Dad runs Boston Marathon in memory of 3 slain children
A Massachusetts man crossed the finish line of the Boston Marathon in memory of his three children, who were killed last year.
Patrick Clancy ran the 26.2 mile race Monday while wearing the names of his children -- Cora, Dawson, and Callan -- on his bib, and wearing an item that belonged to each child: A hair bow of 5-year-old Cora's, a wristband of 3-year-old Dawson's and a bracelet of 7-month-old Callan's, he told WCVB-TV, the ABC station in Boston.
"They were my motivation," Clancy said of his kids in an interview with WCVB-TV after the race. "It was therapeutic. It was purpose. I knew we could make a big difference and we did, so it was good."
Clancy's wife and the mother of their three children, Lindsay Clancy, is facing murder and assault charges related to the deaths of the children last January.
On the day of the incident, Jan. 24, 2023, police received a 911 call just after 6 p.m. ET from a man who said his wife had attempted suicide by jumping out of a window at their house.
First responders subsequently found three young children, a 5-year-old girl, a 3-year-old boy and a 7-month-old boy, inside the home "unconscious with obvious signs of severe trauma," Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said at the time.
Lindsay Clancy survived with serious injuries.
She remains held and has an upcoming court date on May 28, a spokesperson for the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office told ABC News Tuesday. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Patrick Clancy has said previously that he forgives his wife, a sentiment he echoed again after the marathon, telling WCVB, "I said I forgive my wife and I do. I'll just leave it at that."
The Duxbury, Massachusetts, resident ran the marathon to raise money for Boston Children's Hospital, where he said his youngest son, Callan, was treated before his death. He has so far raised over $76,000 for the hospital, according to his fundraising page.
"Callan spent his last moments in my arms before he passed at Boston Children’s Hospital. Although I wished so badly for a different outcome, I was overwhelmed by the compassion and professionalism of the doctors and nurses in the ICU," he wrote on the page. "They gave me a little more time with my boy and I’ll forever be grateful for that."
Patrick Clancy, who gained national attention after the deaths of his children, said he felt supported by strangers throughout the course of the Boston Marathon.
"Ninety-five percent of the people who called my name out, I don't even know who they were. I don't have my name on my bib, so I don't know how they knew me," Patrick Clancy said. "It was just really moving and I'm glad I did it."
Describing his three children, he said, "They were wonderful people. They had a lot of friends. Everybody loved them. They had short lives, but they had really good lives."
