Tom Kubelus has been a runner since the 1970s, and while the exact mechanics of his pastime have not changed, the crowd has.
He and 200 other runners logged 2 miles Thursday night after taking their mark at the Hill Section's Bar Hill for the kickoff of Run Around Scranton. The event was the first of monthly treks planned around several of Scranton's neighborhoods.
Mr. Kubelus had already completed a 10-mile run Thursday morning. But he was curious about Thursday night's group run. When he was a child, running wasn't such a huge event.
"This sort of thing didn't happen then," Mr. Kubelus said.
Mayor Chris Doherty said the runs have three main objectives - getting people excited about exercise while at the same time familiarizing them with the neighborhoods and the businesses in them.
"We want to show off the city," Mr. Doherty said.
Each free run will begin at a local business in a different neighborhood in Scranton on the third Thursday of the month. On Feb. 21, a 2-mile trot will begin at Zaleski's Clubhouse Cafe on Beech Street. There are 11 more runs planned this year.
Wendy Wilson, spokeswoman for Geisinger Community Medical Center, which partnered with Scranton Running Co. and the city for the event, said the hospital has hired 400 new employees since Geisinger merged with CMC one year ago. Such an event is the perfect way to fully acclimate them with the city and all of its different neighborhoods. What defines Minooka is different from what defines West Scranton, and both are different from what defines the Hill Section, she said.
"There's so much character," Ms. Wilson said. "Every section of town has its own history."
Scranton resident Bill Cook, 59, has been an avid runner since the late 1980s, participating in several marathons and two Iron Man competitions. But his enthusiasm for running is matched by his pride in his city, and any event that would promote Scranton is a good one.
"I love running, and I love Scranton," Mr. Cook said.
Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, @jkohutTT on Twitter