Your Friendly Neighborhood Runner
When I think back to how it all began, it all comes down to a desire and, more importantly, a willingness to have fun. Most people would never consider running a marathon a fun activity. Even those who complete multiple marathons each year express how challenging it is for the body and mind to finish each race. I didn’t expect to make it a regular event when I signed up for my first superhero marathon. Now, it’s hard to imagine stopping. From that very first year, I had more fun running 26.2 miles than I’d ever experienced before. Most of the time, when I tell people that the racing experience is on an entirely different level than that of training, they tend to undervalue the energy that competing in a big race brings; when I mention that competing in a costume enhances that energy, I am undervaluing the experience.
I originally bought the Spider-Man suit as a Halloween costume, but I knew I’d have to commit to always being Spider-Man for Halloween or find more excuses to dress up as a superhero. The Nationwide Children’s Hospital Marathon in Columbus, Ohio, presented the perfect opportunity. After all, kids love superheroes; it turns out adults may love them even more. The most entertaining aspect of running marathons as a superhero is seeing the faces of those cheering on the runners. Some kids are just dumbstruck; some adults have difficulty containing their excitement. Without fail, I will hear multiple people call out to cheer me on using the completely wrong hero’s name. My favorite from this year was a parent trying to draw their child’s attention to me as I passed and yelled, “Hey, look, there goes Superman!” The kid responded without missing a beat, “No, Mom, that’s Spider-Man!” I’m sorry I was too busy laughing to give the kid a high-five. You’d think the giant spider on my chest would have been a dead giveaway, but giving them the benefit of the doubt, it was probably just a slip of the tongue.
My biggest fear during that first year was that I would steal attention from other runners who deserved just as much recognition for their accomplishments. Thankfully, most people instead fed off the positive energy the crowd exhibited every time I was near. The friend I ran with confirmed multiple times that, despite most cheers being directed at “Spider-Man!” he was feeding off the crowd's energy rather than being disappointed that it wasn’t directed at him.
