Grand Marais runner tackles Grandma’s Marathon after battling rare brain disease

DULUTH, Minn. (Northern News Now) - Thousands are gearing up for Grandma’s Marathon on Saturday, and for one Grand Marias woman, crossing the finish line will mean much more than just completing the race.

Crystal Gail Welcome was diagnosed with a rare brain disease, intracranial hypertension, in 2008.

The disease mimics the symptoms of a brain tumor and causes lifelong pain. Doctors told her she’d have to learn to live with that pain.

After her diagnosis, Welcome said she struggled to get out of bed every day.

It wasn’t until after she had gotten surgery for a brain implant in 2014 that she decided to start running, an activity she hadn’t done since high school.

6 weeks later, she ran a half-marathon.

Welcome says, she lives with her pain by simply going outside and enjoying nature. Now, she does that by hiking and running.

Welcome has completed 5k’s, 10k’s, and a half-marathon. Now she is facing her biggest race yet, a full marathon at none other than the 50th Grandma’s Marathon.

Welcome said as someone who has felt out of control of her whole life because of her disease, it’s running that gives her the space to make her own choices.

“If you are someone who has a medical condition, or has different situations where people are always telling you what to do and how to do it, running is one of those things where you set the pace,” said Welcome. “You’re in control.”

Welcome says that training for a full marathon has been different from anything else she’s ever done.

She believes the most important thing is keeping a positive attitude through all 26 miles.

Welcome said she got a surgical procedure just last week for a glucose condition.

She said Grandma’s Marathon will be her first major physical activity post-surgery.

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