RICHMOND, Va. — Among the veteran runners and newcomers hitting the road when the Richmond Marathon kicks off Saturday morning will be two Boston natives running the race for the first time.
In the solitude of her complex’s workout center, Mary Gibson runs on her treadmill, spending several hours on the machine each week since May to prepare for her first Richmond Marathon.
Meaghan Tarashuk, one of Gibson's best friends, is a veteran of five marathons and will run with Gibson on Saturday.
"I would say a marathon is 70 percent mental and 30 percent physical," Tarashuk said. "The hardest part is what do you do with your brain for that amount of time?"
"Every time I've had a bad run, I go to her for advice," Gibson said. "She's been a beacon of hope."
Gibson relocated to Richmond two years ago for work and found the Richmond Marathon to be one of the most inclusive races she has entered.
But that still doesn’t completely explain why she took up running. For that, we need to meet the third member of their close-knit group.
Brianna Marin has been friends with Gibson and Tarashuk for as long as they can remember.
Together they have shared a lot of experiences — both good and not so good.
Last June, Brianna Marin was diagnosed with Stage 4 glioblastoma.
"She went to the doctor a couple of times, got an MRI on the second or third visit and shocked us all with this news," Gibson said.
"The first moment I was in the ER and they diagnosed me, I was absolutely devastated," Marin said. "I said, 'I don't want to die.'"
"It was terrible. We're still dealing with it, we're still learning how to cope with it but it was awful and unexpected," Gibson added. "You usually see this in older men, so we were flabbergasted that a 31-year-old healthy female with two young children, how does something like that happen."
While searching for answers, Marin found what she calls 'glimmers'—positive signs, both big and small, that help her get through each day.
"These are little things to find. Look at this gorgeous sunrise I get to see. I got the worst news anyone can get the night before. It is worth it to keep going," Marin said.
"It is what it is, but that doesn't mean whatever time she or any of us has left on this earth that we have to stop looking for the good things in it because of tragic news like that," Tarashuk said.
"Find the positive glimmers of hope in each day, whether it's a random act of kindness, whether it's paying it forward, running a marathon. Whatever positive thing you can find, do it to make the world a better place," Gibson said.
Tarashuk and Gibson are running to raise money for their friend's medical expenses and to support Marin's fight.
"I don't think there's any good life lesson in me getting cancer. I don't think it happens for a reason. But I do think it allowed me and a lot of people in my life to shift perspective," Marin said. "I am just eternally grateful for both of them. For all of the love they've always shown me and my family. I think it's a wonderful representation of the effort they've put into our relationships over the years."
Click here to visit Brianna Marin's GoFundMe.
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