Eleven-Year-Old Brain Tumor Survivor to Run OC Half Marathon

Newport Beach, CA, May 02, 2012 --(PR.com)-- At 6:15 am Sunday, May 6, Mason Moses, son of Mark Moses, CEO of MarkMoses.net, will toe the line alongside thousands of other runners intent on completing the 13.1-Mile OC Half Marathon. On that day, a few things will set him apart from the masses taking on the challenge. For starters, Mason is only eleven years old and will likely be one of the youngest in the race (last year only seven children age eleven or younger covered this distance). Add to this, he underwent a couple of brain surgeries when he was only three years old…..one to remove a tumor and the second surgery to create a new drainage channel; thus, preventing Mason from having to undergo years of long-term care.

Hundreds of kids Mason’s age will be content to complete the “Kids Run OC” mile on Saturday or even Sunday’s 5K. So what makes this kid want to run more than two and a half hours and 13.1 miles? Ryan Rieches, a good friend of the Moses family has spent the last year recovering from throat cancer, decided to run the race and Mason wanted to show his support. This seems to be one of his core values as he often donates his time to support those battling diseases. In the last 18 months, he raised over $3,200 for the Children’s Hospital of Orange County, Neurological Science Department by setting up a lemonade stand in his neighborhood. He donated 100% of the proceeds from this entrepreneurial venture.

Mason logged 221 miles through the roads of Newport Beach and the CDM High School track while training for this event. His weekly long runs of up to 11 miles were completed through the Newport Back Bay while one of his parents rode a bicycle alongside him. Many of the people he passed along the way shouted “ keep it up” and other words of encouragement or even shared training tips.

Several of Mason’s adult friends will also be participating in the race and several spectators will be cheering for him along the way so he will be in good company as he winds through Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. When he crosses the finish line at the OC Fairgrounds, he will have added his first “long race” to go along with his IronKids Triathlon and 5K finishes.

Background stories:

http://www.ocregister.com/news/mason-131270-mark-moses.html

http://www.choc.com/stories/index.cfm?id=P00345&sid=29&keyword=stories&section=stories