Dr. Larue Fitch, a 43-year-old elementary school principal in West Chicago, recently completed the New York City Marathon on November 2, marking his 14th marathon in only six years. Initially, Dr. Fitch took up running to establish a healthy daily routine and enhance his mental health.
However, what started as a personal goal took on a deeper meaning in 2021 when his son, Josiah, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
“It impacted his walking, and I said to myself, ‘I need to be an inspiration not only to Josiah, but to a lot of families or individuals that are currently battling special needs,'” the committed dad told People. “That’s near and dear to me, especially being a principal here in Chicago, I work with a lot of special needs students.”
“I know the time that both my family and I put into ensuring that Josiah can get to physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and to see his relentless drive,” he continued. “The basic things we can do to walk, he struggles with it. From having to wear a walking cast to having surgery, to having shots in his legs, things that a 9-year-old doesn’t want to go through.”
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Inspired by his son’s “grit,” Dr. Fitch began taking running “more personally.” He explained that this is “when I really put a lot of focus into running.” Josiah, his son, continues to be a source of inspiration, and the feeling is mutual; after watching his father’s races, the preteen ran a 5K himself in 2023.
At the recent N.Y.C. marathon, Dr. Fitch put his rigorous training to the test. He opted to forgo his usual music, instead drawing motivation from the sounds of the city during the race.
“You could just hear the energy out there,” he recalled. “Another thing that’s inspiring, you see a lot of people with disabilities out there. Just showing a sense of urgency and grit. These people are putting their lives on the line. That re-energized me to keep going, and I think about my son and think about my community.”
Dr. Fitch recounted that even when the race became “very difficult,” he “just kept it moving,” motivated by the constant thought of his son.
He shared that his son is a source of encouragement: “When I get to that wall, I think about my son, whether he’s cheering me along or he’ll FaceTime me, saying ‘Dad, keep going.’ I’m like, ‘I can’t quit. I can’t, I don’t care how I feel.'”
He added, “When I got to the Bronx, I was done.” However, his son’s words spurred him on: “My son said, ‘Let’s go. You’re almost to Central Park. Let’s get it going.’ At that moment, I said, ‘Let’s give it all that I have.’ “
Dr. Fitch ran the marathon in under four hours, a personal best. He credits Team TCS Teachers, Peace Runners 773 (a Chicago non-profit promoting fitness whose members cheered him at mile 21), and his support network for inspiration and advice.
After the race, Dr. Fitch returned to Chicago, was back at work, and later donated his medal to the school.
“Monday morning post-race, I’m going to work. I’m the principal in the job, and I’m walking around the building with a medal on, and I’m letting my kids wear that medal,” Dr. Fitch shared. “I went back to work because a lot of my networking community, who are a part of the TCS Teachers group, said, ‘We have to go back to work.’ They’re going back to work. I’m going back to work.”
Dr. Fitch’s commitment to his community is reciprocal. His running inspired students and led him to help establish a track and field team, which he considers a crucial outlet.
His motivation is “the hope that happens within my kids.”
“I work on the West Side of Chicago, and this is a very trauma-filled environment that I work in. Anything that I can do to inspire my community to be a change to them, to give them inspiration, to keep going, to show a sense of relentlessness, I do that,” he said.
His advice to those looking to take on a marathon like he did is to “run at their page” and “remember your why.”
“My cadence of accountability, that’s my son. He’s motivating me. He’s my hero. He’s only 9, but he’s my motivator,” he stated. “My TCS teachers group, my running community, that’s accountability. You have to set these goals, and you have to know your why, and you have to have the right mindset.”
“Once you’re out there and you’re doing it and you’re consistent and you see the results you’re yielding, those results don’t quit.”
Looking ahead, Dr. Fitch’s goal is to continue fostering and strengthening community bonds. He recognizes that the work of inspiration and cultivation is never truly finished.
He remarked, “I’m gonna keep running. I’m not gonna stop.”
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