Ilion runners endure marathon for charity

ILION, N.Y. — If a beloved friend is in trouble, most people would go to any length to help them out.

For Ilion students, that length is 26.2 miles.

Nine Ilion seniors ran the “Mott Marathon” Monday, taking part in a tradition that dates back to 2007. The marathon requires them to run 105 laps around the high school track and raises money for Brendan Krol, a leukemia patient and son of science teacher Tom Krol. The runners raised more than $800 through their efforts.

“We had no idea ... we just came out to support the (students),” Krol said when he learned of what the students were doing. “It’s really overwhelming. The kids are out here doing something great. It’s nice to see them running for a good cause. ... They’re doing something most people wouldn’t even attempt.”

The marathon started as a bet between English teacher and soccer coach James Mott and former student Eric Lachacz after Mott had run the Boston Marathon.

“(Lachacz) said running a marathon was easy, so he came out alone and did it,” Mott said. “Ever since then, it’s been growing.”

That day, Lachacz raised money for the Relay for Life in Ilion. Since then, only 22 seniors have run the marathon, which starts after school lets out in Ilion and goes well into the night.

“It’s kind of an honor. It’s like a rite of passage,” Mott said. “(It takes) a lot of youth, a lot of guts, and a dash of stupidity to get them out there.”

As a kind of side event and as a way to train his soccer players, Mott also has the underclassmen run two miles apiece along with the senior marathoners.

If the students that ran the Mott Marathon did it as a road race, they would run from Ilion to Oneida.

Of the 22 seniors who have attempted the marathon, only one girl has ever run and finished the race. Sharon Howell, the daughter of Herkimer County Community College track coach Sharon Howell, ran the race Monday and finished in just under 6 1/2 hours. Howell, who will attend Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester in the fall, was proud to be the first girl to endure the Marathon.

“I feel really honored,” Howell said. “I hope more girls will run this (race) now.”

“It’s cool to see girls run,” said Patrick Squire, last year’s marathon winner. “Maybe more will come out next year.”

“I’m proud of her that she stepped up and did it,” the elder Howell, who also coaches volleyball at Ilion, said of her daughter. “I told her she was crazy.”

All of the runners’ parents were supportive of their children’s decision to run the marathon, although they only had a month to get ready for the event.

“(It’s the) best time of his life to do it,” said Mike Sparrin whose son Michael completed the run in 5:19:23. “It’s a good concept. ... It’s something they’ll remember their whole lives.”

“I told him he’d better start training,” said Pam Walters, mother of runner Robert Walters. “It’s a big challenge for only a month’s training.”

The top finisher was Justin Bennett, who ran all 105 laps in just over four hours. Overall, he was happy he finished the grueling race in the time that he did.

“It certainly is an accomplishment,” Bennett said, “but it is painful.”

Even though Bennett is a cross country runner, he said he had to be persuaded into running the race. He did not regret his decision after he finished.

“It’s definitely a good cause. It’s worth it,” Bennett said. “Finishing was all I really cared about.”

Nathan Pearson, the second finisher, had an interesting wager with another teacher, Nick Netti. Netti would donate $1 for every mile that Pearson ran, but if he finished in under four hours, he would double his donation to $2 per mile. Pearson did not finish in the time allotted, but Netti doubled his donation anyway.

Administrators also came out and cheered on the runners, and were impressed by what they have done for Krol and his family.

“It’s a unique end-of-the-year activity,” principal Renee Rudd said. “It’s an absolutely exciting moment to see them out here. ... It’s great comic relief to see (Mott) yelling at the runners.”

“It definitely inspires kids to participate,” district health coordinator Karen Anderson said. “They don’t train like they should, but when you’re young, you can get away with that.”

“The biggest challenge will be homeroom, 8 a.m.” Mott said, citing the physical toll the Marathon would take on his students the next day.
When they look at what it’s for, the runners will all agree that it was well worth it.