Brain cancer survivor chasing “breakthrough” run at TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon
American elite marathoner Molly Bookmyer is looking to make the Oct. 15 race her launchpad for the 2024 Paris Olympics
Photo by:
Mike Scott
After undergoing two operations following the discovery of a malignant brain tumour, cancer survivor Molly Bookmyer of Columbus, Ohio, is making the 2023 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon a key destination on her journey of perseverance.
Bookmyer is among a growing number of American elites who will be toeing the start line in Toronto on Oct. 15 to qualify for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, to be run in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 3.
Her current best is 2:31:39 and she sees Toronto Waterfront—her first international race—as a chance to knock off a big chunk of time.
“I want to run 2:27,” she told Canada Running Series, organizers of the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon. “I feel I haven’t had a breakthrough in my marathon; I have had some good races at shorter distances. I ran a 1:10:51 half-marathon last fall. So I have had some success at the shorter distances and I haven’t quite figured out the full marathon distance yet. My first goal is to get the world championship standard and the second goal is to get the Olympic standard.”
A shocking stroke of luck
Bookmyer graduated from Ohio State University in 2013 with a bachelor of science in business administration, management and operations. While she was a member of the Buckeyes cross-country and track teams, she was not a scholarship athlete. She said she now has a better understanding of why she was limited.
“I was a walk-on at OSU. I got better, but I wasn’t a star in college,“ she said. “When I look back at it, it was probably because I was sick at the time. I didn’t know I had a brain tumour. I competed on the team but my times weren’t spectacular. I lettered in cross-country and track, but I wasn’t All American and I didn’t make it to the NCAA’s.”
A series of stress fractures also held her back, and it was by a stroke of luck that the tumour was discovered.
“In different blood tests to try to find why I got stress fractures, they found one of my hormones, prolactin, was high,” Bookmyer said. “This (hormone) is associated with tumours near your pituitary gland. They did a scan and they found the tumour in my ventricle. It was kind of luck. I probably had symptoms but thought it was normal.”
Following the diagnosis she underwent a spinal tap to determine if the cancer cells were in her spinal column. Fortunately, it came back negative, but her surgery eight years ago to remove the growing tumour was vital.
Facing a fresh challenge
Originally from Cleveland, Bookmyer moved to Columbus to study at Ohio State, and has remained in the city ever since. That’s also where she met her husband, Eric Bookmyer.
Immediately after graduation, she worked for the Abercrombie & Fitch company. Then, after helping his wife through a serious illness, Eric was diagnosed with testicular cancer. For Molly, running was helpful in both relieving the stress of being a full-time caregiver to him, as well as helping in her own recovery.
“I am healthy now,” she said. “I get a brain scan every year. It used to be every six months. After the first surgery, I had complications. The tumour has not come back.
“Eric just had his five-year checkup. He had a couple of surgeries and chemo, so now he is healthy as well. I guess we are lucky we went through a lot and came out the other side healthy.”
Focusing on the road ahead
With the Toronto Waterfront Marathon rapidly approaching, Bookmyer is confident she will perform at her best on the big occasion.
“Training is going really well,” Bookmyer said. “I had a little setback in the spring. I tore my plantar fascia, but that’s fully healed. My mileage has gone to 115 to 120 miles (185 km to 193 km) a week, which is higher than I have been before. Paces are good; I am feeling strong. I am excited for what that means.”
The competition
Bookmeyer is part of a strong elite women’s field that will be tackling the Toronto course. American runner Emily Durgin, who will be making her marathon debut, has won national championships at 15 km and up to 25 km. She has already qualified for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials after running a 1:07:54 half-marathon PB in the 2022 Houston Half.
Kenya’s Sharon Kemboi won the 2022 Kobe Marathon in Japan in her debut, recording a 2:29:13 PB. Her half-marathon PB is 1:07:28.
Waganesh Mekasha of Ethopia won the 2023 Tartan Ottawa International Marathon in 2:24:57, an effort that was paced by Canadian men’s marathon champion Cam Levins. She will be targeting the Canadian all-comers’ record (2:22:16) set in Toronto four years ago by Kenya’s Magdalyne Masai. She set her 2:22:45 PB at the 2019 Dubai Marathon.
2019 Canadian marathon champion Dayna Pidhoresky, who boasts a 2:29:03 marathon PB, is looking to qualify for the Paris Olympics. Originally from Ontario, Pidhoresky is now based in Vancouver, and has finished first in that city’s marathon for the past two years.
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