Six years ago, those distance running enthusiasts at Maplewood High School wanted to pay homage to those who ran before them - those who were the trendsetters in the state of Ohio.
Saturday, four legendary figures in the sports of cross country will be honored at the sixth annual Legends Meet at the Trumbull County Fairgrounds.
This year's Legends are Marc Hunter, Jenny Morgan, Harrison Dillard and Bernice Robinson Holland.
Hunter is a 1974 graduate of Brunswick High School and '79 graduate of Cleveland State University. Hunter won many state track and field and cross country titles in his career. He was also one of the nation's best distance runners in the late 70s.
Morgan, who competed for Barnesville and Clarkston (Mich.) High Schools and later for the University of Michigan, won nine state championships over her illustrious career. She claimed the mile state title each of her four years and the 2-mile title three times.
The next two Legends are former Olympians - Dillard and Robinson Holland.
Dillard pulled the rare feat for winning gold in the sprints and hurdles. He won four gold medals - including two in 4x100 relays in '48 and'52. This legendary sprinter, who won 82-straight hurdle races, didn't make the 1948 London Olympics as a hurdler, but as sprinter. Dillard edged out Barney Ewell to win gold.
Dillard, who won nearly a handful of gold medals, won the hurdles four years later and won the 1953 Sullivan Award as the nation's top amateur athlete.
Meanwhile, Robinson Holland was a hurdler in the 1948 Olympic Games. She, like Dillard, excelled in the hurdles and was an outstanding competitor in the high jump. She won the Olympic Trials in the hurdles and took second in the high jump.
In the 80s, she was a renowned international competitor as she won and set records in the shot put, discus and javelin at the Masters Pan American Games in Canada.
Those four Legends will be handing out awards for Saturday's races and will be honored at 11 a.m.
The meet starts at 8 a.m. with an open men's and women's 5K race. Divisions I through III will race along with the junior high teams and runners.
There are nearly 2,000 runners from more than 100 schools from Ohio and Western Pennsylvania being represented.
The top two Division III boys teams - top-ranked Maplewood and second-ranked McDonald - will run at 10 a.m. This is according to the Sept. 27 Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches poll.
Second-ranked Liberty Center leads the Division III girls pack that starts at 10:30 a.m., along with Gilmour Academy, Berkshire and McDonald - all ranked in the top 10.
Second-ranked CVCA and St. Ignatius are in the Division II and I boys races, respectively.
Then, top-ranked St. Vincent-St. Mary is in the D-II girls race. The St. V boys are eighth in D-II.
Saturday is a time for legendary figures to be honored and those future legends to shine.