Skip to content
Health
Link copied to clipboard

Local military vet runs Philly Marathon for DetermiNation

Carlisle's Shane Reilly is no stranger to loss. He was serving in the Army in Kuwait in August of 2012 when his mother passed away from non smokers' lung cancer. And just last month, his wife lost her father to cancer as well.

Carlisle's Shane Reilly is no stranger to loss. He was serving in the Army in Kuwait in August of 2012 when his mother passed away from non smokers' lung cancer. And just last month, his wife lost her father to cancer as well.

Wanting to help others touched by this disease, Reilly and his wife Linda, joined the American Cancer Society's DeterminNation which trains athletes for half marathons, marathon and triathlons while also raising money to fight cancer.

Reilly says that his wife, Linda, is the runner in the family, but both of them have been running as a part of the "Reilly Regiment" for a while now. They have participated in the Philadelphia Marathon Race Weekend for the last five years and have run the Broad Street Run and other local races in the past. Linda even ran in the Boston Marathon last April.

Typically the "Reilly Regiment" has always run for the Organization for Autism Research to support adults and children with Autism like their son, Alexander, but for this year's Philly Marathon Weekend, in honor of his mom Peggy and her father Joe, they decided to focus on the fight against cancer instead.

Unfortunately, Linda, due to a foot injury, won't be running the Philly Marathon this year, but Shane will still be taking on the half, and their two children, Charlotte and Alexander are entered for the Fun Run, keeping it a family affair.

"My wife and I were just talking over dinner about how much this disease has taken from us. It is a difficult disease to beat. Anything we can do to raise money and awareness, we are excited to do," he added.

Want to support the "Reilly Regiment" and DeterminNation? Learn more here.

Have a question for the On The Run panel? Ask it here or email us. View our 2015-2016 local race calendar here or add your own race using this submission form.

Read more from the On The Run blog »