PORT ANGELES — Tom Wahl is the first finisher of this year’s North Olympic Discovery Marathon.
He won’t receive a medal — in fact, he says his time of 4 hours, 25 minutes was the worst of the 24 marathons he has run — but the former Port Angeles High School football coach finished the 26.2-mile course three weeks before anyone else.
Last month, Wahl, 57, was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The 13th annual North Olympic Discovery Marathon is Sunday, June 7, but Wahl needs to have an operation June 3.
“It’s intermediate stages right now. That’s why they wanted to get me in as quick as possible,” Wahl said while sitting on a bench near City Pier minutes after finishing the marathon Saturday afternoon.
“I found out four weeks ago so . . . we’re moving as quick as we can, and so it’s pretty urgent. It’s not in the early stages.
“But there’s been better and there’s worse. They use a scale, and on a scale of one to 10 [10 being the worst], I’m at a seven-level right now.”
Wahl had participated in each of the previous 12 North Olympic Discovery Marathons, and months ago had started preparing to run this year’s race.
“I’ve done this every year, and it means a lot to me to do it,” he said.
“I don’t know what else to do. I was already training for it, and . . . it’s one of those challenges that I’ve found to be motivating to help me to kind of stay fit.”
His cancer diagnosis made running this year particularly meaningful.
“Every year, I’ve worn a shirt for the American Cancer Society, and it’s always said, ‘I’m running for your life,’” Wahl said, pointing to his white shirt with black lettering.
“That’s meaningful to me, too. I originally started doing that because of family members who had cancer, and so to be in the situation where I’m fighting that battle myself has especially made it meaningful, and I just felt like I needed to come out and do this.”
So Wahl asked the event’s directors, Michelle Little and Victoria Jones, if he could sign up, run the marathon early and have his time count. (“Not that it’s going to be a time that I really would want,” Wahl said with a laugh.)
“I thought it wouldn’t hurt to ask if they would still count it as an official time,” Wahl said.
“They were really nice about it and just said, ‘Absolutely.’
“[They were] just really accommodating, so I appreciate them willing to deal with something a little bit extraordinary.”
The course wouldn’t be lined with volunteers, though, so Wahl turned to a couple of friends: Buddy Bear, a former Port Angeles baseball and softball coach and an assistant football coach under Wahl, and Steve Blakeman.
Bear and Blakeman rode their bikes alongside Wahl.
“These two guys are Christian brothers, we had a bible study on Saturday morning, we always do, and these two guys said that they’d be happy to accompany me,” Wahl said.
“I couldn’t have done it without them. Doing it this way, there’s no support out there, so they carried all my water and took care of me the whole way.”
They also coached the coach.
Flood damage to Railroad Bridge has forced the marathon to find a new route.
Instead of being a point-to-point marathon that starts in Sequim and concludes in Port Angeles, this year the marathon begins in Agnew and includes a couple of out-and-back stretches that can be mentally taxing.
“These guys were in my ear, talking steadily and keeping me distracted,” Wahl said.
Despite having finished a marathon minutes earlier and with a potentially scary operation looming, Wahl maintained the calm he had on the sidelines during his five seasons coaching the Port Angeles football team (2010-14).
“Well, you know, I’m doing everything I can, and I know the doctors are, too,” Wahl said.
He also is leaning on his faith.
While the front of his shirt is dedicated to the American Cancer Society, the back references a verse from Philippians.
“He died for your life. Phil. 4:13. Yes you can,” the black lettering says.
“My faith is important to me, and so I wanted to just do that, too, and to kind of prove to myself my trust in my God and that, you know, this is not a battle that I am the only one fighting, a lot of other people [are], too, and so whatever his will will be and the outcome, I accept that,” Wahl said.
“But it’s just really important for me to show my trust.”
He also saw his father, Jon Wahl, a legendary coach at Raymond High School, battle and survive prostate cancer.
His father’s encounter with the disease helped Tom Wahl and his doctor recognize the signs and take swift action.
“I guess if I were to put a plug in, know your family history and stay on top of it,” he said.
“Jerry Oakes is my doctor and he knew about my history, and so I think he identified it as quick as he could and we just took the steps that we could.
“Hopefully we got it early enough.”
And hopefully Wahl will be able to run the marathon with everyone else next year. And the year after that. And the year after that. And beyond.
He talks like he plans to be back.
“I hope that I can do it for as long as I can,” Wahl said.
“I think I’ll keep going as long as I can, as long as I’m alive.”
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Sports Editor Lee Horton can be reached at 360-417-3525 or at lhorton@peninsuladailynews.com.
