Running a marathon is already difficult, but running it solo is a different kind of challenge. One man trained for an event of his own, with no crowds to cheer him on when his legs grew heavy and the miles grew long. He laced up his shoes to take on the streets of New York City… alone.
None of this deterred Raúl Méndez from taking on a solo marathon. Despite not considering himself a runner, Raúl trained to take on this challenge in honor of his father, Raúl Méndez Sr., who passed from pancreatic cancer.
Raúl has partnered with Project Purple and is a part of the 2026 Pioneer Program. Choosing to run a One Man Marathon through New York City, Raúl ran 26.2 miles on October 3rd.
To support Raúl’s fundraising efforts, you can click here to donate.
“My dad was not afraid of anything.”
Raúl Sr. was an active man, born and raised in Puerto Rico. He was an endurance cyclist who never had any health issues before being diagnosed. So when Raúl Sr. heard the words “you have pancreatic cancer,” in November 2025, it seemed to come out of nowhere.
“From surfing big waves in Rincón, racing cars in his early 30s, to being an endurance cyclist and not quitting cycling after getting hit 3 different times by a car, my dad was not afraid of anything.”
In the months leading up to the diagnosis, Raúl’s parents had retired and were beginning to enjoy retirement with friends. “Their whole group of friends was sort of starting to live their second first life. They were having a blast.”
Raúl Sr. was having esophagus issues. Doctors couldn’t figure out the root cause of the discomfort. After double-checking, they ran some tests, discovering that Raúl Sr. had pancreatic cancer.
Raúl described his father as a funny, passionate, and fearless man.
“He taught me to be funny; he would find humor in anything,” Raúl said. This is something he carries with him every day, and it has helped him throughout his life.
Family was very important to Raúl Sr.; he was very proud of his children and grandchildren. While the Méndez family might be small, their love for each other is large.
“He was passionate about life, passionate about music, passionate about his family and his kids, and I couldn’t have asked for a better dad.”
Raúl Sr. was a lover of music, so when he started going to chemo, Raúl gifted his father a pair of noise-canceling headphones.
“He just puts on his headphones; he would leave the door, go to the treatment center, and sit there for five hours. The world just keeps running, the world keeps moving, and nobody knows this is happening.”
Raúl Sr. battled for nine months before unfortunately passing away at the age of 73.
One Man Marathon – Raúl’s Decision to Run
Raúl was born and raised in Puerto Rico and left in his late 20s. He traveled back and forth from New York to Puerto Rico during the 10 months between diagnosis and the passing of his father.
As an endurance athlete, the geography of Puerto Rico helped shape Raúl Sr.’s mentality, as well as his son’s.
“Back home it’s a lot of mountains, you know, very long stretches, heat. So, endurance sports on a tropical island require you to push hard.” Raúl learned through his father and his love of cycling that endurance ran deeper than sports.
“He always taught me, just keep pushing. That applies not just to endurance sports; you know it’s life.”
“I started running to stay active, distract myself, and see if you could really outrun sadness.” This was the catalyst for Raúl’s running journey. Deciding to take it to the next level after his dad passed and run with a purpose.
Even after the devastating loss of his father, Raúl kept running. Ultimately, he came up with the idea of a One Man Marathon to give back to all those who suffer from or have lost someone to pancreatic cancer.
“There are a lot of parallels between going through cancer as a family, as a patient, and marathon running. My dad, as well as other dads, they’re running this race every day, and nobody knows they’re in this.”
Raúl had zero formal running experience before starting this process. He knew he had to do something to give back and fight against a disease that has impacted countless families around the world.
During his 26.2-mile run, Raúl ran past Columbia University Irving Cancer Research Center, Perlmutter Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Ruttenberg Treatment Center of The Tisch Cancer Institute. Honoring all those patients and families who fight battles every day without anyone knowing.
Raúl ended his One-Man Marathon at Strawberry Fields, the Central Park memorial to John Lennon. His father was a Beatles fan and would go to Strawberry Fields whenever he came to New York. Raúl found it fitting to end this marathon in honor of his father, in a place that had personal significance. It was there that Raúl was met with his wife, daughter, mother, sister, and neighbors.
“It’s really been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.”
So far, Raúl has raised over $12,000 through his One Man Marathon website, surpassing his goal. The money raised from the One Man Marathon goes to the Project Purple 2026 Pioneer Program.
You can click here to visit his page and support his fundraising efforts.
“Working with you guys [Project Purple], it’s something I never thought I’d do, but it’s been incredible.”
While the One Man Marathon may have been a one-time adventure, Raúl plans to do something in the future to continue to help fight against pancreatic cancer. Even suggesting to a local Puerto Rican news outlet, “Maybe I’ll do a lap around Puerto Rico because my dad did that a couple of times.”
If you’d like to run or participate in an event of your own for Project Purple, visit our events page.
