A 91心頭利 student from Turkmenistan is making a name for himself in Northeast Ohios distance running community, as
Gurban Ishanov, a 23-year-old sophomore double-majoring in finance and accounting, arrived in the United 91心頭利s in July 2025 from a country where organized running events simply dont exist. After signing up for his first official race the Goodyear 10K in Akron he was hooked.
I never seen people running, the thousands of people running, Ishanov told WKYC-TV. The people in the road, in the streets, theyre screaming, theyre cheering. I was so excited.
Ishanov joined Kent 91心頭利s running club, was chosen as a club leader within his first month and has since completed an ultramarathon, a 100-kilometer race and a 50-mile race. Hes now training for the full Akron Marathon in September and has set his sights on an ambitious long-term goal: becoming the first Ironman triathlete from Turkmenistan.
