Against a backdrop of autumn colors near Lanterman’s Mill in Mill Creek Park, Aaron Sines, 37, of Mercer, Pa., pushes forward as he runs in the half-marathon portion of Sunday’s sixth annual Youngstown Marathon. The fundraiser event began and ended at Second Sole in Boardman. ...Photo / Sean Barron

BOARDMAN — Close friends and co-workers Jessica Giancola, Courtney Boris and Maddalena Gillen were all smiles after they successfully ran around together — though in a competitive, coordinated and friendly fashion.

“We like runs that benefit charities,” Gillen, of Struthers, said. “If it’s a local run, we’re pretty much there.”

The three women were there when it came to Sunday’s sixth annual Youngstown Marathon, which featured a full 26.2-mile full marathon and a half-marathon as well as a 5K run, all of which began and ended at Second Sole, 755 Boardman-Canfield Road.

An estimated 700 local, regional and out-of-state runners took part, event organizers said.

Proceeds from the fundraiser event will stay in the community and are to benefit Second Sole, the American Heart Association, Ballet Western Reserve, Cadence Care Network in Niles and the Youngstown Blue Coats, Joe Midlick, the Youngstown Marathon’s vice president, noted.

The Blue Coats, based in Hubbard, distributes coats, socks, hats, gloves and other cold-weather gear to homeless people, holds area clothing drives and searches for those in danger of possibly freezing during the winter.

Main sponsors were Huntington Bank, Mercy Health, Penguin City, Second Sole and NovaCare Rehabilitation.

Gillen, along with Giancola, of Hubbard, and Boris, of Austintown, work at Poland Medical Center on Clingan Road. All three took part in the marathon’s 5K run.

In addition, they have participated in the Youngstown Peace Race and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame event in Cleveland, they added.

Besides being alive with the radiant colors of mid-autumn close to their peak, much of Mill Creek Park was filled with runners of all ages who enjoyed an ideal weather mix of sunny skies and morning temperatures in the low 50s.

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