Island Runners Aid One of Their Own
By Craig Crosby

BAR HARBOR—Some friendships are measured by time. Not many are measured by distance.

Jeff Weisbruch, who is battling brain cancer, has 824.75 miles worth of friends.

That is how far Weisbruch’s old friends, and some he has never met, covered over a 24-hour period last weekend at Jeff’s Run—a relay to raise money for the young man who, on the verge of one of the most exciting times in his life, was stricken with a life-threatening illness.

Weisbruch, a Cranberry Isles and Bar Harbor resident, graduated from George Washington University in 2000 and recently completed his medical training. He was starting his career as a physician’s assistant at Eastern Maine Medical Center. Weisbruch and his fiancée, Caroline Leonard, were planning an August wedding.

Those plans were sidelined earlier this summer when Weisbruch learned he had a malignant brain tumor.

An avid runner, Weisbruch has competed in a number of marathons, including Boston, and is an entrant in the Mount Desert Island Marathon, scheduled for October.

A close-knit group, island runners always have cheered each other on at race time.

Led by Jeff’s Run organizer Gary Allen, Crow Athletics, Mount Desert Island’s new athletic club, began laying the groundwork for a relay to raise money for Weisbruch shortly after members heard of his illness. The culmination of that plan came at noon on Saturday when runners began circling the track at Mount Desert Island High School. They did not stop until noon on Sunday. In the process, the athletes covered 824.75 miles and raised more than $8,700.

Those miles were covered by 73 runners, running an average of 11.3 miles each. Moreover, approximately 10 runners ran without signing in, just to show their support. Another 10 or so handed out water, signed people in and did other volunteer work. Another 20 or more just wanted to watch. In all, more than 100 people took time to show Weisbruch that he does not face his struggle alone.

“I am still totally speechless about the complete and all-encompassing perseverance, dedication and spirit that I am proud to have taken part in over the 24-hour span,” Allen said. “It was just a surreal sight and feeling in the air the whole time.”

For Weisbruch, emotions began running high from the moment he pulled into the high school’s parking lot and saw the large white sign advertising his run.

“It was very touching,” he said.

Three weeks after an operation in Boston to remove the cancer from his brain, Weisbruch attended the run and walked the first lap.

Before the run, Allen told the runners it would be important to maintain unity and spirit to get through the next 24 hours. As it turned out, he was preaching to the choir.

Runners and supporters camped overnight next to the football field. They showed up to run early in the morning after the local bars and restaurants closed. By 9 p.m. on Saturday, a giant card for Weisbruch already had been filled. There were still 15 hours to go.

Throughout the night, extra runners on the sidelines stayed awake out of fear the baton might stop. It never did.

At 1:30 a.m. Tom St. Germain, Judson Cake and Evan Graves had an impromptu 10-mile race. They circled the track at a dizzying speed of 75 seconds per lap.

At midnight, two girls appeared, ran 10 miles, and disappeared.

“I still don’t know your names, but thank you,” Allen said.

On Sunday, with temperatures in the mid-80s and the sun beating down, runners pressed on. Folk, rock and blues music blared from a compact disc player.

A toddler sprayed a garden hose on the home stretch, dousing runners.

Peter Parker finished 31 miles just before noon as the roaring crowd urged him down the home stretch. He ran the distance without stopping. By the time he finished, track temperatures were a sweltering 100 degrees.

Southwest Harbor’s Jeff Murphy ran even further, completing 34 miles. His previous high had been 12 miles, but then, he had never run with more motivation. Graves logged a total of more than 33 miles.

Weisbruch and Leonard were there, quietly chatting with their friends, old and new. Leonard took a lap with the gray baton, which had been passed from runner to runner for 24 hours.

She then passed the baton to Weisbruch. He, Leonard and their son Field led the way as the other runners fell in step behind and U2’s “In the Name of Love” blasted from the CD player. He raised the baton over his head, shook it and smiled as the runners headed down the home stretch. On the last turn of the last lap, runners started rhythmically clapping their hands. They crossed the finish line together.

In an emotional post-race ceremony, Allen congratulated the group and told Weisbruch and Leonard to use the money however and for whatever they needed. Runners, eyes filled with tears, agreed.

“When I heard about what was going on with Jeff [Weisbruch], I knew I had to do something,” Allen said. “I am not a surgeon, thank God, but I am a runner.”

People cheered. Leonard cried.

Weisbruch, softspoken and fighting back tears, thanked those who helped. He said he had only known a handful of them the day before and was amazed at people who would come out and run for 24 hours for a stranger.

He thanked Leonard for her support.

“She’s been through a lot of ups and downs in the last month,” he said.

The list of volunteers who helped the event succeed is lengthy. Allen thanked the high school’s Rob Liebow and Bunky Dow for use of the track. The Alternative Market provided coffee and Coca-Cola provided sports drinks. The Lompoc Café provided hummus and the Southwest Food Mart, Shop n’ Save and Shaw’s supplied food. Mount Desert Spring Water gave water and Southwest Pizza offered pizza.

On Monday, Allen was still in awe at what the island’s athletes, businesses and friends had accomplished.

“Without speaking, lifelong friendships and bonds were formed,” he said. “In my 30-plus years of running, I have many highlights that come to mind. This run easily surpasses all other moments in my athletic career. It was one of the most emotionally uplifting things I’ve ever seen or been a part of. The hundreds of laps we covered were a bigger prize than any gold medal or race could ever be. We had truly helped a fellow human being, our neighbor, our friend and our doctor, Jeff Weisbruch.”

(Reporters Caitlin Tunney and Lauren Gifford contributed to this story.)

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