Emotional triumph as brothers complete marathon together

By Laurie Gordon
If you look at the results from the Steamtown Marathon, held in Scranton, Penn, on Oct. 11 you’ll see that Brendan McDonough, who grew up in Sparta, finished the race in 3:11:50.78. That’s a great time for a marathon. What makes it even better is that his brother, Collin, is listed with the same exact time. What makes it simply phenomenal is that Brendan pushed Collin all 26.2 miles of the race in a wheelchair.

Collin McDonough was diagnosed with Lissencephaly at birth and is confined to a wheelchair. His brother’s inspiration to push him in a marathon came a few years ago. “I started running again and remembered seeing Dick Hoyt up in Boston all those years,” Brendan said.

Hoyt would push his son, Rick — who was diagnosed as a quadriplegic with cerebral palsy — through all kinds of races, including the Boston Marathon.

“I told myself I will do that one day with Collin,” Brendan said. “So last year at Steamtown was our first full marathon and we came back to do it again this year.” McDonough said he wanted to keep getting a faster time while pushing his brother but mostly to “give him the joy of feeling free as he seems to love the wind in his face and the crowds along the way.”

McDonough trains for his marathons pushing Collin as he would in those that he runs solo. “I do weight training a few days a week. Hills are tough, but I push through.”

He said crossing the finish line with his brother is “an amazing feeling with a lot of emotion.” At 26, Brendan is two years older than Collin at 24. Though Brendan now hails from Hoboken, he returns often to his hometown of Sparta where his family lives. The boys’ parents, George (also an avid marathon runner) and Judy, Team McDonough’s biggest fan, were on hand to watch the marathon.

“My mom takes care of all of Collin's needs as he cannot do anything on his own. We all help each other during the event,” Brendan said. Speaking for herself and her husband, Judy McDonough said, “We’re so proud of our boys. Collin really loves the wind and sun on his face. He also reacts happily to the cheers and the music along the course.”