On Sept. 21, 2025, the city of Toledo underwent a remarkable transformation. Community, culture and fitness were all intertwined though one event: the Garmin Marathon Series.
The Garmin Marathon Series, organized by the technology company Garmin, is a unique series of races that aims to bring together runners of all skill levels and engage them with the community. Toledo was chosen to host its inaugural event, with future races in the series planned in other cities across the country in the remainder of the year.
The Toledo event in particular featured roughly 3,000 competitors across multiple different races. Runners had the option to compete in a full marathon, half marathon, 10K or 5K. One of the runners was Abigail Long, a Civil Engineering student at the University of Toledo.
“I heard about the Garmin Marathon Series through social media and searching up race events in Toledo,” Long said in an email. “I was already familiar with Garmin as a brand because I own a Garmin watch, which helps me track all of my runs.”
Long had elected to participate in the 10K, a decision made by a desire to push beyond her usual workout length while also balancing the time needed to train with a busy school schedule.
“The 10K felt like the perfect balance between endurance and enjoyment,” Long said in an email. “It gave me a personal goal to train toward throughout the summer and semester.”
All four races featured routes that traveled through the neighborhoods of Toledo. Long was struck by how lively the atmosphere was around the city, with residents able to connect with and support those competing.
“The volunteers and spectators brought great energy, which always makes the atmosphere more positive and motivating,” Long said in an email. “It is so encouraging when complete strangers cheer you on!”
While the Garmin Marathon Series successfully connected runners and the community together, it also successfully achieved its goal of encouraging people to be physically active. Long commented on the importance of these types of events and cited some of the benefits they provide.
“Events like this are a great reminder that staying active doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be social, goal-focused and fun,” Long said in an email. “For college students especially, these races are a healthy outlet for stress and a great way to balance academics with physical wellness.”
The event was such a success that Garmin has already scheduled another Garmin Marathon Series event to take place in Toledo in 2026. Long has expressed an interest in returning to next year’s event and hopes to compete in other running events in the future, engaging with the community and other runners in the process.
“I also recently completed the half marathon for the Glass City Marathon back in April, which was another amazing experience,” Long said in an email. “Toledo has a great running community.”