Running News Daily

Co-Stars of Fixer Upper Chip and Joanna Gaines Silo District Marathon in Waco is set for Sunday

Co-Stars of Fixer Upper, Chip Gaines and his wife, Joanna, met Gabrielle Grunewald last fall in Central Park. Gabe is a professional mid-distance runner who’s been fighting a rare cancer since 2009.

She convinced Gaines that he could train for a marathon in about six months. Grunewald also shared how she's battled adenoid cystic carcinoma since 2009. Gabe’s story left such a mark on Chip that he quickly moved past his goal of running a marathon to actually hosting one in Waco as well. 

He and the Magnolia team created Sunday's event the Silo District Marathon to benefit Grunewald's Brave Like Gabe Foundation, which raises funds for research on rare cancers.

"I didn't want to spend another second standing on the sidelines," Gaines wrote in a Jan. 10 blog post announcing the event. "Given what she's gone through, I didn't have any excuse not to give this a shot."

He invited his social media followers to join him.  100% of the profits from the race will be donated to the Brave Like Gabe Foundation in order to further the much-needed research on rare cancers.

It is our honor to come alongside Gabe and others with similar diagnoses to find answers, solutions and, ultimately, cures. Also thinking of the runners as well, the race will present $88,000 in prize money to the top three overall men and women in the half and the full.

The overall marathon winners will receive $15,000 and the half champions will earn $10,000.  The prize money is going to be given out based on chip time and not gun time.  Hopefully the best time will be the first person to cross the finish line too.