November 28, 2023
Today we received notice from several sources that Mike Fanelli, younger brother of Gary Fanelli passed away on Saturday last from brain cancer. Both brothers are very well known in the running world on both coasts. Mike was also known for his large collection of running memorabilia which was featured in Runners World. See link below.
The following note from Mike's wife Renay was forwarded to us.
From: Renay Weissberger Fanelli
Dear Friends & Family,
It is with unbearable sadness that I share with you that Michael has passed away
from brain cancer, at home, surrounded by loved ones. While he was a public
figure in many ways, he was also a very private person. Because of that, he
chose not to share his diagnosis broadly, preferring to live his life as if he was
living, not dying.
A little over a year ago, Michael was diagnosed with glioblastoma. Nevertheless,
he faced this journey in the same way he approached all he did in life: with
determination, discipline, dignity, and optimism. As a coach, he often told runners
to divide the race into thirds: “Run the first part with your head, the middle part
with your personality, and the final third, with your heart.” In many ways, it’s how
he took on his illness.
Through it all, he continued to do the things he loved, including running, of
course. In October, he achieved his goal of reaching 115,000 miles run, the
equivalent of traversing 4 times around the world. As many of you know,
mentoring and coaching were lifetime passions of Michael’s. He truly believed
that the world was a place of abundance and wanted to share that with others.
And in the process, he had the privilege of influencing and inspiring so many
along the way.
For Michael, the magic happened when pushed outside his comfort zone. In a
podcast a few years ago, he said, “As long as I can come across the finish line...
knowing that I couldn’t possibly have run one iota faster, that to me, that’s
satisfying.”
No matter what he did—running or living his life—he did it to the fullest.
He will always be on my mind and forever in my heart. We shared so much love
and a wonderful life together. Thank you to everyone who cared about Michael.
We are truly grateful for the impact you had on his life.
A service honoring Michael will be held in January. More details will follow.
With love,
Renay
Mike Fanelli's Running History Collection
Runners World Obituary Mike Fanelli
In reading about Mike Fanelli and his incredible collection, I cannot help but recall another similar collection that belonged to Red Edwards in Sunbury, Ohio. I visited his museum which filled his original farmhouse where he grew up and reported on it more than ten years ago. Red also passed away this year and his collection will eventually be placed with an Ohio museum. Gary Corbitt is also hard at work setting up a collection of running history to be donated someday as well. He would like to see as much of these collections be brought together as closely as possible someday. There are very interesting collections in various archives on university campuses around the country and some can even be accessed online if you know where to go. " I will try to put all this together in a single posting someday", as the old man said before he died. If you are one of these collectors don't wait until it is too late. Get it done and cared for. Here is the Red Edwards report.
No comments:
Post a Comment