PROVO, Utah — Visit the track at Provo High School these days and it's likely you'll find a local man training for the upcoming Chicago Marathon in order to help save his father's life.
The problem is, time is not on his side.
Kyle LaPlant, who has never run more than five miles, is banking on becoming a quick learner for a good cause.
"It's as much mental as it is physical, it's definitely been kicking my butt," he said.
Early last month, LaPlant decided he would run in his hometown marathon to be in perfect shape to donate a kidney to his father, Jimmie, who has Stage IV chronic kidney disease.
If you do the math, Kyle will be able to log only 14 weeks of training leading up to race day.
"I've tried to stay in shape the best I can in general," said LaPlant, but there's no staying in shape for a marathon if you're not an avid runner, which I am not,"
Since he was obviously unable to cover 26.2 miles in under 2 hours and 50 minutes to qualify for the marathon, Kyle gained entry as a member of the American Red Cross team, which just happened to have an unexpected opening the day he called.
When Jimmie, whose health took a turn for the worse due to COVID-19 complications three years ago, learned what his son was up to, he gave his son a taste of reality.
"He reminded me that people take years to train for marathons, for me to do that in two to three month time frame was a little on the crazy side," Kyle shared.
Since LaPlant admits he's never really been into running, will his crash course training regime prevent him from running out of gas in Chicago?
"Fully intend on finishing and doing so without having to take a break," he said steadfastly. "I want to keep a pace, 10-minute pace per mile of jogging which, I think, is a great goal for me."
Kyle also set a goal of raising $5,000 via a GoFundMe page to cover his entry fee, as well as to help with his dad's medical costs.
With race day just a little over seven weeks away, LaPlant is looking forward to making it family day.
"You know, my father is going to be there on race day and my mother, my wife and son. I feel like with them being there with their support, I think I can do it," he said. "I think I can get this done."
