Key Points

• The Marathon retail brand is turning a familiar fueling moment into a fun, interactive experience with its new Make It Count challenge.

• Appearing at trade shows and other industry events, the activation invites attendees to test their precision and see if they can stop the pump right on the mark.
• The challenge is part of the brand’s continued evolution, helping Marathon connect with customers in new, engaging and memorable ways.

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Anyone who has ever pumped gas knows the challenge. You squeeze the handle, watch the numbers climb and try to land on a clean, round number. No extra pennies. No overshoot. Just landing it right on the mark.

Now, the Marathon retail brand is turning that familiar moment into a fun, interactive experience. Recently introduced at trade shows, the Make It Count challenge features a replica Marathon gas pump, designed to look just like one you’d see at the station, that travels with the Brand Marketing team to events across the country. The name builds on the brand’s legacy loyalty program while reflecting its continued evolution with Marathon ARCO Rewards.

Fans and customers step up, take their shot and try to stop the pump on that often-elusive exact or even dollar amount.

“Our goal was to take something everyone has experienced and turn it into a fun challenge,” said Steven Kammeyer, Brand Marketing Manager at Marathon. “Now they get to try it in a setting where there’s no pressure, just a chance to have some fun.”

Watching people take on the challenge has quickly become part of the fun.

“You see people step up and say ‘This is easy,’ and then they miss it by a few cents,” said Adelyn Lafferty, Brand Marketing Specialist at Marathon. “Then they want another shot. That’s when you really start to see their competitive side come out.”

The activation made its debut at the 2026 Southeast Petro-Food Marketing Expo in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in early March. From there, it made its way to the Gulf Coast Food & Fuel Expo in Biloxi, Mississippi, and then at this year’s M-PACT Fuel & Convenience Tradeshow in Indianapolis in mid-April, where attendees lined up to test their precision and claim bragging rights.

“People love it because it’s simple and instantly relatable,” Lafferty added. “And when someone actually lands it, the reaction is great.”

The challenge is part of the retail brand’s broader effort to keep evolving and connect with customers in new ways, including through initiatives like Max, the brand’s new retail character, which brings fresh energy and personality to Marathon’s growing marketing toolkit.

“Whether it’s Max, the Make It Count challenge or other activations, it’s all about connecting with people and reminding them why Marathon is a brand they can trust,” said Kammeyer. “We’re excited about where our brand is headed, and while we’re at it, why not add a little fun and friendly competition into the mix?”

While the brand continues to modernize and expand, Marathon remains rooted in what drivers have long trusted. Today, with more than 6,600 Marathon-branded stations coast to coast and growing, every location offers TOP TIER™ gasoline in every grade, delivering the quality fuel drivers rely on wherever the road takes them.