Family and friends mourn 26-year-old Mass. man who collapsed throughout Santa Rosa Marathon

Family members of Massachusetts-born Sam Norton are mourning his sudden loss of life after he collapsed earlier this week through the Santa Rosa Marathon. The information has prompted an outpouring of fond reminiscences from household and pals, who keep in mind Norton as a tough employee with an enormous coronary heart.

The 26-year-old runner collapsed throughout Sunday’s race simply earlier than the twenty third mile marker, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported. He was taken to an area hospital and later pronounced useless. Norton was working in Santa Rosa to qualify for the 2024 Boston Marathon.

“He was doing one thing that he cherished,” his mom, Kristen Caisse, instructed the Press Democrat.

Norton took up distance working as a method of honoring the reminiscence of his father, who cherished to run and battled dependancy earlier than his loss of life in 2020. In a 2022 weblog submit, Norton defined how working supplied him solace as he was grieving.

“There’s a singular and distinct readability that comes whenever you’re miles out, simply you and the street, whenever you settle in and really feel like you might go on identical to this, ceaselessly,” he wrote. “I wish to suppose that it was moments like these that introduced him some peace and aid from the anguish that was all too current for him. It’s the closest I’ve felt to him in years, even when he was alive.”

In that submit, Norton introduced he’d be working the 2023 Boston Marathon with the Herren Mission, an dependancy prevention and restoration nonprofit. He surpassed his fundraising aim, elevating greater than $16,000.

Norton collapsed through the Boston Marathon round mile 14, and wasn’t capable of end the race. However he wrote in one other weblog submit that he was decided to strive once more.

“Fairly than leaving Boston feeling dissatisfied with how the race had gone for me personally, I felt a renewed drive to advance the mission of the Herren Mission,” Norton wrote, pledging to race within the New York Metropolis Marathon and once more fundraise for the nonprofit.

In keeping with the Press Democrat, Norton was hospitalized and identified with a uncommon muscle situation after his first collapse however was quickly cleared to return to working.

On a GoFundMe web page arrange on behalf of Norton’s mom and sisters, his pal Sam Rogers of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, remembered Norton as loving and decided.

“Sam at all times made the not possible appear doable,” Rogers wrote. “He was a three-year varsity soccer participant at Saint John’s Excessive College in Shrewsbury and was a powerful chief even earlier than he was named a staff captain. Except for his accomplishments on the sphere, Sam was a terrific and devoted scholar – a lot in order that he locked himself in his bed room on a Saturday to check for a closing examination freshman 12 months.”

“Everybody appeared as much as Sam; being round Sam made us stand a bit of taller and work a bit of more durable,” Rogers continued. “He was a hero to so many – a pal and member of the family who stayed in contact. Checked in. Cared. Impressed us all.”

“Sam Norton was greater than an athlete; he was a neighborhood builder,” the Herren Mission wrote in a Fb submit on Tuesday. “Identified for his magnetic power and talent to carry individuals collectively, he was a cherished presence amongst fellow runners.”