13-year-old Eli Carr is going to be running Pittsburgh Half-Marathon in Honor of Mother

40,000 runners will be picking up their bibs at the Health and Fitness Expo for the 2019 Dicks Sporting Good Pittsburgh Marathon, but for one runner this race is extra special.

Eli Carr had to get special permission to run the half marathon because he's only 13 years old. He's running in honor of his mother."

"I'm running with my mom's teacher friend, Deisha Clayton," Carr said. "She's been amazing and helped put this all together."

Eli said Deisha posted on Facebook that she was going to run the Pittsburgh Marathon in honor of her friend Carolyn, his mother.

"Eli had seen that and he came to me and said, 'Dad I want to do that,'" said Eli's father, David.

"I wanted to do something in her honor, and I this would be one of the perfect thing to do," said Eli.

His mother was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in March of 2018 and passed away in November.

At 13-years-old, Eli is a wrestler at Wendover Junior High and placed 2nd in the state championship this year, but is too young to run the race.

Eli wrote a letter to the race committee saying he wanted to run for his mom. It was approved.

"I was so happy I couldn't believe it," he said.

On Sunday, Eli and Daisha will run the 13.1 miles together, and have raised over $3500 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, an organization that was really dear to Carolyn.

"He wants to help other people that are going through the fight that Carolyn went through," said David.

A proud Dad who said he's anticipating a wave of emotions to take over him as he watches Eli cross the finish line.

"I'm extremely proud of actually both my sons how they've handled all of this and always wanting to be positive about everything," he said. "It's a reflection of Carolyn and I see her living through them. It's pretty cool."

And Eli knows his mom will be watching.

"I think she would be really proud," he said.

posted Saturday May 4th
by Katelyn Sykes