Oklahoma Woman Runs Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon in Honor of Father

By Jacqueline Sit, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon is taking place in Oklahoma City.

Many are running for a reason. A Weatherford woman is running her very first marathon in honor of her father who died in the bombing 15 years ago.

"I was just probably in a state of shock," said Allysone Moore. "I'm not even sure at the time how I reacted, it just seemed impossible. How could this really be happening?"

It was a difficult and daunting moment in Moore's life. She was a high school senior ready for prom and graduation, but she never expected the unexpected.

"We ended up waiting 12 days before they found Dad and that's a long time to go and still be able to hold onto hope. It was very difficult," Moore said.

After 12 grueling days that hope faded when Moore and her family found out her father, Steve Williams was in the Murrah Building at the time of the bombing. He was gone, but the memories of him are still fresh on her mind.

"He was just a person who took life and made the most of it in whatever he did with his family and his friends," Moore said.

And that's the kind of life Moore was taught to live and her reason for running for the very first time in the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon "in memory of Steve Williams."

"I was really, very motivated to do this," said Moore. "It's just something that my dad instilled in me, is if there's something you want to do that you should go for it and don't let anything stop you."

And nothing will stop her, rain or shine, from running by the banner bearing her father's name.

"I miss him, every year, no matter it's been 15 years," said Moore. "It's just that every year is still difficult. I don't think that'll ever go away."

Moore says she's nervous about the run, but her entire family will be out there cheering her on.

The Memorial Marathon officially begins at 6:30 tomorrow morning.

Some NEWS 9ers are also hitting the pavement. You can track Jacqueline Sit, Toby Rowland and Rusty Surette with the new Memorial Marathon iPhone application. It also provides an interactive map of the course, race information and bib number tracking so fans will know where their runners are on the course.

Learn more about the free Memorial Marathon iPhone Application.