Rock 'n' Roll Runner With MS Among The Thousands Of Who Crossed Finished Line

By Joel Hillan

DENVER (CBS4) - A total of 13,000 people participated in the Transamerica Rock 'n' Roll Denver Half Marathon, 10K and 5K events this weekend.

PHOTO GALLERY: Transamerica Rock 'n' Roll Denver Half Marathon

For 73-year-old Karen Stewart, it was the 79th time she's crossed the finish line in a marathon event.

"I don't know, I'm just a little crazy," Stewart admitted.

Crazy, because she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis about 20 years ago.

"My one leg starts dragging after I get a few miles going, but I just keep going," she said.

A few years after her diagnosis, Stewart was reading an article about a woman who walked the Portland Marathon. That was just the motivation she needed.

"I got off the treadmill, got on the phone and called my husband and said I am doing the Portland Marathon and he said, 'Are you nuts?!'"

That would become her first marathon event.

Today was Spencer Woolen's friend Ali's first half-marathon.

"I'm a runner too," said Woolen. "So I know how it is, I know how that support team is. It's good to have people backing you up when you're having a hard race."

Good people like Will Currat. His wife was running, but he cheered for everyone.

"Look, not a cloud in the sky, you can see the moon over there. It's a great day and we are here to cheer everybody on," Currat told CBS4.

Every runner brings their own story, inspiring all of us to finish the races in our lives.

Raquel Carter ran alongside Stewart to make sure she didn't fall. She calls Stewart inspirational, "I just said, if she can do it, I sure as heck can!"

Stewart plans to run her 80th marathon event next month when the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon makes its stop in Las Vegas.

Joel Hillan anchors CBS4 This Morning on weekends as well as reports stories for CBS4 News at 5 and 6 p.m. Follow Joel on Twitter @joelhillan.