Man Runs Fox Cities Marathon Despite Race Cancellation

NEENAH (NBC 26) — One man didn’t let the cancellation of the Fox Cities Marathon Sunday ruin his training.

• Fox Cities has canceled half and full marathons due to weather conditions
• The runners ran despite the decision
• Seeing a man cross the finish line and being congratulated by someone special

(The following is a transcript of the entire broadcast report.)

Despite their best efforts, weather conditions ultimately forced Fox Cities race organizer Amanda Secor and her team to cancel the half and full marathons.

“It looked like we were going to have thunderstorms, lightning and heavy rain until mid-morning,” she said. “We have an hour’s lead time that we can take advantage of, but because the forecast was going beyond that, we had no choice but to cancel.”

But not everyone was ready to abandon their plans. Among the crowd of disappointed runners was John Makeever, a regular marathoner.

“Around seven or eight o’clock, I said to myself, ‘I’m going to do this.’ I’ve been training for this,” he said.

Without hesitation, he put on his shoes and headed out into the downpour.

As he walked the streets, the rain lashed his skin, but John said he felt exhilarated. He said he embraced the challenge and told NBC 26 that the rhythm of his feet splashing on the wet pavement gave him a sense of freedom. Race organizers had offered alternatives, including a virtual race, but John didn’t see them as adequate substitutes.

“I feel sorry for those who couldn’t compete and were looking forward to this day,” he said. “But I wasn’t going to let that stop me.”

The only person John had told that he was still on the adventure was his wife. John wanted to keep his solo mission a secret. As he ran, he encountered something unexpected. Halfway through, he noticed a familiar figure in the distance.

“I passed a few people, and one of them looked familiar. It was my dad. I almost lost my mind,” John says, a smile breaking through the raindrops on his face. “It was a special moment.”

John said that with renewed energy, he then crossed the final stretch of his unofficial marathon. As he crossed the unofficial finish line, he felt a wave of accomplishment wash over him.