Half-Marathoner Remembered As 'Wonderful Human Being'
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A young man who collapsed and died during a half-marathon on the South Side on Saturday was being remembered as a "wonderful human being" on Sunday.
Zachary Gregory, 26, died doing what he loved. The veteran of several marathons and other long races died Saturday during the 13.1® Chicago half-marathon.
A red flag was raised during Saturday's half-marathon, indicating extreme heat should have runners taking it slow, heat that would eventually cancel the event.
CBS 2's Vince Gerasole spoke with Gregory's friends and family, who remembered him as a fine young man who was making a name for himself as a physical therapist.
Last year, Gregory gave the graduation address for his physical therapy class.
He was a top student in top physical condition. The irony that the veteran runner and athlete died while taking part in Saturday's half marathon has his family struggling to cope.
"Take the time to be with your children, because we aren't sure how long we will have an opportunity to see them," his father Bruce Gregory said.
Zach Gregory grew up a chubby kid in Liberty, Ind. By the time he attended college at Indiana University, he was a constant runner and bicyclist. The transformation led the 22-year-old to his eventual career.
"His goal in life was to help peopel and that's why he wanted to be a physical therapist and that's what got him involved in being so physically active," his mother Sandra Gregory said.
His boss, Grant Koster, said Zach Gregory was "super caring and just a wonderful human being."
Koster said Zach Gregory was a standout from the day he was hired last year. In that short amount of time, doctors were already referring patients to the young man.
"He looked like such a perfect specimen of physical health from the outside that's why it came as such a shock," Koster said.
Greogory lived in Lincoln Park with his longtime girlfriend Marta Wilmes. He reportedly smiled at her on the sidelines as he ran past during Saturday's race. It's something else his grieving family was holding on to.
"What we're trying to take out of this is that he did die in doing something he wanted to do, he enjoyed doing," his father said.
"I am gonna try to do the best because that's what Zach would want," his mother said. "He'd say 'Mom, you can do it' and I can do it for him."
The Cook County Medical Examiner's office has performed an autopsy, but at this point the cause of death has yet to be determined. In the meantime Gregroy's family was planning services both here in Chicago and in their home town of Liberty, Ind.
