“Every mile I conquer will be more meaningful because I’m doing this for something greater – for a cause I truly believe in. Most of us have been touched by cancer in some way,” Gilroy’s marathon man Manual Haro says. “This is my way of fighting back against a disease that has taken too much.”
On April 29, Haro, 32, will be running in the Big Sur International Marathon, one of the most challenging 26.2 miles in the world. His race to raise funds to find a cure for cancer has inspired many others to contribute or run as well.
Haro is a karate instructor who trains students ages 4 to 90. He teaches self-defense for women, and he is the online chairman for the Gilroy Relay for Life. He volunteers for the American Cancer Society through the fundraising efforts of DetermiNation Athletes.
“I lost my mom, Maria Haro, after a seven-and-a-half-year battle to metastatic breast cancer,” Haro said.
When his mom was ill, Haro took his mom to all of her cancer treatment appointments. They took walks together when she was able to. After she died, it was hard for Haro to shake the depression that came over him. Remembering his walks with his mom, one day he decided to try a short walk. Weighing 260 pounds then, he could only walk a short distance at first. Eventually he could jog for five minutes.
“After her passing, I decided to fight back against cancer by becoming a volunteer for the American Cancer Society. In 2009, I decided it was time to take up a new challenge, to become a marathon charity runner.”
It was easier said than done. When Haro tried to get ready to run his first long distance race, the San Jose Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon, he did not get off to a good start. Due to his lack of knowledge about running, he trained by running too many miles too soon, did not warm up or stretch to prepare, did not pace himself, and wore cheap running shoes. He injured his foot and was sidelined for several weeks, completely missing the race.
“Injuring myself was the best thing that could have happened to me, because if I had registered to run this half-marathon, I would have never finished. While sidelined, I read several books on running, but this time I learned from my mistakes and trained smarter and I had a plan.”
It was not an easy goal he had set for himself. His first week of training consisted of jogging for five minutes, then walking for a mere five minutes twice. He could not believe what a struggle it was just to run this short distance.
He continued to train over time, slimmed down to 180 pounds, and finally decided to try running the Big Sur International Marathon. It is considered one of the most challenging marathons in the world due to the steep and hilly terrain and a climb up to what is known as “Hurri-Pain Point” at mile 11 against strong headwinds. On April 25, 2010, Haro finished his first full 26.2 miles.
“It goes to show what can be done with hard work and determination,” he said. “Every mile I ran, I remembered my mom’s battle with cancer and that’s what kept me going to the finish line.”
This past year Haro fundraised $2,700. He was also featured in the American Cancer Society’s National Magazine, “Triumph.”
Haro has been very busy these past few months training for the Big Sur International Marathon once again, which is coming up on April 29. He has fundraised $2,002.20 for the American Cancer Society so far.
“My short term goal is to raise $300 more this year so I can reach the $5,000 milestone in being a Charity Runner these two years, but I’m going to attempt to fundraise $3,000 this year alone.
“Last year, for my two years so far of distance running, I called it ‘the year of twos,’ with goals of running two full 26.2 mile marathons, fundraising $2,000 to fight cancer, and running a half marathon (13.1 miles) in under two hours. This year, my goal is to run three full marathons in one year.”
Haro has also been dabbling with blogging. He writes a blog, “Running Manuel” (think “Running Manual”), and posts his blog entries on the www.DetermiNators.org website. It’s a site used by many DetermiNation Athletes to post articles, information about races, motivational thoughts and humor.
“Some pretty amazing athletes from all over the U.S. are committed to the cause of fighting cancer,” Haro said.
“I am hard at work being the online chairman for the Gilroy Relay For Life event which is coming up on Saturday, June 23. We are busy planning and getting ready for this awesome event! We are fortunate to have the support of so many who care.”
To make a donation to support Haro’s effort to fight cancer in the Big Sur International Marathon, go to the fundraising website http://main.acsevents.org/goto/manuel or contact Haro at 408-665-5020.
To come out and support our local Gilroy Relay For Life event, go to http://relayforlife.org/gilroyca.
If you’re interested in participating or forming a team for the relay, the event starts 10 a.m. Saturday, June 23 and ends 10 a.m. Sunday, June 24.
