Marlin grew up in a broken family environment in which he moved from home to home every year. He lost his dad to suicide when he was 9 and his stepfather to a heart attack at 16. After school time and summers was spent working as a means of bringing in extra income for the family. Now he is a very happily married dad committed to ensure his children grow up in a much more stable home. This is not without it's challenges as he has two special needs teenagers. His son has a high functioning form of autism called Asperger's syndrome and his daughter has a genetic defect called Turners syndrome. Both have difficulty interacting socially with their peers as well as learning in the main stream academic environment.
As a means to supplement each child's education, the family took up the quest to visit every state in the U.S. The goal for the children was to learn something from each travel experience. The goal for Marlin and his wife, Jeanne, was to rekindle their own stress filled relationship and find a way to reconnect with their two children who were on a path of regression and withdrawal. Each destination was determined by the local marathon being held in which Marlin would have to run. Their experience way exceeded any expectations they had. They went far beyond simply reconnecting with their children. They overcame the natural phases of fear and hopelessness, attributed to having developmentaly challenged children, to having an incredibly strong family bond that has left each of them with hope and confidence of a promising future.
Marlin captured their journey in what began as a scrap book to chronicle their adventures which later evolved into the full fledged published book "Our Life on the Run...". In addition to sharing marathon adventures, love of country, and the spirit of family togetherness the true essence of the story reveals the power and rewards that come from a well designed family support system.
