via a subscription at only $2 per month delivered to your door! Go to: shopmmclocal.com/product/silent-sports-magazine
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