Leigh Spruell
Age: 62
Hometown: Houston, TX

“Running has been a part of my life–through snow, rain, heat, mountains, pregnancy, divorce, depression, anxiety, and the stress of raising three beautiful daughters! I have always found solace on the streets, during the early morning hours before work. When everything else was ‘out of control’, running was my only constant. I ran my first marathon in 1986, the Houston Tenneco Marathon, and was challenged from that day forward. I have run 13 Marathons total, including 2 Boston Marathons. However, it has been 14 years since my last marathon. In 2004, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I remember saying, ‘I just want to run’. ‘Walk’ has never been a word in my vocabulary. It will be a challenge to run this distance; as my body fatigues more quickly and the heat is not very friendly to M.S.  I know that 90% is mental and 10% is training. Life is a challenge and I want to embrace life. I also want to be a role model to my three beautiful children and grandchildren. My motto is, ‘Don’t say I will try, because I will fail. Say, I will do it and succeed!”

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