Good in the long run

It's been 13 years since Terry Hitchcock captured national attention by running 75 marathons in 75 consecutive days from his home in Minnesota to Georgia. Maybe you remember stories about the single father running to raise awareness for the struggles of single parents. Maybe you remember thinking that he was nuts.

Well, it turns out that he was, for a time. A depression that began midway through his amazing effort took hold after he returned home, leading to a three-month hospitalization and another six months of outpatient therapy. Hitchcock learned that the tailspin was a fairly common reaction among those who have had a peak experience. Still, he emerged a quieter man who sidestepped most requests to tell his story.

But Hitchcock's life story always has been one of succeeding against all odds, and so his "crash and burn" has been relegated to memory, with the future a renewed tribute to that summer of 1996.

Hitchcock's story is told in "My Run," a documentary by Los Angeles filmmaker Tim VandeSteeg that traces the impact of Hitchcock's run from Minneapolis to Atlanta, narrated by Academy Award winner Billy Bob Thornton. Plans for a screening at the Mall of America are in the works. In addition, Hitchcock has written "A Father's Odyssey" (Bascom Hill, $17.95) with Peter Jessen, which includes a day-by-day account of the unprecedented effort.

Filmmaker VandeSteeg, 38, who grew up in Bloomington, has been working in Hollywood for the past 19 years. He liked the idea of telling a Minnesotan's story, but especially one with shadings of "Rocky." "I love the idea of hero stories where people fail and fail and fail, but keep fighting back," VandeSteeg said. He also was raised by a single parent and wanted the film to focus on the many life lessons of turning such seeming obstacles into opportunities.

He said he still can hardly believe that they got Thornton as narrator, and now is in the process of submitting "My Run" to various film festivals. It's already won a Dove Foundation award, earning five of five "doves" as family-approved entertainment. Depending on the buzz -- and financing -- there may even be a feature-length film, with names such as William Macy and Robin Williams being tossed around, which gives you an idea of Hitchcock's "Everyman" appearance and demeanor.

"I'm an ordinary guy doing extraordinary things," he said. "My grandparents told me, literally every day, 'There is nothing you can't do.'"

Here's the back story: Hitchcock's wife, Sue, died of breast cancer in 1984. She was 36 years old, and left him with three young children to raise. Hitchcock was quickly overwhelmed by the single parent's life, learning to cook, launder, schedule dental appointments, drive to piano lessons, oversee homework ... the list seemed endless.

A decade passed, years in which he often regarded life as a marathon. As the kids grew older, Hitchcock found himself wanting to do something to focus attention on the needs of single parents. His oldest son, Chris, first proposed a family run to California. Crazy idea, but the more they thought about it, the more intrigued they became, finally deciding on Dad doing a solo run to Atlanta, which was preparing to host the 1996 Olympics.

Among the hurdles: Hitchcock was 57 years old. And he'd never run a day in his life.

Running at least 26 miles for 75 consecutive days captured the country's attention. Whether jogging down rural roads or through East St. Louis, people recognized the guy with the longish white hair plodding along, often in pain. The trick, he said, was "to get inside your mind. If you can convince your mind that you're having fun, it's easier, which is why I'd pick up a stone and throw it at a telephone pole, trying to 'get the runner out,'" said Hitchcock, who's a huge baseball fan. In fact, he's to throw out the first pitch at a Minnesota Twins game on Wednesday.

The run fulfilled his intention of highlighting the needs of single parents, but his psychological letdown and ensuing reticence brought any action to a halt. Only several years later, when he was unexpectedly asked to come forward and tell his story at a large dinner meeting, did he realize that he had a message to share.

"It took me a long time to figure out why I lived instead of my wife, but I finally learned it's because I was meant to be a teacher," said Hitchcock, who has since remarried and lives in Prior Lake. "I'm a vehicle for, 'If he can, I can.'"

Kim Ode • 612-673-7185