Tom McCall admitted his legs “are doing better but still sore” when we spoke on Wednesday.
Two days earlier the 54-year-old Aurora man had run the Boston Marathon, clocking in at a personal best of 3:09:37. Which in itself is plenty of reason to celebrate.
But crossing the finish line of the world’s most prestigious marathon is more than a story of celebration, it is one of redemption: McCall began his long-distance training at Dixon Correctional Center, where he was serving six years for drug-related charges.
How McCall, an Army National Guard veteran and once successful downstate businessman, ended up in prison is but one chapter in his made-for-TV narrative.
The son of a Vietnam War Air Force veteran who himself spent seven years in the Army National Guard, McCall admits his focus after serving in the military was “chasing the money.” Which not only led to a couple of profitable small companies in his name but also to addictions – first alcohol, and later cocaine.
“I did not have decent associates, much less friends,” McCall said. “They pulled me into their world … it was total debauchery.”
But that all changed, he insisted, “when I began doing business God’s way.”
Unfortunately – or fortunately, however you choose to look at it – that transformation did not begin until he was incarcerated. Almost immediately after entering Dixon’s gates, McCall sought out the chaplain, he told me, and enrolled in discipleship programs there, including Aurora-based Wayside Cross’ “Freedom from Fear” seminar. And he began running on those dusty prison paths, maintaining his training even while rehabbing an injured knee, inside his cell as well as the inmates’ weight room.
There were “plenty of setbacks,” McCall admitted, especially when lockdowns prevented him from maintaining his routine. But he was determined to stay on the right track, both figuratively and literally, upon his release in December of 2022. That included going straight from prison to Wayside Cross, where he dived enthusiastically into the mission’s multi-tiered gospel-based program while also “starting my training all over again” on the bicycle trails along the Fox River.
One thing about McCall, says Wayside Cross Executive Director James Lukose, he’s “disciplined” when it comes to his regimen, and he’s got “unwavering determination” when it comes to staying fit.
McCall is also grateful – not just for the guidance Wayside provided for his reentry into society but for introducing him to Up and Running Again, a California-based Christian nonprofit that partners with missions to train homeless individuals to compete in half-marathons.
“The idea is to show them they have value. It gives them confidence … proves to the world they can take a big goal, break it down and crush it,” said Steve Tierney, who founded the organization 15 years ago.
Credit for starting this national program at Wayside goes to the Rev. Bruce McEvoy, pastor at Chapelstreet Church in Geneva, and a longtime marathon runner himself who understands the mental, physical and spiritual benefits of this sport.
As soon as he learned about Up and Running Again – there are nine programs in 12 states – McEvoy saw it as a perfect fit for the downtown Aurora mission. And so, three years ago, about 18 Wayside residents signed up for the 12-week program. By the time the 2022 Fox Valley Half Marathon rolled around, a half-dozen took part, including McCall, who a year later ran the same event’s 26-mile version.
“Tom became a real student of marathon running,” said McEvoy, adding that, before long, he was outperforming the coaches, including Ron Preston, who last May competed with McCall in the Starved Rock Marathon, a pre-qualifier for Boston, but failed to get the time needed to join his good friend on the starting line of Monday’s race.
Preston was, however, on the sidelines to cheer on his star student as McCall joined 30,000 other athletes from well over 100 countries taking part in this 129th annual Patriot’s Day event. McCall finished 390th in the 50-54 age group in what Tierney described as “a very good time.”
While the nonprofit has “only had a handful” of its 1,500 participants compete in a marathon, Tom McCall is “a level above” all the others and “the first to qualify for Boston,” Tierney pointed out.
And the Aurora runner – who described that race as “awe-inspiring, electrifying” – has no intention of slowing down.
Having graduated from Wayside’s program in July of 2023, McCall is now living in a transition apartment and training online with a South African coach.
The Chicago Marathon coming up on Oct. 12 is definitely on his to-do list. But McCall also has big plans for a tiny-homes community he wants to build for struggling veterans who have been imprisoned and/or are homeless.
“No one who ever served this country should be without a roof over their heads,” he declared, fully aware he’s now “running with smart Christian businessmen” who can help him reach yet another impressive goal.
“God helped me cross that finish line,” McCall said, referring to the Boston race itself as well as his journey of transformation. “All the hard work paid off. But I had a great team.”
dcrosby@tribpub.com
