Much loved St. George runner dies after 10-year fight with cancer

Mar 7, 2021, 2:37 PM

ST. GEORGE, Utah — A woman who has run in every St. George Marathon since the run’s inception has lost her 10-year battle with cancer.

Debbie Zockoll died on March 1, reported KSL TV’s Alex Cabrero. Surrounded by family at her death, she was 65 years old.

Cabrero reports that Zockoll was a lifelong resident of St. George (at least since age 12), and taught in the Washington County School District for 30 years.

She was the only person to run in all 43 St. George Marathons.

“She started to walk when she was eight and half months old,” said her mother Julianne Cowley.  “And she didn’t walk, she ran.”

She ran in nearly 300 marathons, reports Cabrero. And it wasn’t about winning, her mother told KSL TV.

“On a marathon, someone was injured one time, and she stopped and helped them instead of trying to make her own time better.”

“That’s the kind of a person she was,” Cowley said.

Other reading:

St. George investigation into missing hiker closes with no evidence of fraud

St. George Mayor, among others announced for Gov-elect Spencer Cox cabinet

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Much loved St. George runner dies after 10-year fight with cancer