Father-son bonding activities take on many forms like watching sports, camping and concert going. But, for Jeff and Christopher Roche, the bond they forged in a pediatric cancer patient room has been life-changing and the reason why Jeff became a Children’s Champion for the Akron Children’s Hospital Akron Marathon Race Series. “I’m running to celebrate […]
Children’s Champion spotlight: Bert Hackenberg
Bert Hackenberg is no stranger to the Akron Marathon, having run in all 15 races since its inception, but this year, as a Children’s Champion, there’s more meaning behind Bert’s stride. “I love the Akron Marathon…it’s my favorite out of the 50-plus I’ve run,” said Bert Hackenberg of Lake Township. “It’s a world class event […]
Akron Children’s hero patients kick off Akron Marathon Race Series
The 2018 Akron Children’s hero patients joined a sold out pack of 2,100 runners at the National Interstate 8k & 1 Mile race Sat., June 30 to kick off the first of 3 events in the Akron Children’s Hospital Akron Marathon Race Series. This year, the National Interstate 8K & 1 Mile race featured 5-year-old Cam “Turbo” Betz […]
Children’s Champion spotlight: Erik Ricci
“I run in 5k races all the time, but I needed something that would really motivate me,” said Erik Ricci of Springfield Township. “My son, Joey, is my inspiration for everything I do so a race that supports the hospital that supports him is exactly what I needed.” The self-proclaimed ‘gym guy,’ doesn’t enjoy running, […]
Sally Begue, Penny Westfall fall in step with Blue Line Beginners
People who want to make exercise a habit often find that buddying up with friends increases their odds of success. That’s one of the reasons Sally Begue, gift shop supervisor, and Penny Westfall, patient accounting, decided to get social. The 2 friends teamed up together to join the Blue Line Beginners, a free Akron-area club […]
Children’s Champion spotlight: Jennifer Estep
At first, Jennifer Estep returned to running simply as a way to lose weight and model a healthy lifestyle for her son. But after participating in the relay portion of the 2015 Akron Marathon as her first race since running high school cross country, she knew she was hooked. “I loved everything about the race – […]
