Runners traveled from all over the South and the US for Athens’ inaugural marathon this weekend. Matt Swire is one such athlete, coming all the way from Washington, DC.
I caught up with him before the race, when I learned he’s on a mission to run a marathon in every US state.
“So, I came up with the idea spontaneously after I completed my first one in New York in 2023 and thought it would be an interesting way to explore the country and check out all 50 states. I signed up for a race the next day and have been going state by state ever since. I've done 7 states so far, so this going to be number 8 for me,” he stated.
So how did Athens make the list?
“Coming from Washington, DC I thought Athens in January was going to be warmer, and I wanted to escape a little bit, but I also saw that it was going to be the inaugural one in a city I’ve never been to, and I was just really curious to check it out,” he explained.
The weather was cool and windy Sunday as hundreds of runners pounded the pavement from Prince Avenue to the Classic Center. Matt crossed the finish line and the state of Georgia off his marathon list. Eight down, forty-two to go.
More information about the Classic City Marathon can be found online at classiccitymarathon.squarespace.com.
