October 5, 2023

When you own an electric car, you develop a passion for advocating the benefits to others, which is exactly why Mitch Langdon, supervisor, Relay and Controls, entered the drawing for the opportunity to drive the electric pace car during this year’s Akron Marathon. His name was chosen from the 55 FirstEnergy employees who threw their hat into the ring.

Mitch recently moved to Akron, but prior to that he had a 140-mile roundtrip commute to the office. When it came time for a new car, he did the research and ran the numbers on electric vehicles (EVs) compared to gas powered cars. It felt like a no-brainer, so he bought one. Since 2019, he’s put 110,00 miles on it and driven as far away as Utah.

“I wanted to drive the electric pace car because I’m an EV advocate,” said Mitch. “I’ve had a Tesla for about four years, and I was excited to represent FirstEnergy and promote driving electric at the marathon.”

The company’s brand-new Tesla Model Y featured FirstEnergy and Akron Marathon decals along with something special – the names of 6,264 runners, 100 of which were FirstEnergy employees. It’s an Akron Marathon pace car tradition for runners to look for their name on the lead vehicle and snap a photo after the race.

Runners search for their names.

Prior to the race, Mitch had a training session with a marathon official, driving the race route and discussing what to expect and safety precautions. The pace car averages speeds of 10-15 mph.

What was the experience like?

Picture this. It’s still dark  during the 7 a.m. start time. The wheel-chair push teams begin the race while the runners are started in groups. Add the bicycle and police motorcycle escort teams and there is a lot going on. The pace car is fitted with a large clock on the back so the runners can see the pace time. After a few miles, a lead runner creates separation and sets the pace for the rest of the course with the pace car leading the way until the end.

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

In the car with him was 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 over the 26.2-mile course. The lead vehicle also had two bicycle escorts – one being Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan – and a police motorcycle escort.

Mitch and Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan lead the way.

Mitch 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.

Keep an eye on the company portal for information on where the FirstEnergy Tesla will appear next!

Interested in exploring EVs? Take a look at FirstEnergy’s EV Driven web page.