WHEELING — While for some the Ogden Newspapers Half Marathon Classic is a momentous milestone in their running career, for Samuel Bilica it is just a typical Saturday training session – and a stepping stone toward the Boston Marathon.

Bilica is registering for the 2026 Boston Marathon and trying to improve his time at a full marathon in Erie before then. The Ogden Newspapers Half Marathon Classic is just a way to train towards that goal, he said.

“It’s like a training run,” he said. “I am training for the Erie full marathon in September and this is just my regular Saturday training run but I’m local so I sign up [every year.] This is my third year running this.”

As a third-timer, Bilica said he is comfortable with the challenging ups and downs of the Ogden route at this point.

“This will be the third time I’ve tackled this hill,” he said.

Bilica will use the upcoming Erie full marathon to improve his time leading up to applying for the Boston Marathon, he said.

“I’m using it to try to better my Boston qualifying time, so right now I have a two minute cushion for Boston,” he said, “but I’d be more comfortable with a four or five minute cushion when I apply.”

The Boston Marathon has been a goal for Bilica since he picked up running again in 2020. While he ran in high school and college, he let it go for several years when he started working full time as an adult. Now, he has fallen back in love with it.

“Right in the middle of COVID I picked up running and sorta veered away from lifting a little bit, started with a couple halves and this will be my 12th half and I’ve run eight fulls as well,” he said.

Bilica was born in Wheeling, but was raised and went to school in Louisiana. He returned to the Ohio Valley as an adult when he found his first job in St. Clairsville.

Bilica said he typically wears the fun brightly colored patterned shorts that his wife buys for him and whatever else he is comfortable in that day.

“My wife actually just commented on this yesterday. She said that I never match and so I’m going to continue not matching, I told her,” he said.