Tom Kimball, MD, crosses finish line in all 50 states
Tom Kimball, medical director of The Heart Institute at Cincinnati Children’s, realized a personal dream on July 15. He completed a marathon in Missoula, MT – his 50th in as many states – running through the sprawling ranchlands and the forest along the Clark Fork River.
Kimball was accompanied by his son, Tom, who is an ultrarunner, and his best friend, Chuck Williams, MD, a pediatric cardiologist at Primary Children’s in Salt Lake City and former cardiology fellow at Cincinnati Children’s. “They are considerably faster than I am, but they were at my side through the entire marathon,” he said.
Kimball ran his first marathon in San Francisco in 1978. “I was in so much pain afterwards that I swore I would never do it again,” he said. “In those days, there were no water stations, so my mom and dad served as my support team, driving ahead to various points along the course where they would cheer me on, give me a cup of water and a candy bar. Dad was a runner, but he never ran in a race. I could tell by the excitement on his face that he wanted to be out there running with me.”
Kimball’s father, an adult cardiologist, died at age 69 of a sudden massive stroke. Afterward, Kimball took up running again. “I run in his honor, to carry the torch that he lit for his patients and extend it to my own.”
Kimball has run a total of 70 marathons – one in each state, plus some repeats that include three in Boston, two in Columbus, two in Chicago, and 16 Flying Pig Marathons in Cincinnati. He lists among his favorites:
- The Boston Marathon. “It’s such a benchmark for a runner to participate in such an esteemed race.”
- NYC Marathon. “It’s so diverse – running through all five boroughs. It’s also where I was born and went to medical school, so it has special meaning for me.
- The Disney Marathon. “This was probably the most fun – if a marathon could ever be called fun – because Disney knows how to entertain. We got to run through all the parks, including up Main Street toward Cinderella’s Castle, which was pretty cool. All the characters are out, and runners can stop to have their picture taken with them. No one was stopping for Jiminy Cricket, so I had my picture taken with him.”
- Cincinnati’s Flying Pig Marathon. “This event stands out because it is such a runner-friendly race and is organized better than any other marathon. I also love that my kids are able to come support me.”
To celebrate his Montana milestone, Kimball and his wife, Dana, flew their adult children and grandchildren to Missoula for a family reunion.
“Dana made special T-shirts for each family member and a special race shirt for me,” he explained. “Afterward, we had a big party. The following week we all traveled to Glacier National Park and spent four great days exploring.”
Now that he’s run marathons in all 50 states, will Kimball hang up his running shoes?
“I’ll continue to run the Pig each year because it is our hometown marathon,” he said. “But I’m looking for other adventures, maybe some that will be easier on my body. I’ve always wanted to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, so that may be in the works for the near future. For now, a vacation that doesn’t involve a marathon sounds pretty good.”
