Recovering from his second stroke, Fr. Ben Hadrich walks William A. Irvin 5K
Jun. 19—Fr. Ben Hadrich couldn't miss a Grandma's.
The 37-year-old Catholic priest ran his first Grandma's Marathon as a high schooler in 2001 and hadn't missed a year. A stroke in August 2015 after a triathlon couldn't stop him — he recovered. A pandemic and canceled in-person race last year couldn't stop him — he ran it virtually.
But after a second, more-severe stroke in September sent him to the hospital for almost 40 days and then another 80 days at Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute — he changed his plans, making sure he didn't miss out on Grandma's entirely.
On Friday evening, with a cane in one hand, his other arm in a sling and a race number pinned to his shirt, he walked the William A. Irvin 5k course with his parents and a friend/parishioner by his side.
"Amazing," Hadrich said after crossing the finish line. "Praise God — best way I can say it — praise God."
The event marked a significant milestone in Hadrich's recovery. When he left Courage Kenny, he was in a wheelchair. When he moved to the St. Mary Star of the Sea rectory in Duluth, he began walking along the church's pews.
Eventually, he moved outside and down to the Lakewalk, his favorite running route.
Then, a few weeks ago, he walked three miles. With a runner's mindset, he timed in it in 2 hours and 32 minutes.
"But praise God, I could walk," Hadrich said.
His pace continues to improve. He finished Friday's 5k — 3.1 miles — in 2 hours, 27 minutes and 39 seconds, more than four minutes faster than his earlier, slightly shorter 3-mile effort.
He knows he might not be able to run a marathon again. For now, his goal is to drive a car again.
During the 5K, Hadrich's mother, Brenda, would walk head, turn around with a camera and capture pictures of her son making his way down the course through Canal Park, the kind of thing his parents have been doing since his days running for McGregor High School and the College of St. Scholastica.
"He's worked really hard to get back to where he is," John Hadrich, Ben's dad, said as he walked with his son.
Ben's recovery has also been reflected in his duties as a priest. He's celebrating Mass again at St. Mary Star of the Sea, easing into it at first by helping another priest. But on Sunday, he'll share his first homily since the second stroke in front of his home parish in McGregor.
Brenda said Friday's 5K showed Ben's hard work and strong faith.
"The stroke doesn't change his mission," Brenda said.
Ahead of the 5K, Ben said he wanted his effort to remind people that is God is No. 1 and to help others.
"Suffering is hard," Hadrich said. "Hopefully we can be helping people who are suffering too."
Along the route and at the finish, Ben had plenty of friends and parishioners cheering him on with hand-written signs, evidence of his mission reaching people.
"I can't think of a nicer person," said Marilyn Kunz of Duluth, a Star of the Sea parishioner who cheered Ben on near the start. "He'll make it. He has the drive."
