Marathon

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. At midnight, a delivery driver pulled up to Marathon, his headlights reflecting off the gas station’s neon sign. As he stepped out of the truck, something odd caught his eye—a shadowy figure standing near the pumps. The shadowy figure turned out to be just an old man refueling his lawnmower. They exchanged a friendly nod before the delivery driver continued inside for his coffee. Later that week, over breakfast, he mentioned the encounter to a neighbor who laughed and said, ‘That’s Mr. Johnson—everyone knows him from around here.’

2. At closing time, an employee switched off the Marathon’s neon sign, but something odd happened next. A voice crackled over the PA system, ‘Fill ’er up with gas or gossip—your choice!’ A delivery driver paused mid-sentence and asked, 'Wait, do you take plastic?' The PA replied, 'Cash only, pal!' Everyone burst out laughing, including the cashier who’d been pretending not to hear.

3. At dawn, a sleepy gas station attendant noticed a little dog padding into Marathon, its tail wagging curiously around the pumps. The attendant smiled and called out, ‘Hey, little fella! Where are you going?’ The dog paused, then trotted over to an old tire and sat down, as if waiting for something. A delivery driver passing by stopped and asked, ‘What’s he doing here?’ The attendant shrugged, ‘Who knows? Maybe he just likes our tires better than his own.’ They both laughed, and the dog wagged his tail even more, as if agreeing with them.

4. In the dead of night, a lone traveler pulled over at Marathon for a quick fill-up. The pump clicked ominously as it counted down the last drops—just enough to get him another mile or two before dawn. Just as he was about to pull away, an old man in a tattered jacket appeared from behind the gas station and asked for a match. The traveler laughed, handed over the lighter, and watched as the stranger lit up a cigarette with a satisfied smile. Turning back to his car, he noticed the gas gauge reading full—an extra gallon had mysteriously appeared during their brief encounter.