ST. GEORGE — Hayden Holman died tragically nearly one year ago while running the St. George Marathon.
Saturday in St. George, over 100 friends and family members will participate in the race as part of a celebration, renewal and recognition of Hayden’s brief but fulfilling and inspiring life.
“Hayden died of a heart attack, which is kind of scary,” said Hayden’s mother Judy Andrus Lowder, who spoke with St. George News Thursday from Twin Falls, Idaho, on the verge of making the seven-hour drive for Saturday’s marathon.
“He was healthy as can be,” said Lowder, noting that Hayden was just 22 when he passed. She said that Hayden was an enthusiastic rock climber who had just finished a successful hike in the Grand Tetons before running the marathon.
“He was always outdoors,” Lowder said. “He was crazy for adventure.”
St. George News covered the tragic incident last year.
Hayden was a returned missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and married his wife Charlotte just seven months before the race.
“She is so overwhelmed at how many people are going to be there,” Lowder said about Charlotte, who will be at the race Saturday with her parents.
“She said that day that she would run the marathon next year,” Lowder said. “And then in February and March family members just started saying, ‘I’ll run with you.’ Hayden was pretty lovable.”
Lowder estimated that perhaps as many as 60 of her family members will be in the Mayor’s Walk, staged early Saturday morning with St. George Mayor Michele Randall. A further 15 or so more will be in the marathon or half-marathon, she said.
“All my siblings,” Lowder said. “It’s pretty amazing.”
The 46th running of the St. George Marathon is expected to feature over 5,000 runners from around the world.
St. George resident Aaron Metler is the defending champion and is racing for his fifth overall victory in the famous marathon, one of the fastest 26.2-mile courses available to professionals.
But the real race happens for all those recreational runners and families that like to visit for the famous marathon, which is one of the City of St. George’s most memorable annual events.
And for the friends and family of Hayden Holman, the memories are just getting started.
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