40-year-old ultramarathoner and triathlete Marc Witkes unexpectedly died of a heart attack at mile 21.5 of the Tucson Marathon this Sunday. Although I didn't personally know Marc, I had read his blog on many occasions, and knew he had completed some of the craziest endurance sports out there (double- and triple-Ironman, Sri Chimnoy 700-mile, Hardrock, and more). He was an active board member of the Hardrock 100, and the President of the popular Durango Moterless Transit (running) Club. He was always promoting local Durango athletes and their accomplishments in triathlon, XTerra, and ultrarunning. He will certainly be missed.
You can read more about Marc's untimely death here at the Arizona Daily Star. If you don't mind the eerie feeling of reading his rather-current blog, you can also do so here. He was a gifted sports writer.
My heart is out to his friends, family, and the endurance athletes of Durango. I hope we all can feel good knowing that he died doing what he loves, and would want nothing more than for us to continue. Tomorrow's run is dedicated to Marc - you were 5 miles from finishing the marathon at a 6:35 min/mile pace, so I will complete it for you to honor your spirit.
Cheers, SD
40-year-old ultramarathoner and triathlete Marc Witkes unexpectedly died of a heart attack at mile 21.5 of the Tucson Marathon this Sunday. Although I didn't personally know Marc, I had read his blog on many occasions, and knew he had completed some of the craziest endurance sports out there (double- and triple-Ironman, Sri Chimnoy 700-mile, Hardrock, and more). He was an active board member of the Hardrock 100, and the President of the popular Durango Moterless Transit (running) Club. He was always promoting local Durango athletes and their accomplishments in triathlon, XTerra, and ultrarunning. He will certainly be missed.
