During their father’s fight with pancreatic cancer in 2021, the Schriver sisters, Sarah, Kate and Molly decided to run their first marathon to raise awareness for the disease. Three years later, Molly Sarhage & Kate Schriver ran in the Dublin Marathon to honor their father’s memory.
Honoring Bob Schriver
Bob Schriver was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in July 2020 after concerns about not healing from a recent hip surgery.
When diagnosed, Bob was already stage 4. Over the course of his treatment, Bob alternated from different types of chemo and there were many days when he felt well enough to enjoy his life with his family and friends. Both Bob and his family were grateful for those precious moments.
While their dad was undergoing treatment, an old friend of Molly’s reached out to let her know that Project Purple had charity entries for the Chicago Marathon. Molly jumped at the opportunity and convinced her sisters to run with her.
The three sisters were able to train for their first marathon together which made the process all the more special. Training became a great outlet for everything their family was dealing with through their dad’s diagnosis and treatment.
Bob eventually stopped all treatment in September of 2021. Although he was too ill to attend the Chicago marathon, the sisters felt their father’s support throughout the race and were cheered on by friends and family. Bob passed away in December of that year.
His legacy lives on through the lessons he imparted not only on his daughters but those he impacted along the way. He always emphasized the importance of spending time with family and showing up for the people in your life. “He lived his own wake in many ways because he heard from so many people from so many different areas of life that he touched, different types of people,” Molly said.
Molly & Kate Take On Dublin
Molly & Kate participated in the Dublin Marathon this past October as part of Project Purple, an experience they will never forget. They wanted to run in their dad’s memory, to honor everyone who has faced pancreatic cancer and to bring attention to this disease which needs more awareness and better treatment to combat this disease.
The city was incredibly welcoming and provided a great atmosphere for the race. “I don’t think we were anticipating that type of support from the city, but it was really cool,” Molly shared.
The whole last mile was lined with grandstands and bands playing in support of the runners. “I think it’s a special country, and it’s very tight-knit. You feel a part of the community when you land,” Kate said.
Their family was able to make a trip of the race, spending some time sightseeing in Ireland and enjoying their time there. Within the race itself, both Molly & Kate felt the support from their dad. There were signs from Bob throughout the trip, one being the mile marker for mile 25.
“The place where the Expo was held was called the RDS, the Royal Dublin Society, and those are our dad’s initials,” Molly said. Ireland was also a country their family had visited together, so it felt like the perfect place for them to participate in a marathon in their dad’s honor.
Kate & Molly love sharing stories and memories of their dad. He was always thinking of those in need and had a “what can we do for others?” mentality. Bob was and still is loved by everyone he connected with throughout his life and his memory is far from forgotten.
If you’d like to run Dublin and make an impact like Molly and Kate, visit our Dublin Marathon Application page.
To see the other events we have to offer, visit our events page.
