To start our side of the story; it was 2019. The Lord had allowed William to start pastoring Grace Baptist Church in our hometown. Not really understanding the stress that comes with pastoring, he had to find an outlet to unwind. Knowing that his dad ran, and even having experience in high school with running cross country, he did what he thought would be the best – he began running. Only running a mile or two a day was a great way to just unwind and think.
In September of 2020 Dad got sick and tested positive for Covid-19. Trying to do what he had done for twelve years; he went on his morning run/walk. Returning to the house not able to breathe, Dad was hospitalized.
Trying to stay positive while on the phone with Dad, William started making ‘deals’ with him. He’d tell him that he would run for both of them that day. So, running a couple miles in the evening turned into running three to five miles for the both of them. One evening, William was down in spirit, texted Dad and told him that he would run five miles for both of them, so he ran ten miles. Sound crazy? You bet. But he was ‘running for Jerry’. One evening he told Dad, “When you get out of the hospital, we are going to run a 5K together.” Dad never ran competitively, but William thought it would be something fun for the two of them to do when Jerry recovered.
Unfortunately, Dad died October 8, 2020. Knowing that William would never have the opportunity to run with his dad in a race, he set out to run in honor of Jerry in a race. Over the next two and a half years, William ran a couple 5K’s and even a few half marathons in Jerry’s honor. When William runs competitively, he wears a shirt that bears the roadrunner that mom has picked for a representation of Dad’s spirit and passion for running.
Exactly two years to the day of Jerry’s passing, on October 8, 2022, the Brooks family partnered with Wise County Electric Cooperative, where Jerry worked for more than 35 years, and hosted the first annual “Jerry Brooks Memorial Run”. This event includes a 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk, a 5K competitive race around downtown Decatur, and a challenging half marathon race that goes around all of Decatur and highlights all the places in Decatur that pertain to Jerry and his love for his kids, grandkids, and his community.
The proceeds of this event go toward college scholarships for senior cross-country runners from schools in Wise County. We as a family desire to keep this legacy going as we honor our dad and his love for running. Let’s keep “Running for Jerry”
