Running for Tim: A Brother’s Journey to the Chicago Marathon
One afternoon years ago, Jim was doing what he loved most, playing with his three sons. As part of their fun, he sprinted toward a canal, leapt, and came up just short. The landing shattered his lower right leg in an open comminuted fracture. Months of surgeries followed, each one an attempt to save the limb. None were successful. Eventually, Jim’s leg was amputated.
For many, that would have been the end of a running story. For Jim, it was only a pause.
“I had run in college mostly for exercise,” he remembers. “But after my amputation, I didn’t start again. Running legs weren’t covered by insurance, and I just let it go.”
Years passed. Then one day, Jim’s daughter began training for a marathon. Watching her lace up ignited something in him. She urged him to get a running blade. Finally, he gave in. “I’m so glad I did,” Jim says. “Running gave me back something I didn’t realize I had missed.”
A New Goal
Jim’s return to running quickly grew into something bigger. Four years ago, he joined local running groups where he heard friends talk about completing marathons, even qualifying for Boston. The idea took hold: could he, too, take on the marathon distance?
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon, known for its flat and fast course, became his target. But there was a catch: entry required either a qualifying time or running on behalf of a charity. Around that same time, Jim’s younger brother, Tim, was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare bile duct cancer.
“When I saw the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation (CCF) listed as a charity partner, I knew right away that was my team,” Jim explains. “Tim is my baby brother. I had to do something.”
Running for a Purpose
Training has tested Jim in ways he didn’t expect. As an older runner and an amputee, the long training runs bring unique challenges. “I’m learning to pace myself,” he says. “But I love running for a purpose. So many of the stories I hear through CCF are heartbreaking. I want to be part of helping to find a cure.”
Jim hopes that when people see him running the Chicago Marathon, they see more than determination. “I hope they understand why I run—for my brother and for all families facing this disease—and that they’re inspired to join the fight.”
Tim’s Journey
For Tim, the road to diagnosis was full of subtle signs.
“I’ve always been active, especially cycling and spending time outdoors,” he says. “My first symptoms were odd, like persistent itching all over, and coworkers commenting on how tan I looked. I thought it was just from working outside.”
But bloodwork told another story. His liver and kidney numbers were alarmingly high. Further tests revealed bile duct cancer.
Tim underwent the Whipple procedure, a major surgery often performed to remove tumors in the pancreas or bile duct. Through it all, Jim was there. “He flew to Mayo Clinic in Rochester to be with me before, during, and after surgery,” Tim recalls. “Having him as an advocate and supporter meant everything.”
A Bond of Hope
The brothers’ connection has always been strong. Tim says Jim has inspired him for as long as he can remember. “From his love of nature to his medical career, Jim has lived with a kind of contagious hope. Anyone who knows him has seen it. To see him running for me and for others facing this cancer is humbling.”
That hope sustains Tim, even on difficult days. “Hope sometimes comes as a deliberate expectation, and other times as the faintest flicker,” he says. “Both matter. I believe in holding onto prayers, to the love of family and friends, and to the fight to keep the ‘window of life’ open as long as possible.”
Tim often returns to three words that ground him: faith, hope, and love. “I pray for healing and joy, right in the middle of this trial. And I want others to fight to keep their own window of life open, for themselves and for each other.”
The Finish Line
As race day approaches, Jim thinks often about what crossing the finish line will mean. “If I make it across, it won’t just be my achievement,” he says. “It will be something I give to Tim.”
And if Tim could be standing there waiting for him? Jim doesn’t hesitate: “I’d simply tell him: I love you, my brother.”
This marathon is about more than miles. It’s about family, resilience, and the power of hope, the kind that carries two brothers forward together, step by step, toward a cure. Learn more about Jim and Tim here. Please visit this page to donate to the Team CCF Chicago Marathon Team.
