She took up running, but her training was twice interrupted by the discovery of melanomas, the most serious form of skin cancer.

Now 20 pounds lighter, the Connecticut native, who lives in Manoa, is back in training.

She resumed training 2› months ago, remaining under her doctor's observation, and discovered a group called the Brian Clarke's School of Running.

"I fell into Brian's club by accident," Glassman said.

She noticed a group of runners stretching on the grounds of the Church of the Crossroads in Moi'li'ili.

"I sucked in my gut and yelled over the fence," to inquire if it was a private club, Glassman said. Someone responded, "Anyone can join, come back on Wednesday!"

Glassman returned, thus beginning her initiation into running.

She ran with the group on three occasions before anyone mentioned the word "marathon."

"I was mortified ... marathons were for some other species," she said.

Glassman now trains three times a week, averaging 75 minutes of running per session. And thanks to Clarke, she's confident she'll complete her first marathon.

"Brian treats everyone like a winner ... and makes time for individual attention," Glassman said. "He actually went with me to help choose the right running shoes."

Clarke, 60, is a former Hawai'i high school state mile champion from Saint Louis School. He also ran track for the University of Oregon under legendary coach Bill Bowerman.

He has trained runners and triathletes in Hawai'i since 1979, and Glassman was a new student posing a new challenge.

Glassman said her battle with cancer "inspired to play at a higher level (in life)" and now looks to running as a means of challenging herself to her limits.

Leilani Uganiza

Leilani Uganiza, 32, draws her inspiration from a group that raises money to fight lymphoma.

But when she attended a presentation about Team in Training — a marathon-training group that raises money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society — Uganiza's heart was tugged in a different direction.

At that meeting, one of the mentors was speaking about his daughter who died from leukemia.

Uganiza was touched, and hooked.

She was inspired that people were there not only for fitness, but for a special cause. She also met some of the children who are battling leukemia and lymphoma, and that prompted her to take a different perspective on life. 

"Here are these children who are fighting for their lives, while I was just looking for a fitness group," Uganiza said.

She approached friends and others to sponsor her to run races to benefit Team in Training, seeking donations of $1 for each mile she completes in a race. So far, she has raised $3,750 in sponsorships.

Uganiza said she became interested in fitness after her doctor recommended she control her weight. Prior to that, she had never participated in athletics.

Uganiza, who is 4 feet 11, lost 21 pounds since joining the group and now weighs 143 pounds. She trains five times a week, totalling 25 to 30 miles a week and is ready to attack the marathon.

"I've never been a runner, and now I can't imagine myself not running," Uganiza said.

She completed the Nike Half Marathon in San Francisco in October. It was the longest run of her life.

Asked about her fears of not completing the Honolulu Marathon, Uganiza quickly says she finds inspiration in a motto used by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: "If you think running is hard, try chemotherapy."

Kendra Inoue

Kendra Inoue, 35, has come a long way from being in the "worst" condition in her life.

Inoue admits she was a frequent customer of many eateries, and weighed 155 pounds.

"In my worst physical condition and at the heaviest weight in my life ... I couldn't even walk up a flight of steps or just bend over to tie my shoe laces without huffing and puffing," she said.

But thanks to her friend, Lia Park, Inoue is gearing up for her first marathon.

Park worked on Inoue's guilt to motivate her, buying a new bike for Inoue to participate in the Tinman Triathlon.

"There was no way I could chicken out," Inoue said.

This past July, she completed the Tinman — a 750-meter swim, 38-kilometer bike and 19-kilometer run — and her desire to complete the marathon grew.

Now, after eight months of training, the 4-foot-11 Inoue is 30 pounds lighter and radiating with self-confidence.

"No words can describe the feeling of accomplishment once you experience it yourself," she said. "That has motivated me to believe in myself."