Tom Yorke will run. Six marathons in six consecutive days. Just him, sneakers squishing the pavement, and an RV trailing on the road behind him—carrying an EMS professional and a videographer to capture what he’s doing for perpetuity. Because this is, indeed, a story.
His route will cover roads from Ohio to Pennsylvania, including Interstate 80 East, which is a little unnerving. “I don’t like changing my tires on the highway,” Yorke says, “let alone running for 20 miles.” But he’ll run, with permitted approval, in the early morning hours to avoid the heaviest traffic and the worst of any heat. Then, after finishing 26.2 miles by midday, he plans to eat whatever he wants to replace the thousands of calories he’s burned, so he has the energy to do it all again the following day.
So, why is Yorke, a 39-year-old Catonsville father of two, embarking on such an intense journey?
The short answer is it’s for a good cause—as part of the only cross-country relay of its kind in the United States. Setting off from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, for Brookville, Pennsylvania, Yorke is about to tackle the 19th of 21 legs of the four-month-long MS Run the US relay. It intends to raise money to help those with multiple sclerosis, support research of the disease, and promote awareness of the often-debilitating illness that affects at least one million people in the U.S., three million globally, and three times as many women as men.
The longer answer is Yorke’s wife, Deanna—an English teacher at Arbutus Middle School—has had MS for a decade, and his sister, Melissa, who lives in New Jersey, was diagnosed with the disease 17 years ago. Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that attacks the brain, spine, and central nervous system. It can cause unpredictable effects like numbness and tingling in limbs, mood changes, memory problems, fatigue, blindness, and even paralysis.
Yorke’s wife and sister each started noticing symptoms after having their first child, a relatively common discovery as the immune system resets from a suppressed state during pregnancy. Deanna experiences vertigo initially and lethargy now. Melissa deals with progressive MS, including seizures, memory loss, and constant fatigue. Both take treatments designed to prevent relapses. There is no cure.
They, and others living with MS, either quietly or publicly, inspire the effusive Yorke as he goes about his days as a husband, parent, and the chief marketing officer of the B&O Railroad Museum.
“The MS community is littered with people who will never tell you they have it,” he says. “Never complain about it, but they are overcoming immense odds.”
Yorke, a frequent runner of half marathons and shorter races, turns 40 in December. He wanted to do something significant for the milestone birthday, like run in the Boston or New York marathons. But when he discovered MS Run the US on social media, it appealed more to him, even though it presented a more formidable challenge than a standard marathon.
“I’m not some super runner. I’ve run since I was in 7th grade, but nothing close to this undertaking,” Yorke wrote on the fundraising page linked to his run, “but if what we do in 2024 gets us one step closer to a family like mine knowing they can be told there’s a cure for MS, I’ll pretend I’m a super runner for a few days in July and August.”
The money raised by the 21 participants in this series of six-pack marathons, which began on April 3 in Santa Monica, California and ends on August 17 in New York City, has reached more than $200,000. The funds go directly to fund research or help people with MS—it could be money to purchase a chairlift or wheelchair for someone with progressive MS who can no longer walk, or an air conditioner to help alleviate symptoms that can be triggered by heat.
“Giving money to folks who need it today,” Yorke says. “That’s really meaningful to me. I’m not a doctor, so I can’t solve the problem. Hopefully this helps somebody.”
Yorke started training in January, shifting his standard wake time ahead by hours to finish his long-distance runs before work or family responsibilities. “Even though I’m not a morning person, I was on the road today at 5:30,” he said a few weeks ago. He’s not aiming for a quick pace, but primarily to finish. Earlier this year, he broke a few ribs in a fall during a training run, which sidelined him for a few weeks. He got poison ivy, too. “I hope I’m going through all my trials and tribulations before the run,” he said.
Yorke also partnered with Heavy Seas Beer in Halethorpe, which donated a percentage of its taproom sales on 10 different “Pints for a Purpose” fundraising nights toward the cause.
“I’ve been so impressed by how Baltimore’s stood up,” Yorke said. “My friends were who I thought they were, but you realize all these people that react to your story and the circle of influence you have. It’s been pretty awesome.”
The last of those Heavy Seas’ events was earlier this month. There, Yorke wore an orange T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan, “I Run To Stop MS.” He chatted with Heavy Seas’ marketing and hospitality director, Caroline Sisson, and tipped back a light beer, his last before the race. He described how he recently ran 10, 25, and 17 miles in three consecutive days, his most strenuous stretch of prep, and “felt great, felt comfortable. Now I need to stretch that out,” he said, “but I also get to do that and not have to worry about the rest of my day.”
“I think I’m ready,” he said, though he understands the challenge ahead. “The race started 18 weeks ago. It’s seen all kinds of terrain and weather. Some folks have run in the rain, or the snow, or the mountains. I’m doing the hills of Ohio on top of the heat at the end of July. I’m always hyper-competitive, but the past couple of weeks, I’ve been trying to be smart about my pace so I can feel like when I’m done, I can go another 20…” Miles, he means.
Early Sunday morning south of Cleveland, Yorke’s parents and niece will see him off down the road. Aside from the RV trailing him with three people in tow, he’ll be running alone—until the final five miles when his 11-year-old daughter, Sophie, plans to join him. They will meet the rest of their family, including her brother, 8-year-old Brody, at the finish line on August 2 near I-80 northeast of Pittsburgh. (The irony of a Baltimore guy running between Cleveland and Pittsburgh—the Ravens’ rival cities—isn’t lost on Yorke, by the way—he might wear some purple during the run.)
At first, Sophie was concerned about joining for the end.
“I can’t keep up with you,” she said.
But dad successfully assuaged the worries.
“I will have just run 146 miles,” he said. “I can assure you, you can keep up with me.”
It’s going to be the race of his life.