By PAMELA CODY
Special to the PRESS
Anyone can drag themselves out of bed and go jogging at 6:30 a.m., but to get up when it’s still dark and run 13 or 26 miles requires a special kind of fortitude. For the second time in as many years, that’s exactly what happened before dawn last Saturday when thousands of runners and walkers gathered in front of the Port Isabel Lighthouse to take part in the SPI Marathon.
The weather was ideal for running, with overcast skies and low humidity. Participants had the choice of either a half marathon, full marathon or a half marathon team relay. Melissa Mitchell from Harlingen, had a simple objective in mind and a very personal reason for undertaking this race. “My goal is to finish this half marathon relay without injury and have fun. This is my second marathon,” she said.
“It’s a family thing, too, because my sister-in-law — who’s a veteran — has cancer, she’s only 34. So, we’re doing this for her; my sons are running with me.”
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