Marathon Runner Racing Brain Cancer As Well As Clock

This weekend as thousands of racers pound the pavement through Southwest Minneapolis in the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, one runner will be racing more than the clock, according to the Star-Tribune.

Ever since sports psychologist and veteran marathoner Johanna Olson was 18, she's battled a brain tumor. While it has gone into remission before, it has come back with a vengance, so bad that she was forced to suspend her rigorous marathon training schedule earlier this year. Instead, the veteran runner will be "raking," or running and walking the course along with a team of friends, family, and supporters. 

"It sounds so cheesy, but truly, I love running," said Olson, who now lives in Bend, Ore. "It's who I am. It's a part of me. Even if I can only run for 10 minutes, I feel whole and happy. And if everything else is falling to pieces, I go for a run, and I feel like things are going to be OK.

"People have asked me what my goal is, and I tell them, '12-minute miles.' And they say, 'What?' But this is about doing this together. This is a celebration of life."