Racing to Fight Diabetes

Don and Karen Holthe took up running not to get in better shape, but to raise awareness about diabetes. “The cause needs more attention,” Karen Holthe said.

The Villa Park residents hope to increase awareness about the seriousness of the disease through running their first marathon.

The Holthes, who say they are the least likely candidates to start running, put on their running shoes in mid-October. They joined Team Diabetes, a group committed to raising money for the American Diabetes Assn. and trains for six months to run a 26.2-mile marathon. Team Diabetes donations go toward education, research and advocacy.

“When I started this, I said I would never be able to run,” said Karen Holthe, 38. “But they’ve convinced me that I could run, and now I’m running. It’s amazing.”

The Holthes are among 25 team members, mostly from Orange County, who are training to run the London Marathon on April 18. “We want to find a cure . . . that’s what we all have in common,” said Karen Holthe, who manages programs and events for the Orange County American Diabetes Assn.

Some team members have the disease; the Holthes and other runners have family members or friends with diabetes. Karen Holthe’s cousin was diagnosed during childhood, developed kidney disease and recently had a kidney transplant. Her husband’s mother has type 2 diabetes, usually diagnosed after the age of 45.

Type 1 results from the body’s failure to produce insulin; type 2 is caused by the body’s inability to make enough or properly use insulin, the ADA said. An estimated 16 million people nationwide have the disease, including about 172,000 Orange County residents.

The Holthes have discovered that people they know have the disease but have kept quiet about it. “People just don’t bring it up,” said Don, 45, a computer software business owner. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of, but it’s almost like a closet disease.”

To prepare for the marathon, the Holthes alternate walking and running through their neighborhood three to four days a week, each day building stamina and speed. On weekends, they work to increase distance, training with the rest of the team under the guidance of professional trainer Mark Lowder. They recently finished their first half-marathon in under three hours and at the end of January ran 16 miles.

The Holthes are seeking sponsorships in hopes of raising $4,000--or more--each. Optimistic about their fund-raising, they are realistic about their other goal: “We just want to get across the finish line in less than six hours. I think we can do that,” Karen Holthe said.

To make a donation to the fund-raising effort, call (714) 283-8535.