Laugh. Think. Cry… Run.
Paul Mansour will always remember June 22, 2024 as the exciting and bittersweet conclusion of a 22-year adventure. On that day, he ran the Anchorage Mayor’s Marathon, which marked the official completion of running a marathon in all 50 states.
What started as a fun challenge among friends to run the 2002 Chicago Marathon turned into a journey of training, traveling and running for more than two decades through every state in the United States.
As Paul prepared for his final state marathon, in Alaska, he knew he wanted it to be the most memorable of all. He rallied his friends, family and community to support his “final dance” in a special way: honor one of his long-time inspirations, Jim Valvano, by raising money for lifesaving cancer research through the V Foundation.
“I think the Jimmy Valvano story is amazing, I love it,” said Paul. “He is the face of humanity. Someone with spirit, passion, and energy.” Paul recalls the sense of determination and fight Valvano displayed at every phase in his life – from his unbelievable coaching career to the establishment of the V Foundation – and wanted to model that same spirit through his own goals.
Paul finishes his 50th marathon alongside his kids.
“You’re going to have obstacles. You’re going to have things in your way, but knowing you can overcome them, that’s how his spirit lives on,” said Paul.
Through the years, Paul faced many obstacles to achieving his goal in each of the 50 states. Between injuries, finding the time to train amongst a busy career and raising four children, COVID shutdowns, and more, it took incredible mental and physical fortitude to keep going. Paul even finished the Boston Marathon just an hour before the tragic bombings occurred in 2013, an event that stuck with runners long after they left Massachusetts.
As he considered the many worthy charities to support in this milestone endeavor, Paul kept coming back to the V Foundation. Not only has he had close friends and family members who have battled cancer, but Jim Valvano’s powerful mantras resonated with him as well. One in particular: Laugh. Think. Cry.
“It’s the right way to look at life. Try to take every ounce, every piece of energy you have in life and make the most of it,” said Paul.
Paul joined Team V, the V Foundation’s official endurance sports program, as a “Choose Your Own Race” participant, which allowed him to set up a personal fundraising page that shared his own story and personal motivation for “canceling cancer.” He shared it on social media and through his website, Run Paul Run, for followers of his running journey.
He received an outpouring of support, from close friends who knew he was planning to go big for his 50th state marathon, as well as long-time friends and connections he hadn’t heard from in years. Through his fundraising, donors shared countless stories of how cancer impacted their own families and their unwavering support for advancing critical research.
Paul hopes his fundraiser, which has now surpassed $10,000, will not only benefit early detection and treatments, but make a difference in eliminating the disease altogether for the next generation and beyond. “I wanted to accomplish something bigger that really resonates with a lot of people and now was the time,” said Paul. “Being able to attach myself to the V Foundation, bring a light to it and fundraise for it has been a joy.”
With his 50th race officially completed, he has already started to think about the next great endeavor he may want to take on, all with the Jimmy V spirit at top of mind.
This decades-long adventure has certainly brought plenty of laughter, thoughts and tears for Paul and his family, and this final race topped it off with a lifesaving impact for cancer research. As Jim Valvano would say, Paul’s “last dance” was “a heck of a day.”
