Running on friendship to accomplish many things

By John Streit

Correspondent

It was only natural that Jerry and Amy Frostick, architects of the Shamrock Marathon, wanted to make their latest race a full-scale event rather than a simple run.

But as they began to put the pieces together for the inaugural Virginia is for Lovers 14-kilometer and 1.4-mile run, the Great Neck couple felt they could use the race to accomplish something even larger.

They didn't have to look far to find their inspiration.

In an effort to help their longtime friend John Kainer's fight against brain cancer, the Frosticks decided to make their Valentine's Day-themed footrace a benefit for Kainer and his family.

The run will take over the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater and run through the grounds of the Sportsplex and Princess Anne Athletic Complex on Feb. 14.

True to the Frosticks' Shamrock formula, a heated tent with live music and refreshments will be onsite for participants and their families. All 14K participants will receive a commemorative technical running shirt, finisher's medal (and a carnation, for female participants) as part of their registration. The 1.4-mile run includes a race-day T-shirt.

But at the core of the event is the plight of John Kainer, a former Navy SEAL and accomplished multisport athlete who has been fighting a cancerous brain tumor for 11 years.

"Since John's been dealing with this, we've always thought of how we could help them, 'What can we do? What can we do?' " Amy Frostick said.

Even after his diagnosis, Kainer continued to pursue his passion for multisport races.

He took on the Raid Gauloises, an extreme adventure race, in South Africa in 1997 and Ecuador in 1998. He also participated in the inaugural Ironman Florida in 1999 and returned again in 2001. Just 10 days after receiving radiation treatment in 1998, he still ran the Shamrock Marathon.

"If you look at athletic resumes, we've been around for a while and done a lot, but none of it stacks up to what John has done," Jerry Frostick said. "He doesn't just outperform everybody, but he has a true passion and love for the sport. He's the guy that sticks around and cheers for that last guy that finishes the race."

Kainer's condition currently prevents him from racing, but he and his wife, Betsy Kainer, who set up the Team Kainer foundation to help support them and their three young children, said they're committed to defeating the tumor.

"I just couldn't express myself when the two of them came to me and offered to do this for me," said Kainer, who helped the Frosticks design the race course. Jerry Frostick, who owns multisport outfitter Final Kick Sports, said that like the Shamrock, the Virginia is for Lovers 14K should provide an additional economic boost in Virginia Beach's shoulder season.

"But when were doing this race, it was missing that one element," Jerry Frostick said. "With John and Betsy, it really gives us that passion to blow this out of the water and make this a huge event to bring some awareness to the fight that they're handling."

John Streit, 639-4805,

vb.beaconsports@yahoo.com