Yesterday in the Post Office, I stood behind a man who was wearing a Tech shirt that said "Running for Erin" White Rock Marathon. So, in casual conversation, I asked him what the run for Erin was. He told me that it's for a girl who passed away in 2008 at the Dallas Marathon. She was only 29 years old and was only 3 miles from the finish line. He said that she had a massive heart attack and was dead instantly. My heart broke. How awful for a family to endure! They had seen her not too long before she passed away. They were there to cheer her on and then they went to the finish line and she never crossed it. She was running the Dallas Marathon to qualify for Boston. They calculated her pace and had she finished at the pace she was running, she would have qualified. In turn, Boston made her a finisher's plaque and medal and sent it to her family to display at her funeral. He told me that she also ran triathalons and she had run other marathons in the past. They had a moment of silence at the Dallas marathon for her this year as well as a video tribute. If you have a chance, check out her website. It really is sad. So young, so much life to live, such dreams and ambitions...gone. I think it's awesome what people have done for her memory. May her legacy live on!
Running for Erin
So sad, yet such a good inspiration to runners all over the world. For anybody that does read the story of Erin, make sure you have a box of tissues next to you. I promise you will be crying by the time you finish!
ReplyDeletewow...so overwhelmingly emotional. I can't imagine dying while striving for something you want so much as a BQ run. Amazing story and extremely inspiring. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeletethat is so sad!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing that story--it is a tearjerker but motivational too.
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