In Memory of Bill by ultraDave       | FUNDRAISING  click here

This is a story about the Miracle Marathon of 2005. A run that took place December 2005 in Honolulu, Hawaii. However, first, let me give you the background. I met Bill Crooks at the beginning of 2001. We worked together, and quickly found out that we had a lot in common. We were both grew up in Suburban Chicago, and were big Cub’s baseball fans. He was a talented cross country and track runner in school, and I had tried to run. We both married young, to high school sweethearts. And, we were both lured later in life to this paradise, called Hawaii.

Naturally with all of these similarities, we formed a friendship. However the strongest bond was definitely that of running. We started training together and in March ran the Maui Marathon. After warming up and stretching together, we got separated at the start. I went on the run a PR of 3:33 and he came in at 4:36, not really liking the heat of Hawaii.

Soon afterwards, I began working a second job, and he changed jobs. I also moved to the other side of the island. So, it became quite impossible to continue running together. We trained on our own, with the goal of running the 2002 Maui Marathon next year together. However, they changed it to the month of September, and I think Bill opted not to run it because he hadn’t been able to train like he had hoped for, and it was going to be even hotter during that month. Even though my training hadn’t been very good at all, I chose to run, and finished in a non-spectacular 4:38.

Time went by quickly, and in 2004 I moved away to Honolulu. So, little did I know that the 2001 marathon would be the last one that Bill and I would run together. Well, sort of - I’ll explain that later. After moving, I joined a couple of running groups, and met a really good motivator. That, along with changing my diet, let to some really good running results for me. Instead of being a mid-packer, I started running in the lead group, and had high hopes for my next marathon which was Maui 2005.

However, something tragic also had happened that year. Bill had been diagnosed with Leukemia, and was undergoing treatment. Fate would now have it that I lived on the same island that Bill was transferred to for most of his treatments. I had that time with him in the hospital which few others did, due to his friends living on Maui and in other states. So, for the Maui marathon in September, I wanted to do something special for him. I wanted to go under 3 hours and finish in the Top 10 overall. It had been a goal of his to go under three hours, and he had been really close before. Bill and Debra on a break in between the long stays in the hospital done on Oahu would be coming to the race and would see me finish.

When the marathon started, I took off with a big adrenaline rush. I clipped off a 5:35 for the first mile and was in the lead group. Over the next two miles I kept the pace well under 6 minutes. The problem with this is that I was supposed to be running a 6:52 pace. I was burning up all my energy and later would come crashing down. Sure enough, it happened at mile 18, and I struggled over the next 8 miles to come in at 3:28. Still a PR, but not the impressive finish that I had hoped for. When I saw Bill and Debra patiently waiting for me at the finish, I was really disappointed in myself, that I made such a stupid mistake by going out too fast. Still, Bill seemed glad to see me again, and to be around a big running event. And, I was happy to see that he was doing a good job of battling his cancer.

After returning home, I decided I would dedicate my next marathon to him, which would be Honolulu in December. I was well trained for it, and would run a much smarter race this time. For this run, I put “FOR BILL” on the back of my shirt, so that I could tell everyone his story about how he was battling cancer. I knew there would be a lot of extra prayers made for him this day.

The run started early in the morning with fireworks, and I could just tell that something special would happen today. I kept my pace right at 6:52, and ran from Downtown, past Diamond Head and Kahala, out to Hawaii Kai. I was excited, everything was going great at the turnaround point and I was still right on pace. I came back on the Kalanianaole Hwy. into Kahala, and was feeling great. However, a little later, when I made the turn at mile 22 onto Diamond Head drive, I hit the wall, and started slowly falling off my pace. I was struggling, and started to seriously worry that I would fall a few minutes short of my goal. It would be a good run overall, but I didn’t want to let Bill down again.

I hit the bottom of Diamond Head, with only two miles left, and actually needed to make up some time to finish under 3 hours, yet at the same time, had a hill in my way to climb. I was becoming desperate and didn’t know what I could do. So, I said a prayer, and found myself hoisting Bill up on my back and saying, “Ok Bill, let’s go. Let’s charge this hill and take it strong to the finish!”. I suddenly found myself with an extra burst of energy. I was literally flying up the hill with ease. I went up and over, making the turn into Kapiolani Park, finding that I had made up the time, and was right on target for 3 hours.

Here’s where it becomes even more interesting. The race was a chip timed event. I had started quite a ways back from where I should have been at the starting line. It took me approximately 28 seconds to cross the start line, according to when I started my watch, but I wasn‘t exactly sure. Therefore I didn’t panic when I saw the time clock turn past 3:00:01, and continued clicking off seconds. I approached the line at 3:00:27 and thrust my foot forward that had the chip on it to cross the line to stop the clock. I wouldn’t be sure of my finish time until the results were posted one full hour later. In the mean time, I was telling everyone about Bill, and that I think I made it under 3 hours.

When they posted the results it was confirmed. 2:59:59. The only way that this could happen was a miracle. From having to make up time going up hill, to finishing exactly in time, not knowing the difference from the gun time to the chip time, it had to be a true miracle. By the help of God, and with the strength and determination given to me by Bill, I had made it. Thus, The Miracle Marathon of 2005.

Bill was in the hospital at the time, so I sent him a marathon hat with the time 2:59:59 on it. He wore it proudly for months afterwards. Unfortunately, Bill lost his battle with Leukemia, and passed away March 4, 2006, just before his 42nd birthday. Bill ran his last Marathon (26.2mi) in Chicago 2004, 6 months before his illness. I’m sad that I never got to run with him again, however, we will always have that last marathon run together, and what a great one it was.