Inaugural EPIC Marathon incorporates music with running

ASHWAUBENON, Wis. (WBAY) - Thousands of runners hit the streets of Brown County on Sunday morning for a new marathon that included a post-party and live music.

What was previously known as the Cellcom Marathon for a number of years is now the EPIC Marathon and Running Festival, and it started at EPIC’s concert hall in Ashwaubenon.

“When I’m doing these events and I feel beat up and tired, I think of the people on the tank, and those people give me the energy to keep going,” says Dale Emmerich of Middleton.

Cellcom was the sponsor of the event for 25 years, but with the new sponsor comes some unique elements to the race.

One way EPIC Event Center looked to change things up is by incorporating music throughout the entirety of the course, encouraging runners to race towards the finish line.

The event kicked off with the national anthem played on the electric guitar, paying homage to Jimi Hendrix.

The owner of the concert hall sponsoring the event, Mark Skogen, says he knows how important this race, which is a Boston Marathon qualifier, is.

“I used to run. So, I can really relate to this. Getting here bright and early and thinking, ‘Am I ready for this today, or not?’ You know, they put a lot of time into being ready to run this far, and it’s pretty exciting to see them take off,” says Skogen.

Runners like Dale Emmerich from Middleton, who participated in a full firefighter uniform to raise awareness of the cancer our brave men and women face while on duty.

He also carried bracelets, photos, and an airpak with the names of survivors who’ve left their mark for over a decade.

“They add a little bit of their energy into the bottle, but then they have access to all the other energy that’s from all the other survivors. So, when they’re having a great day like when they’re running the race today. Their energy helps lift other people who are struggling. And when they are struggling, they can draw on that energy,” says Emmerich.

A portion of the money raised from the event is also donated to Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, providing meals to nearly half a million Wisconsinites.