STOCKTON, Calif. — The coronavirus pandemic has been a hurdle for many small businesses all over the country. One man in Stockton decided to get creative on his route to supporting local- Isaiah Stowers ran his first full marathon to highlight small businesses.
"Stockton doesn’t have a bunch of skyscrapers or trees to showcase in this 26 mile adventure," Stowers said. "So I thought instead, why not highlight all the small businesses and companies that make Stockton what it is?"
Starting at Elkhorn Grill, Stowers ran to more than 30 Stockton businesses. He was followed by bicyclists and local film crew Aloha Life Visions to document his journey and the businesses along the way.
"I reached out to a bunch of restaurants, gyms, videographers, photographers and overwhelmingly, the support was amazing," Stowers said. "Just to have some hydration on the way over, but the meantime, I'm also giving exposure to the city’s small businesses, the mom and pops that really make the city what it is- some of which were hit hard by Covid."
Lord of the Wings was one of Stowers' stops. Antonio Shannon who owns the restaurant said he was happy to be a part of the marathon.
"I was honored, you know, it's a big deal," Shannon said. "These are some hard times right now for businesses, so for him to showcase us all like that, I just appreciate it."
At the finish line, Stowers was met by family, friends and tacos from Tacos la Palmita food truck, owned by Jesus Cisneros.
"It helps promote our business, for one," Cisneros said. "I want to be apart of anything that's positive in Stockton just because we need more of that."
Stowers' run and the businesses along his route that participated will be featured on his YouTube channel Stowers Does it All, where he creates fitness related content.
"I grew up here and when you think about the small businesses here, a lot of which you grew up with-- there’s Finnigan’s and Tacos la Palmita," Stowers said. "These are all people who live in the same neighborhood as us and are all trying to make it. It’s easy to go shop at Walmart or DoorDash at McDonalds, but some of these small businesses really make the city what it is and they have that special touch that you can’t get anywhere else."
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