Man with lung disease finishes Seattle Marathon towing oxygen tank
SEATTLE -- A man with a terminal lung disease has completed the Seattle Marathon while towing his oxygen tank.
Evans Wilson walked the entire 26.2-mile race Sunday and finished in just under 11 hours. KOMO-TV reports that the former competitive runner has pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension.
Wilson told the station that he wasn’t running the race for fun but in the hopes of raising $50,000 for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. He says the “disease is incredibly underfunded.”
Seattle Marathon organizers posted a photo of his triumph on Twitter with the message, “Whenever you think you can’t, consider @EvansWilson11 who has pulmonary fibrosis, finished under 11 hours.”
Whenever you think you can’t, consider @EvansWilson11 who has pulmonary fibrosis, finished under 11 hours @PFFORG #tunsea16 pic.twitter.com/53TfHch9Jy
— Seattle Marathon (@SeattleMarathon) November 28, 2016
KOMO reports that Wilson has been living with both conditions for five years. The station says says the median survival time is about three years.