I met Paul briefly at Across The Years. He was an interesting guy who loved to run. He ran over 800 marathons or marathon type distances.
Posted on the Ultralist:
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 2009 21:33:35 -0400
From: Reid Delman
Subject: Paul Piplani
I’ve been asked about my source. Charlie Alewine and Paul ran a number of our races including our Boulder 100. Here is his email to me.
Dear Friends of Paul Piplani:
It saddens me to report that my friend, Paul Piplani, with whom I ran side by side with in 90-100 races, including my first and most of my 100 Milers, passed away this afternoon of liver cancer. Another good friend of Paul’s and mine, Todd Byers, and I spent the day with Paul yesterday. He passed knowing he had many friends in the running community that were thinking of him and praying for him. As many of you know, Paul was an accomplished runner who was closing in on 1000 marathons run since his first in 1993. His first marathon was Pike’s Peak. Had it been my first, I may not have run another one. He talked me into doing it once, and I can honestly say that was one of the hardest runs I’ve ever done. I haven’t been back. He ran it 14 times.
If you come across anyone that knows him while running in upcoming events, please let them know about Paul, because he has so many friends across the country that will be wondering where he is, as he usually does two marathons every weekend.
Thank, everyone. Please take care.
Charlie
Paul was a part of my first 100 miler as well! He had such great spirits and knew all the things to say to keep me going. He was so positive and friendly and spread that joy to everyone around him. I am sure he is smiling down on us!
I met Paul back in 2002. He was already an accomplished runner, but one thing he’d never taken the time to do was get a good pair of running shoes. I was that someone who had the pleasure of fitting Paul for the first time @ Performance Footwear (see his shirt). He was an extremely positive soul, who simply just wanted to run. I knew he struggled to make ends meet just on a daily basis and I did what I could to support him on his continued quest. I am both sad for this loss and happy to have met such an inspirational man. I remember one thing he told me that always stuck in the back of my mind. “I don’t do this(running) for anyone, but me…I just run. I keep putting one foot in front of the other and it happens…I enjoy it. It makes me feel great.” I’m doing an Ironman in 12 days (Arizona)…I’ll must certainly have him in my thoughts.
I worked with Paul years ago. He was a very interesting man. Dr. Paul Piplani taught me many things that I apply to life. Paul was a BioChemical Engineer. He was born in India, one of four children. Each sibling was taught a different speech dialect by the parents. When he was ten yeaars old, his parents took him to Scotland to live with his uncle’s family while he strived to get a better education. From the age of ten until now, Paul only was able to see his parents four more times, siblings even less. The uncle’s small house was filled with many people, too crowded for another person, so Paul gathered his meager belongings, departed, and with no money, he learned to live in the park. A park bench was Paul’s bed for several years. He completed his education, even graduating with honors, and took his Phd. degree to America. Paul put himself to the test and invented an array of products for a well known Home Repairs/Building Store chain. Unexpectedly, Paul became ill. Paul trusted people because he was an honest man, however, his “business partner” supposedly did some unethical things which later showed by paperwork that Paul had signed over his business to him, thereby costing Paul his entire fortune. It was at this time that I met Paul. After some soul searching, Paul restructured his philosiphy on life. Now he put Jesus Christ above all in his life. Paul said that running in marathons was his time for communion with the Lord. His vow was to run 1000 marathons before a particular year to prove his dedication to GOD…and he almost did it! I used to make a special beef broth/vegetable soup for Paul. He told me he would take it with him and it was enough to sustain him in his long races. Somewhere out there there is a lady who has Paul’s Marathon shirts and buckeles. She was going to make a blanket from his shirts and put the buckles under glass on a coffee table. May Paul be at rest with Jesus who was with him through each race with him. He gave me a coffee cup which eventually broke and a shirt from the LA Marathon that he gave me. Paul Piplani was a good, honest, smart, caring, amazing man and a true spiritual person who proudly loved Jesus.
I met Paul a few years ago and he was still obsessed with reaching a certain number of marathons. Our people, the Akimel O’othham, don’t have that philosophy but run in a more spiritual manner. So we missed a race, I took Paul to our home in the desert, and we ran without watches or water. We talked under the stars and with a fire all night, running again at sunrise. Paul was a wonderful person to me and my family, eventually participating in a tribal spiritual run with many others and he always thanked us for his experiences. See you Paul.