Despite cold, thousands of runners take on Cellcom Green Bay Marathon

GREEN BAY - Thousands of eager runners were greeted by cloudy skies and chilly weather early Sunday morning at the 19th annual Cellcom Green Bay Marathon. 

The 26.2-mile race, which both starts and finishes in the shadow of Lambeau Field, attracted athletes from both near and far. 

Race director Toni Jaeckels said more than 1,000 runners, including 100 relay teams, registered for this year's marathon. An additional 2,800 runners participated in the half-marathon, she said. 

At the start of the race, temperatures were in the lower 40s and gradually rose throughout race day. Though much cooler than previous years, Jaeckels said conditions were ideal for long-distance runners. 

"Runners generate a lot of heat even while training on the coldest of days," she said. "If as a spectator you're cold, that usually means runners will be pretty happy."

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Before the race

One runner enthusiastic about the day's easy, breezy forecast was William Kocken of Green Bay, who was carrying a lot weight on his shoulders  — literally. 

Kocken, a staff sergeant in the United States Army, ran the race while carrying a 100-pound backpack, attempting to break a previous Guinness World Record time of 6:47:03. He said he was running with the extra baggage as way to raise awareness and funds for 4th H.O.O.A.H. (Helping Out Our American Heroes) Wisconsin — a nonprofit helping military veterans, of which Kocken is president. 

"I've been training for 17 months," he said excitedly during the final moments leading up to the start of the race. Kocken has run in marathons before, including two carrying additional weight or what he calls "under pack."

"But I've never done anything this heavy," he said. As for what he thought his chances of beating the record with a pack this size, he said, "I'm very confident." 

According to race results posted later in the day, he beat the record by about 20 minutes.

Karen and Allison Hovie of Neenah, a mother-daughter running duo, were part of a marathon relay team with friends Stephanie Schott and Shelley Ropella. 

The group said they wanted to be a team because the relay breaks up the race into more manageable chunks. Having family and friends reaching toward the same goal is another obvious bonus, they added. 

This year was Karen Hovie's sixth time being a part of the marathon. What keeps her coming back, she said, is that it's a local run that's still unique in that happens right by the home of the Green Bay Packers. 

But that doesn't mean the run comes without challenges. Schott said even the most experienced runners sometimes feel like they just want to give up. 

"When that happens," she said with a smile, "I just tell myself, 'Hey, I've already ran this many miles, keep going. It's not worth stopping now.'" 

Crossing the line

Chris Bielak and fiancee Beth Kiberz traveled from Columbia, Missouri, to take part in event. Bielak finished the marathon in just under 3-and-a-half hours and Kiberz ran the half-marathon.

"I'm trying to run in all 50 states," Bielak said. "And I wanted to see Lambeau and Green Bay, so this was perfect." 

The Cellcom Green Bay Marathon is the 25th marathon Bielak has run in his 23rd state overall. 

He said he likes seeing all different kinds of people come together who run not necessarily to lose weight or for bragging rights, but simply for the love of running. A love, he said, was as clear in Wisconsin as anywhere. 

Tyler Bucy and wife Amanda Bucy also traveled hundreds of miles to Wisconsin just to run even more. 

The couple from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, both ran the half-marathon. Getting to run through Lambeau Field, for two huge Packers fans, was a dream come true, Amanda Bucy said. 

Amanda Bucy was pleased she met her goal of finishing under an hour and 45 minutes. Tyler Bucy also did what he set out to achieve, which was maintaining a pace of 6-and-a-half minutes per mile. 

"It was nice that there were people all along the sides to help keep you motivated through the entire run," he said. "Not going to lie, Miles 7 and 10 had a couple of really nasty hills that were not nice to deal with, but once you get past that, it's all downhill and fun."

The only goal Tiffany Theunis, McKenna Rohan and Brittany Do-McKenzie set was to finish the race all while promoting inclusiveness. 

The three, all from the Greater Green Bay area, pushed Tiffany Theunis' cousin Trevor  Theunis in a special racing stroller throughout the half-marathon before helping him out so he could run across the finish line. Trevor Theunis, who has Down syndrome, was captain of the team part of myTEAM TRIUMPH — an organization working with communities to embrace, celebrate and empower people with disabilities.

"We just want him and everybody to feel that big accomplishment," Rohan said. "We had a Team Trevor sign on the stroller and there were people everywhere cheering his name even though they didn't know any of us. Encouraging everyone is what this is all about." 

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