'Spirit Of Valley Forge' Award Presented To Widow Of Area Runner

VALLEY FORGE, PA — Nearly 2,000 competitors descended on Valley Forge over the weekened for the annual Revolutionary Run, but organizers had one person specifically in mind.

That person was Theresa Thomas, the widow of Joe Thomas, a local marathoner who spent countless hours exploring the trails at Valley Forge.

Joe passed away back in Oct. 2017 at the age of 81. For this year's race, organizers brought back an old award that has not been presented in several years, the Spirit of Valley Forge, for Theresa.

The award was given to a runner who exemplified the Continental Army's attributes of strength of perserverance in the face of tremendous adversity.

“I still feel like he’s here with me,” Theresa said, according to the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board. "Joe was my soulmate, the love of my life. He was always kind. He made things about other people, not himself. He’d be embarrassed that we did this for him. But, he can’t stop people from saying wonderful things about him. Everyone loved him."

2019 marked the 14th annual running of the event. The men's race was won by Dylan Gearinger in 25:01, while the women's race was won by Kim Cary in 31:49.

Funds raised by the race go towards various projects around the park, including improving Sullivan's Bridge, public trailheads, new orientation kiosks, storytelling programs, and more.