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.” 

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.