Kenyan star Sammy Wanjiru will be defending his title Sunday (10 October) in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon here in the USA.  I’m sure the speedy Olympic champion will be getting his share of cheers along the course in the Windy City, but I’ll be getting more inspiration from my older brother, Mark, who works in Chicago and who also will be testing his endurance in the city’s annual marathon.

Mark Young

Now 55, Mark has run both the Chicago and Boston Marathons several times each.  And, as I approach my 50th birthday, Mark’s passion for distance running has helped me get moving on more than a few early morning jaunts around the neighborhood.

I had knee surgery in 2007, and for awhile during the rehabilitation process, I thought I’d never run again.  I recently ran an 8K race, though, and I’m looking forward to doing more races in the future.  Maybe not midlife marathons like Mark, but at this stage of the game, I’m just happy to be running.

And let’s not forget my 58-year-old brother-in-law, Tony Ingram, who also will be on the starting line Sunday in Chicago.  Tony and Mark help motivate me and others in middle age, and help us realize that even though the PRs are few and far between these days, we won’t stop moving.