Wadsworth dad running to do his part

Some folks run a marathon to get in shape. Some run to show support for a son in an airborne infantry unit in Iraq; some run for all 40 guys in that unit. And some run to find a cure for brain tumors, in support of a sister recently diagnosed with one. Tom Dutton, a Wadsworth sheet metal worker, will be running his fourth Chicago marathon in as many years for all those reasons.

"I felt if those guys could go to Iraq, at least I could run a marathon, so I dedicated that first one to my son and his buddies," said Dutton. "I had no idea the war would last so long."

Dutton, 55, had hoped last year would be his final marathon. After all, his son, T.J., deployed twice to Iraq, would soon be hanging up his army boots and Dutton figured he could hang up his running shoes, too.

MARATHON COVERAGE
30 years on the run Even opposites can keep in stride Fittin' your feet Wadsworth dad running to do his part But when his sister was diagnosed with a glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive types of brain tumors, Dutton laced up those old shoes and got back on track again.In its 30th year, the Chicago marathon is ranked as one of the five major world marathons, along with Boston, Berlin, London and New York City. More than 4,200 ran in its first year. This year 45,000 runners will run. While the competition attracts world-class runners, it also raised $9.5 million last year for charities. This year nearly 7,000 runners -- not necessarily top-notch athletes, just plain ol' joes and janes -- will run for 83 different causes. They're not competing to beat one another, but for victory over a disease or social injustice. The Iraq war and the safety of U.S. troops was central in motivating Dutton to pin his son's picture to his running shorts and participate in previous marathons. This year, he'll add a photo of his 53-year-old sister, Andrea Plummer, a Utah mother of three and a survivor and warrior of a deadly brain tumor.Dutton, the only brother in a family of five, hopes to raise funds for the Des Plaines-based American Brain Tumor Association and find a cure for such diseases."My running for me is a distraction to keep my mind off the dangers my son was confronted with when he was fighting in Iraq and now my sister struggling with this tumor," said Dutton, who isn't one for vain sentiments or useless platitudes. "There's nothing more I can do. At least I can help raise funds for brain tumor research. I'm just trying to be as useful as possible."Clearly, Dutton isn't one to just watch from the stands, though he says he did plenty of that when T.J. played hockey for four years at Lake Forest College. "I was a good spectator at my son's sporting events. I was not even a weekend warrior. I had become comfortable doing nothing," he confessed. But once he saw his son in basic training with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, stationed out of Fort Drum in upper New York State, he decided it was time to get moving. "I thought, 'Man, these guys are working hard.' And it's not just for themselves," Dutton said. "I can do my part, too." It wasn't easy. Though he had jogged and played hockey when he was younger, it had been years since he had really gotten involved in any type of physical activity. Running 100 yards was tough at first.It still isn't easy. He's clocked in at a little over four hours at each marathon."This year my goal is to be under four hours. But each year I get older and slower," he said ruefully. "I'd really like to reverse that trend." Running in marathons isn't the Dutton family's only endeavor. Dutton and his wife Sara established a non-profit organization for Army families to mail care packages to soldiers. Bear Hugs from Mom, at bearhugsfrommom.com, provides individual care packages to soldiers in T.J.'s unit throughout their one-year deployment. As for marathons, Dutton hopes he'll be running in at least one more after Sunday's race. His son, T.J., severely sprained his ankle in Iraq and is now in rehab in the U.S. With any luck, next year T.J. will be running beside his father in the 2008 Chicago marathon, with Andrea on the sidelines cheering them on.