Woman Plans To Run Md. Half Marathon In Husband's Memory

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A big event for Baltimore area runners this weekend. It's the annual Maryland Half Marathon. Two thousand runners are expected for this year's event, including a woman who's running in her husband's memory.

Mary Bubala has more.

The Maryland Half Marathon has raised $1.5 million for the Greenebaum Cancer Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center. The money raised over five years has funded breakthrough research with doctors like Dr. Duane Sewell, who cared for hundreds of patients there as a surgeon and research scientist until he was diagnosed with gastric cancer and died two years ago at age 44.

"He really was a dedicated physician and he really loved his patients," said Dr. Catherine Sewell.

So dedicated that Dr. Sewell ran the half marathon to support one of his patients in 2010.

"He had a patient who had just had surgery and someone in their family said, `Doc, I want you to run that Maryland Half Marathon' and he said `OK,' and he did it," she said.

Now Dr. Catherine Sewell and her two sons, Sean and Josh, are raising thousands of dollars for the half marathon. She will run the 13.1 miles on Saturday with her boys cheering her on.

"It's for a very good reason. She's raising money for cancer research and it's a good cause," said Sean Sewell.

They're hoping their effort helps other families avoid the pain of losing a loved one to cancer--especially one who helped others heal.

"If you were diagnosed with cancer, this is exactly the kind of person you would want to have take care of you. He was incredibly smart, incredibly skilled and just a lovely, lovely man. We all miss him terribly," said Dr. Kevin Cullen, director of the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center.

Saturday morning's race begins at 8 a.m. For more information, click here.

There will also be a 5K race this year, along with the half marathon.

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