Nearly 300 runners spanned the out-and-back course of the first-annual Foster Fun Run shortly after 9 a.m. on April 22.
Racing conditions were perfect. The five-kilometer course was flat and fast, following the concrete pathways that span the north side of the Willamette River near Autzen Stadium, and the occasional sun breaks warmed the otherwise cool morning air.
It was a fitting way to remember Tom Foster, a 28-year-old Oregon law student who died when his heart stopped beating on Dec. 21, 1999.
Foster was in his third-year of law school and was executive editor of the Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation. He also kept busy by working for the dean and practicing patent moot court.
And when he managed to find free time, he loved running.
“He loved life. He never wanted to have any regrets about anything,” said Matt Mattson, one of Foster’s good friends and running partners. “He wanted to live every day to its fullest. He lived by that.
“Running went along with his love for life; he loved the feeling he’d get after a long run.”
Foster’s family and friends set the high goal of making an endowed scholarship in his honor, an accomplishment that requires them to raise $10,000. Planners decided that for the Fun Run to generate a valuable contribution, 200 people would need to show up for race day.
It should have been difficult to get so many participants. Not many people would know about the race because it was in its first year. Unlike other local races, the Foster Fun Run had no community press coverage. Even the Emerald declined to run an article.
But like Foster endured the hardships of a marathon, his family and friends persevered and exceeded their goal.
After the race, coordinators proudly announced that $6,200 had been raised by the race and from other donations. Another Foster Fun Run will take place next year, and the $10,000 mark will be reached.
I talked to several people before and after the race, trying to get a better idea of what Foster was like. Many of those people said the same things: Foster was hard working, dedicated, kind and a friend to all.
Even people who’d never met Foster had things to say about him.
“The way my girlfriend described him, he was outgoing and always keeping busy,” said Dana Alling, a six-year Eugene resident. “This is probably something he would have started himself.”
When runners go into a race, they’re usually trying to beat either a time or a person. On the course, athletes often pick people out of the crowd and try to pass them. I’m far from being a good runner, but I’m usually competitive. I know that most races are about finishing well.
But the Foster Fun run wasn’t about finishing.
It was a time to reflect. It was a chance to shed sweat and tears for someone who’d passed on. It was a golden moment to remember that life is precious and that everyone should stop and think — if only for a moment — what we could do to live every moment to its fullest.
More than anything, it was about closure. It was an emotional, final goodbye to Tom Foster.
“He’d be awestruck that people would do this for him,” said Kate Felton, one of Foster’s close friends. “I hope he knows how much people loved him.
“He would have finished in front of the pack; I’m sure of it.”