What happened, in summary

Sharon Schneider was diagnosed with a rare ALK-positive lung cancer in April 2017. She had previously completed 7 half marathons along with several 15K and 5K races, but cancer treatment and blood clots in her brain forced her to stop running. Later that year, doctors found that the cancer had also spread to her brain, and she was homebound for 3 months.

Sharon began an oral chemotherapy regimen that continued for about 2 years, followed by additional treatment. Once her condition improved, she tried an exercise program for patients with cancer but did not feel it matched her needs. She then asked her husband to train with her for a marathon, using one step at a time to rebuild a part of life she thought she had lost.

At age 50, Sharon completed her first marathon and crossed the finish line with her husband. She no longer ran at her former pace, but continued light jogging at least 3 days a week and cross-training by bicycle. The goal restored confidence and gave friends and family a concrete way to support lung-cancer research through fundraising.