GRAFTON, Ohio — Grafton Correctional Institution gave incarcerated adults and community members a chance to take home the gold and a new outlook on life at its first full marathon.

What You Need To Know

  • The Grafton Correctional Institution opened its doors to the public for its first “Run Inside the Wire Half and Full Marathon.”

  • Nearly 100 incarcerated persons and community members laced up their sneakers for today’s race inside the prison.

  • The prison is partnering with the Running2bWell to promote mental health treatment and community engagement.

“I've been doing six-minute, 30-second laps,” said Matt, who asked to be identified by only his first name due to legal concerns. “I never thought I'd be able to run 13 miles. The longest I've done is a 10K before this."

He was one of nearly 100 people hitting the track today. With a sentence of 18 years to life, Matt is one of many incarcerated adults taking charge of their mental health through camaraderie and cardio. 

“You see guys’ moods and attitudes actually changing,” he said. “So the more they come together, they're cheering each other on instead of the negativity [you] usually find in places like this.”

The Grafton Correctional Institution is working with the nonprofit Running2bWell, hosting its first full marathon since beginning the partnership in 2023. Keith Johnston has served as executive director of the organization since 2008. He said the group coaches people on how to overcome addiction and mental health issues through daily exercise.

In the months leading up to the race, community volunteers visited the prison, helping the runners prep physically and mentally.

“So all the things that the science tells us that exercise should do, it's doing, and we're having a very positive impact here,” Johnston said.

He said the marathon is about encouraging healthy habits and giving back to the community.

“When the men run a certain amount of miles, so it's 365 miles or 1,000 miles. We, Running2bWell, donates $25 in their name to a charity that they choose,” Johnston said.

Raising approximately $1,500 since January, Johnston said he’s noticed an increasing number of incarcerated adults are signing up to sprint.

“It gives them some agency and a way to give back because most of the guys here are desperately looking for ways to make amends for what they've done,” he said. “They know that what they did is wrong, and they want ways to pay back to society, and this gives them a way to do that.”

Damon Stewart, general activity therapist at the Grafton prison, said the event gives incarcerated people a chance to connect with community members through raising money and racing.

“Basically, [I’m] in charge of connecting with the outside, bringing outside community partners and giving the guys here that's incarcerated a normal, a normalcy kind of feeling,” Stewart said.

The prison staff are helping to keep Matt and hundreds of other incarcerated persons on track.

“I'm definitely going to push myself to do the full marathon,” Matt said. “This showed me that I can do a half, and if I can do a half, why can't I do a whole?”

The marathon allows him and other people in prison to seek out change while serving time.

“My father battled with cancer five years ago, and it's one way I wanted to honor his struggle and his fight,” Matt said. “... then my mom has dementia so after the next one, I'm going to try to get some money to go that way.”