Runners of all types were encouraged to participate in Salem’s only half marathon on October 14. The mission of the LewisGale Half Marathon has remained the same since its 2016 inception: to draw people to Downtown Salem and encourage them to get fit.

Approximately participants gathered at Longwood Park around 8 a.m. and took care of any necessary registration before starting a run that went through various Salem neighborhoods, Roanoke College and the greenway.

Last Saturday marked Jarvis Hamilton’s second consecutive year participating in the marathon. “I knew that Downtown Salem would be closed off so I tried to warn as many people as possible,” he said. “I was able to participate with a lot of my friends which was a real highlight for me.”

Hired earlier this year by the Salem Parks & Rec Department, part of Ashley Durkin’s job is to bring awareness to certain events throughout the year. “The Half Marathon would not be possible without the support of the community,” said the Special Events Supervisor. “We are looking to draw people to Salem and experience all it has to offer and we wouldn’t be able to do that without the support of the community.”

Zach Milligan finished this year’s marathon in just under 90 minutes. That marked significant improvement from the previous year. “I’m a very competitive guy and I’m constantly pushing myself to be the best that I can be. Next year I want my time to be under 75 minutes,” he said.

Seth Pennington is training for a 100-mile ultra-marathon next June and used Saturday’s half marathon as part of his preparation. “I’m big on people being active and I believe community based events like the Lewis Gale Half Marathon are a great way to get people out and about,” he said. “Running is one of the few exercise modalities that most people can do because it takes nothing but a pair of shoes.”

The Lewis Gale Half Marathon has already become something that Marleigh Durham looks forward to each year. “These events bring the community together,” she said. “Not only is it nice to have a water bottle waiting for you at the finish line, but having someone else believe in you can be all it takes to keep you pushing through in a race like this and in life.”