CHARLOTTE — Long before runners reached the starting line for this year’s Novant Health Charlotte Marathon, Michele Mason and her husband beat the crowd.
“This is his first marathon,” she said.
They were ready to cheer on their son and his best friend through every mile.
“He’s been working on this so long, setting the goal, so we just wanted to show our support,” Michele said.
On the course, best friends Jarrod Mason and Ryan Pennington ran side by side, carrying more than just each other through the miles.
“We have a brother, Dorian Jackson, I think about him every day. He was a big runner, so I’m gonna keep it going for him,” said Jarrod.
Some runners came all the way from Louisiana. They started running for their health. Somewhere along the way, they say it turned into a brotherhood.
“We’re here for the Black Men Run National Meet and Greet,” said runner Kenny Ricard. “So that, and we got 300 brothers from all over the United States here.”
For Danielle Tisdale, this race was a way to remember her daughter.
“I’m just doing what she’s unable to do right now,” said Tisdale.
The roar got louder as Nickolas Scudder turned the final stretch into a victory lap, winning the men’s marathon in 2:23:31.6.
“It means so much,” said Scudder. “I spent five years at UNC Charlotte, and just thankful for the city.”
A former 49er, now a Charlotte marathon champion.
“My college coach is out there, and she told me the gap around like mile 19. I think it was like 100 seconds,” Scudder said. “And once I caught those guys around like mile 23, I knew I could bring it home.”