FirstEnergy’s New Electric Vehicle Leads 2023’s Akron Marathon Winner to the Finish Line

The anticipation of spectators lining the streets of Akron was intense as they anxiously waited to see their loved ones, friends and other brave athletes tackle the 2023 FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon and Team Relay on Sept. 30.

As the race leaders passed, some people recognized that there was something special about the pace car this year.  For the first time in race history, runners were led by an EV (electric vehicle), FirstEnergy’s brand-new Tesla Model Y.

Fundamentally, the job of the pace car is to stay close to the runners so they can see the pace clock on the back. A few miles into the race, a lead runner creates separation and sets the pace for the rest of the course.

“Providing an electric vehicle as a pace car just makes sense. Since it does not produce emissions, the runners behind it avoid running through exhaust for 26.2 miles,” said Brian Farley, vice president of Customer Policy and Solutions at FirstEnergy. “We are proud to have helped keep runners safe and on course while also highlighting how the company is supporting new technology.”

Learn more about electric vehicles on FirstEnergy's EVDriven site.

The company car featured FirstEnergy and marathon decals along with the names of 6,264 runners, 100 of which were FirstEnergy employees. It’s an Akron Marathon pace car tradition for runners look for their name and snap a photo after the race.

FirstEnergy’s Mitch Langdon, a supervisor of relay and control training, was behind the wheel on race day. His name was chosen in a random drawing of 55 FirstEnergy employees who threw their hat into the ring.

Langdon is an EV advocate, driving a Tesla Model 3 himself for the past four years. He recently moved to Akron, but prior to that he had a 140-mile roundtrip commute to the office. Since 2019, he’s put 110,000 miles on his vehicle and has driven as far away as Utah.

Before the race, Langdon had a training session with a marathon official. They drove the race route and discussed what to expect and safety precautions. The pace car averages speeds of 10-15 mph.

“We put the car in ‘chill mode’ to assure smooth acceleration and deceleration for the low speeds,” said Langdon. “EVs have very quick acceleration, and we wanted to be sure to maintain control of that for safety.”

In the car with him on race day: a marathon official, an Akron police officer and a former runner – all with the job of helping him stay aware of the runners, bikes, motorcycles and surroundings.

Langdon was amazed at the sheer amount of people at the event – between the runners and their supporters to all the volunteers and the people in the neighborhoods along the route cheering them on.

“There were a few times along the route where I could see parents pointing to the car and explaining what it was to their kids. It was pretty cool,” he said.

The marathon was the first of many events for FirstEnergy’s new Tesla. The company’s EV team plans to bring the Tesla to other events throughout the year to help educate the public on driving electric.

Find out everything you need to know about EVs, including available models, how much you’ll save on fuel, and incentives and programs for buyers on FirstEnergy's EVDriven site.

Watch a video of the marathon’s first EV pace car and hear from its driver

MEDIA CONTACT: Hannah Catlett, (440) 554-5346