The Long Run

The past 10 years have been more marathon than sprint for Jennifer Horne and her husband, Neal. Every time Neal Horne had a minor cold or infection, the question loomed in the couple’s mind: What if the cancer is back?

But, this June marked an important win in Neal Horne’s fight against Non-Hodgkins lymphoma, which he was diagnosed with in December 2000: Horne’s cancer has been in remission for 10 years, which means he is considered “cancer free,” meaning that his risk of developing cancer is roughly similar to that of someone who has never had the disease.

Now, Horne is taking the long road to celebrate her husband’s victory against cancer. She is training for Nov. 6, when she plans to run the ING New York City Marathon as part of Fred’s Team, which raises money for research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

“It’s kind of a celebration of getting through the past 10 years,” she said.

Marathon milestones
Horne remembers well the day her husband was diagnosed with cancer. She was nine months pregnant with the couple’s fourth child.

“It was very traumatic,” she said. “I was like, ‘Am I going to be raising these four kids by myself?’”

Neal Horne began treatment two days before Dec. 25, 2000. Just two-and-one-half weeks later, the couple’s daughter, Emma, was born. Although he received his treatment locally, Neal Horne received a treatment plan and second opinion from the staff at Memorial Sloan-Kettering.

“It was excellent,” Horne said of the treatment. “The staff and the doctors were so caring. You don’t feel like just another treatment.”

Neal Horne’s cancer entered remission in June 2001 and has not returned since.

Earlier this year, with the 10-year, cancer-free milestone approaching, Horne set a goal she had thought about for years: running a marathon. She decided to run for a charity and knew she wanted to choose one that was cancer-related in honor of her husband.

“With it being his 10 years of being cancer-free, this was the year for it,” she said.

Although she has participated in half-marathons and triathlons before, the 26.2-mile race will be her first. The training for the marathon is often grueling, with long runs approximately four days a week in the stifling heat. She’s currently running up to 12 miles at least one day a week, but, eventually, her training program will take her up to 28 miles, so that she is slightly over-prepared for the 26.2 marathon miles.

And when she runs the New York City race in November, Neal Horne will be on the sidelines, doing the same thing that his wife has done throughout his marathon journey: He’ll be cheering her on the whole way.

Who is Fred?
Fred’s Team is named in honor of Fred Lebow, a refugee who immigrated in 1949 from Romania to Manhattan, N.Y., and took up running. In 1969, Lebow joined the New York Road Runners and became club president. He ran in New York City’s inaugural marathon in 1970 and spent years lobbying before the five-borough New York City Marathon became a reality in 1976. Lebow was diagnosed with brain cancer in 1990 but was determined to use running to battle the disease. So, he designated the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Center as the New York City Marathon’s first official charity. Although Lebow lost his battle to cancer in 1994, since 1995, Fred’s Team has raised more than $42 million for the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Center.

Contact Robin Hartill at [email protected].