DEDICATION:

Selfless, ardent devotion and loyalty to a person or principle.

Written by Amy Varano

Some call him crazy.  Others call him an inspiration.  But Andrew Hayward doesn’t do it to make friends.  When asked why running is such an important part of his life, he simply replies, “I run for my father.”

Hayward has lived in southern New Jersey his entire life.  Despite living in a small town, he always stays busy.  But even working six jobs at a time isn’t enough to make him retire his running shoes.  It has always been something he enjoyed, but when his father passed away two years ago, it became more than just a sport.  It became a promise to honor his father’s name.

In July 2006, Elijah Dawes Jr. lost his six-year battle to cancer. He worked as a chef for over 50 years and spent most of those years working more than 60 hours a week. “He was always the provider for our family,” says Hayward. “He was extremely dedicated to his work and to his family.  It meant a lot to me to give back a little when he needed it most.”

After the death of his father, running became even more of an outlet for Hayward. “I changed my mindset from running for fitness to running for the memory of my father,” he says. “I think of everything he sacrificed for me and my family, and I realize that even running a 50-mile race does not do him justice.”

The last stretch of a marathon is both mentally and physically demanding, but not for Hayward, who chooses to sprint the last few yards of every race.  Each time he approaches the finish line, he admits that he gets a little emotional. “I start to think about my father’s strength and dedication to the family, and that fuels me with the energy needed to sprint the last 100 yards,” he says.

(more…)