KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — In Sequoyah Hills, the enthusiasm and effort put into supporting runners in the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon often exceeds the energy spent on Halloween.
More than 200 hundred planned signs were semi-strategically placed to distract runners through the hilly neighborhood. In addition to the witty signs, neighbors dress up in costumes from Star Wars to dinosaurs to add to the aura.
"I think they remove some of the element of how badly ir hurts to run 26.2 miles," Paula Herston said.
Herston has been spearheading the marathon decor efforts in Sequoyah Hills for the past six years. For the past four years, runners have voted the neighborhood the top neighborhood along the marathon route.
"I know that we're up against Fourth & Gill and Island Home and those guys, but it does seem to bring out community together," Herston said.
While most of the signs and displays will carry over from year to year, Herston says there are new displays each year.
"Our goal is to make the 3.5 to four miles that we decorate and fix and cheer for as painless as possible," Herston said.