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July 31, 2024
Marathon Celebrates 15 Year Anniversary
April Fool’s Day – a day that constitutes jokes, hoaxes, and pranks might seem like an odd day for a company to begin their journey, but in 2006, Marathon Consulting did just that, simply for the fact that it was the start of a new fiscal quarter. A logical business move masked behind a silly day!
While Marathon may have begun on April Fool’s Day, it takes no fool to see how quickly Marathon achieved success. The founders had a vision to fill the gap in the Hampton Roads area IT market. Hampton Roads was constantly overlooked by large consulting companies and the small to mid-size companies with IT needs had been underserved. Marathon was what the area needed to serve that market. Today marks the 15-year anniversary since Marathon began, and it comes as no surprise that a company named Marathon has consistently, year after year, reached and even lapped their business goals while serving the Hampton Roads area and beyond.
Fun fact: The company was working virtually before virtual was a "thing". Since there was no physical office at inception, in addition to working remotely full time, the partners would conduct candidate interviews at Atlanta Bread Company in Virginia Beach.
None of this would be possible if the 4 founding partners hadn’t stuck to their goal of making sure the absolute best people are onboarded into the company. The vetting process has always been extensive to ensure that Marathon hires the best candidates for the job. The star players that were hired aided in the swift success Marathon saw within the first few years of starting the company. The employees and consultants are the backbone of the Marathon success story, and the partners plan to continue company growth by sticking to their guns on the hiring process and hiring people who are talented, dedicated, and ready to learn.
In the beginning, Marathon started with the 4 partners and 4 clients. Today, the company is now just shy of 100 employees and has served over 400 clients and counting. This growth over the last 15 years has turned Marathon from a tiny family into one of considerable size. The small business complex office outside of Town Center that housed Marathon’s original operations quickly became too crowded, so much so that back in 2015, the company moved to a larger corporate building in Town Center’s business district.
Fun fact: The grand opening involved some employees marathoning around Town Center!
While awards, acknowledgements, and article publications are some of the many ways Marathon has showcased the company’s success - taking care of clients, caring for employees, and aiding in philanthropic events and charities has proven to be a real success driver. Every year Marathon is the presenting sponsor and participates in the CHKD RunWalk For The Kids. After supporting the local foodbank for many years, Marathon recently joined the Hunger Heroes to fight against hunger in the Hampton Roads community. From the beginning, success has also been driven by the employees, who are treated like family. A balanced work and personal life is encouraged and nurtured, allowing Marathon’s employees to continue to put forth their best work without burnout. As can be seen by all the happy employees, clients, and the community, Marathon knows how to be successful by standing behind all that truly matters!
Like an actual marathon, the better prepped you are for the journey, the better you will perform. Take care of your body, and it’ll take you across the finish line. Keep check of your pacing, and you’ll prevent yourself from burning out. Stay focused on the goal, and it will never go out of sight. Marathon took this guidance and turned them into business principles and goals. Fifteen (15) years later, the company is still on the right path and has reached many milestones, including the opening of a second office in Richmond! Marathon plans to reach even more goals in the next few years by sticking to the methodologies and principles that have led the company to success.
We look forward to seeing you at the next mile post!