Cancer patient runs his own Columbus Marathon

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Mike Ray is battling stage four colon cancer. The Hilliard man was scheduled to run in the Columbus Marathon on Sunday, but his health deteriorated and doctors told him he was unable to do so.

Ray's story is one of courage and determination. The husband and father of four has been battling cancer for four years but doesn't want it to define him. That's why he improvised when he was told he wouldn't be allowed to leave Ohio State's James Cancer Center to run the marathon.

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Instead, he defied the odds and went to the hospital alone.

“Due to hospital policy, I'm not allowed to run for safety reasons, but I can walk, so I'm walking,” Ray said.

Ray started bright and early on Sunday at 6:40am.

He has surgery on Monday, but between visits to the nurse, he's putting one foot in front of the other and pushing forward, just as he has throughout his cancer journey.

“I tracked with my Fitbit and my Nike Plus running app, as well as a timer on my phone,” Ray said.

Ray said that despite everything, including his version of the Columbus Marathon, he never gave up.

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“Whether it's cancer, whether it's life, the way I try to teach my kids because I have four of them, it's like it doesn't matter what the hell is going on,” Ray said. “It can always be worse, so just grab yourself and leave.”

Sure enough, nine hours and 38 minutes later, Ray accomplished what he set out to do: he ran a marathon.

Ray said the worst part about not participating in the marathon was that he didn't get a medal, but his friend Erin came to the rescue. Erin ran the Columbus Marathon and then joined Ray in the James Marathon for the toughest final three miles. When he reached 26.2 miles, he finally claimed his medal.

“I think one thing I learned from my dad is just do it,” Ray said. “That doesn't matter. Just do it and we'll worry about it later. Find out later, but just get it done.

Ray said he was determined to run his first-ever marathon, specifically the Columbus Marathon. He said he's looking ahead to 2026 because he hopes he gets the liver he needs so he has enough time to heal, recover and get back in shape.

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