Gabriele Grunewald, Elite Runner Facing Cancer for a Third Time A Part of Hearst Digital Media Elite Runner Facing Cancer for a Third Time.
In an Instagram post, Grunewald wrote her liver “is experiencing infiltration by a large tumor.” She wrote that the tumor is 13 centimeters by 15 centimeters, and it’s a “metastatic recurrence of adenoid cystic carcinoma that I was first diagnosed with and recovered from in 2009.”
She will undergo surgery within a couple of weeks to remove the tumor. “I’m lucky there is just one solitary mass that’s resectable,” she wrote. “I’m lucky we discovered this cancer before it fully overtook my liver or interfered with the function of other organs.”
Major Changes Hit Northern Arizona Elite:
Grunewald was first diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma, or cancer of the salivary glands at 22, during her senior year at the University of Minnesota in 2009. She spent the remainder of that summer undergoing radiation therapy.
In October 2010, she was diagnosed a second time with thyroid cancer. Grunewald returned to the track less than a year later, and ran a personal best 4:06 in the 1500 meters. Her personal best now stands at 4:01.48.
Grunewald gained wide attention when she was initially disqualified after winning the 3000 meters at the 2014 USA Indoor Championships, then reinstated as champion two days after the race.
Other members of the elite running community, such as Sarah Hall, Molly Huddle, and Kara Goucher, have responded to the post and are cheering her on.
“Attitude is everything,” wrote Deena Kastor, in the comments. “Gabe, you’ve got this.”
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Sarah Lorge Butler is a writer and editor living in Eugene, Oregon, and her stories about the sport, its trends, and fascinating individuals have appeared in Runner’s World Advertisement - Continue Reading Below, Run Your Butt Off! and Walk Your Butt Off!