Every early morning training run has a purpose. For Garrett Kelly, crossing the finish line at the Philadelphia Marathon won’t just mark the completion of 26.2 miles; it will be another way of honoring the father who inspired him to run and whose battle with pancreatic cancer changed his life forever.
This November, Garrett and his wife, Angela, will run side by side through the streets of Philadelphia, raising critical funds and awareness for pancreatic cancer research. Their journey is in memory of Garrett’s father Mike, who sadly passed away after battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
Garrett Kelly is a father of three girls, an eighth-grade math teacher, and a lifelong athlete. He always knew his dad as a runner, a passion that inspired Garrett to lace up his own shoes while he was in college. In 2010, he began participating in local 5ks and small road races, but over time, running took a back seat to the demands of everyday life.
After losing his father to pancreatic cancer, Garrett found his way back to the sport that had first connected them. Now, as he prepares to take on another marathon, every mile serves as a tribute to his dad and the legacy he left behind.
The Man Behind The Miles
Garrett and Mike’s relationship was nothing short of special. When Garrett thinks of Mike, he thinks of him not only as his dad, but also his best friend. Mike is remembered as a resilient, compassionate, and selfless man who did his best to make sure everyone around him was okay and had someone to lean on.
Wherever Mike went, laughter seemed to follow. He had a natural ability to make those around him smile, filling every room with joy and making everyone feel welcome. Even when he was going through extreme chemotherapy and radiation treatments, he still held onto his positive mindset and did everything in his power to stay strong. Not just for himself, but for the family and friends who relied on him.
“He was always going to make everyone feel comfortable, feel good, and feel happy,” Garrett said.
Mike was also a devoted grandfather who cherished every moment with his grandchildren. He was their go-to babysitter and made it a priority to spend time with the girls, even while undergoing treatment. No matter how exhausted he felt after chemotherapy or radiation, he would still stop by to visit, determined to be present in their lives.
His love for his family never wavered, and even on his hardest days, he always found the strength to show up for the people who meant the most to him.
Through Every Victory and Setback
Mike’s journey against pancreatic cancer started in 2023 when he had sharp
pain in his back. In hopes of figuring out what was wrong, he headed to the ER, where they completed a scan that revealed the mass on his pancreas. From there, Mike underwent a series of appointments, scans, and diagnostic tests in search of answers.
A full-body scan ultimately revealed their new reality. The cancer had spread beyond his pancreas to other parts of his body. The diagnosis confirmed that the disease had advanced, marking the beginning of an incredibly difficult battle for Mike and his family.
Mike’s battle with pancreatic cancer was filled with both victories and setbacks, but through it all, he never stopped fighting. For roughly 8 months, Mike’s family and friends took him from Ashland to the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia four to five times a week to undergo treatment.
“He never made me feel like he was dying or really sick,” Garrett shared. “He was always like, ‘I’ll be all right, I’m feeling great.’”
After his first year of treatment, Mike reached a milestone worth celebrating when he was able to ring the bell, symbolizing how far he had come in his journey.
Although he was not yet in remission, his treatments had been successful in putting most of the cancer into a dormant state. The only remaining area of concern was a tumor on his colon, giving Mike and his family hope that the hardest part of the battle might soon be behind them.
Mike underwent an extensive 20-hour surgery to remove as many of the tumors as possible. Following the operation, he completed approximately six additional rounds of radiation to target any remaining cancer. After months of more treatment, Mike reached another meaningful milestone when he rang the bell once again. In the final months of that year, he felt stronger and healthier and was able to enjoy a much-needed stretch of good days with his family.
“For like three months he was feeling great,” Garrett said. “He got like a year where we would say, okay, you’re doing good.”
During that time, Mike accomplished something Garrett will never forget. On the Fourth of July in 2025, in the blistering 90-degree heat, Mike lined up for the Port Carbon Firecracker 5K with Garrett. Although Garrett crossed the finish line before Mike, he turned around and crossed the finish line again, side by side with his dad.
This remains one of Garrett’s proudest moments and will be a memory he holds onto forever.
At the beginning of the next year, a little over a year since his initial diagnosis, Mike had begun experiencing jaundice, signaling that the cancer had become active again. Doctors discovered that the remaining tumor had started growing back. To relieve the blockage, they placed a stent, but because of the tumor’s location, surgery was no longer an option. Instead, Mike underwent another 30 rounds of radiation in hopes of stopping the cancer’s progression.
