Covering the Road Runner marathon

Beacon Journal photographer Ken Love on the ground and Paul Tople covering from the air provided 17 photos on Ohio.com before 6 p.m. today in covering the Akron Road Runner marathon. Staff reporter Katie Byard was meanwhile providing minute by minute updates on the Ohio.com site.

A 25-year-old Michigan resident, originally from Kenya, captured first place in the men's division of the Road Runner Akron Marathon today.

Joshua Koros, of Byron Center, Mich., finished shortly before 9:30 a.m. with a time of 2:28:05. Koros wins $2,000.

The course record is 2:18:48, set by Charles Kamindo of Kenya in 2005.

In the women's division, 31-year-old Melissa Rittenhouse of Wadsworth took first place with a time of 2:52:29. She wins $2,000.

A record number of Road Runner Akron Marathon participants -- about 6,300 -- took more than four minutes to cross the starting line this morning.

The blog posted a magnificent Ken Love photo of runners on the bridge last year.