Three months later, Mike experienced complications. Severe swelling developed in his abdomen and legs, leading to frequent trips to Fox Chase Cancer Center, where doctors regularly drained the excess fluid and closely monitored him for infections. After months of battling these complications, Mike was rushed to the emergency room with sepsis and widespread infections in his blood and organs, leading him to pass away on December 23rd.
“It’s just been, like, the hardest seven months since he passed,” Garrett said.
Miles That Heal
As Mike’s battle with pancreatic cancer grew more difficult, Garrett found comfort in running. What began as a way to clear his mind quickly became a healthy outlet for processing the fear, uncertainty, and heartbreak that came with watching his dad fight the disease.
“I was going through a lot of emotions, and it helped me release some of those in a healthy way,” Garrett said. “It kind of was my outlet and was a healthy way to deal with my emotions and things and kind of just makes me a more well-rounded person.”
Running became so meaningful during that chapter of Garrett’s life that, even before Mike passed away, he trained for and completed his first marathon with his dad there to cheer him on every step of the way.
“He was there for me,” Garrett said. “He was the one who took me to the race at 5 a.m and walked around the course and all that.”
After losing his dad, Garrett leaned even more on running. Each mile became more than just a workout. It became a way to cope with his grief while staying connected to the person who inspired him to run in the first place. Because running was a passion they shared, every training run and every finish line serves as a reminder of Mike’s lasting influence. It makes him feel close to his dad and is a way to continue his legacy through every step.
Journey To Philadelphia
When Garrett’s brother-in-law and two of his teammates signed up to run the Philadelphia marathon, they encouraged Garrett to join them. By the time he decided to register, however, the race was already sold out. That’s when his wife, Angela, discovered that runners could still earn a spot by participating through a charity. Their search ultimately led them to Project Purple, allowing Garrett to run in honor of his dad while supporting the fight against pancreatic cancer.
Angela also played a significant role in Garrett’s return to running. Inspired by both his father and his wife, Garrett became more committed to the sport over the past two years, turning it into a consistent part of his life. The Philadelphia Marathon felt especially meaningful because the city holds a special place in Mike’s heart. Not only was it where he received much of his treatment at Fox Chase Cancer Center, but it’s also home to several of his favorite sports teams and where Garrett’s sister currently lives.
“It’s going to be awesome to run there in the city,” Garrett shared.
Garrett and Angela make time to train whenever they can, balancing marathon preparation with raising their three daughters. Most days, that means training separately. One of them heads out for a run while the other stays home with the girls, then they switch when the first returns. They continue to take their training one day at a time, leaning on his memory whenever the miles become difficult.
The day before what would have been Mike’s birthday this past year, Garrett completed his first 40-mile ultramarathon. Throughout the race, he carried a photo of his dad as a source of strength and motivation. Whenever the miles became challenging, Garrett looked to that photo as a reminder of why he started running and who he was running for.
“It definitely helped,” Garrett said. ‘I was like 38 miles in, and my hamstrings were pretty cramped, and I felt like I was just walking up incline hills and thought I could easily stop now. I just kept looking at it, and it just kept me going.
The Impact of a Life Well Lived
One thing that this journey has taught Garrett is the ability to turn a negative into a positive. It’s hard for Garrett not to wake up and think about the grief, but running gives him something positive to focus on during a time of so much pain. He hopes that his marathon journey will have a positive impact on his daughters, and that he will leave Mike’s name in a positive light and legacy.
“Doing this in his name to honor him has been great,” Garrett said.
Something that Mike would always say when he saw someone struggling was “Start fast and keep going.” This mentality is carried with Garrett in his everyday life and in his running.
“When life gets hard, you don’t stop and slow down. You take care of yourself, but you don’t stop,” Garrett said. “You can have the perfect training block, or it’s just not your day, but you have to try not to quit. And that translates to life.”
Garrett wants to continue his journey with running and has a 100-mile ultramarathon in mind, and he even has hopes to start a 5k in his dad’s name in their town. Nothing is set in stone, but he has a lot of ideas.
Every day, Garrett continues to honor his dad’s memory by sharing his stories, carrying his values forward, and making sure his daughters know the incredible person Mike was. Through every run, every mile, and every moment of remembrance, Garrett keeps his father’s legacy alive.
“Keep going for Mike Kelly,” Garrett said.
If you’d like to run or participate in an event of your own for Project Purple, visit our events page.
